HOW TO INSTALL SLIDING WARDROBE DOORS OR ROOM DIVIDERS ONTO ANY TYPE OF FLOOR

Our latest ‘How to’ guide shows you how to install sliding wardrobe doors, sliding doors and sliding room dividers over any floor surface.

Are you installing sliding doors on carpet, ceramic floor tiles, wood, laminate, parquet, linoleum or vinyl? Then let us make it easy for you. Just follow the guidelines below according to the type of floor that you are installing your doors upon.

In most cases, you can choose to either surface mount or recess fix the bottom track(s) so that they are hidden from view. In some cases using a floor liner will aid fixing, we will tell you where.

In each of the set of instructions below we have divided the guidelines under two headings; Sliding Wardrobe Doors and Sliding Doors/Room Dividers as the fixing methods vary depending upon the type of doors being installed.

Whatever your type of floor you can choose from our superb range of sliding wardrobe and room dividers confident of an easy, trouble free fit.

Skip to your floor type:

• Carpet
• Laminate
• Wood or Parquet
• Ceramic Tiles
• Lino or Vinyl

Installation over existing carpet or carpet tiles

Sliding Wardrobe Doors

If your floor is already covered with a thin carpet without separate underlay or with carpet tiles it is easy to install sliding wardrobe doors directly on top of this if the carpet surface is firm and level.

The track (or liner and track) can be screwed directly over the carpet, making sure the screws fully engage with the flooring material below e.g. floorboards or chipboard.

For carpets that have a thicker, woven or tufted pile or for carpets that are fitted with underlay it's a good idea to first install a floor liner. Place this over the carpet and fix by screwing it through to the underlying floor. The bottom track can then be screwed on top of the liner.

Alternatively, you can remove a section of carpet and underlay (equal to the width of the floor liner), and then screw the floor liner directly to the floor. Fix carpet gripper rods either side of the liner, leaving a 5mm gap to allow the cut carpet edge to be tucked down neatly between the gripper and the liner. The bottom track can then be screwed on top of the liner.

Sliding Doors/Room Dividers

Wide recessed track is available for installation under existing carpeting/underlay and carpet tiles. After cutting and removing a thin strip (approx. 11mm width) of carpeting and underlay the track is fixed to the underlying floor surface using screws, double sided tape or silicone adhesive.

Where two tracks are to be installed, the correct spacing between tracks is obtained by laying them side-by-side so that the wider edges of their bases abut (see diagram below). Insert a strip of the original carpeting between the two tracks to achieve a neat finished appearance.

Installation prior to carpeting

Sliding Wardrobe Doors

If you are installing wardrobe doors over a wood floor (floorboards or chipboard) and plan to carpet afterwards then it's best to install a floor liner first to allow you to level the bottom track and provide a neat, straight edge to carpet up to.

Once the doors are installed you (or your carpet fitter) can fix a gripper rod in front of the liner and then fold the carpet down, securing the edge between the liner and the gripper rod.

If you prefer not use a liner you can install the bottom track directly on to the floor and the carper fitter will lay carpet up to the bottom track and then fold the carpet under itself to create a neat edge.

If you are unsure which method to use please discuss your requirements with your carpet fitter or direct your carpet fitter to this page.

Sliding Doors/Room Dividers

Wide recessed track is available for installation under carpeting. Follow the fixing and fitting instructions as described above, prior to laying the carpet.

Installation over laminate flooring

Sliding Wardrobe Doors

If the laminate flooring is already laid then you can install the doors directly upon it using the bottom track alone or the liner and track method as described above.

Laminate flooring offers a flat and solid surface on which to fix the bottom track (or liner and track). Avoid recessing the track within the laminate floor. Cutting out a section of laminate is difficult to do neatly.

If you are installing wardrobe doors over a timber floor (floorboards or chipboard) and plan to lay a laminate floor afterwards we recommend installing a floor liner first as it will allow you to level the bottom track and will provide a neat, straight edge to floor up to.

Sliding Doors/Room Dividers

Surface mounted track is available for direct installation over existing laminate floors. The track is fixed to the floor surface using double-sided adhesive tape or silicone adhesive.

Where two tracks are to be installed allow 41mm spacing between the centres of each track.

Installation over engineered wood flooring or parquet flooring

Sliding Wardrobe Doors

If the wood flooring is already laid then you can install the doors directly over it using the bottom track alone or the liner and track method as described above.

If you wish to achieve a flush effect so that the bottom track appears recessed within the wood flooring then use a router to cut two parallel lines and remove a channel of the timber floor equal to the width of the bottom track. The bottom track can then be fixed directly to the base floor (floorboards or chipboard) by using a suitable adhesive (see diagram below).

Sliding Doors/Room Dividers

Recessed bottom track or surface mounted bottom track is available for installation with engineered wood and parquet flooring.

For a recessed appearance a groove of 11-12mm width and 8mm depth requires routing out of the wooden floor surface for each track to be installed.

The track is fixed in place using silicone adhesive. Where two tracks are to be installed a distance of 41mm should be left between track centres.

For surface mounting over engineered wood or parquet flooring the same method is used as for surface mounting over laminate flooring - see above.

Installation over ceramic tiles

Sliding Wardrobe Doors

If the tiles are already installed then you will need to fix the bottom track directly on to the tiles using a suitable adhesive. A floor liner is not necessary in this instance.

Sliding Doors/Room Dividers

For surface mounting over ceramic tile flooring the same method is used as for surface mounting over laminate flooring - see above.

Installation prior to laying ceramic floor tiles

Sliding Wardrobe Doors

If the tiles have not yet been laid and you are using our aluminium sliding wardrobe door system then you will be able to use our recessed bottom track.

If you are creating a sliding wardrobe with at least two doors on different tracks then fix two recessed tracks side-by-side with a distance of 41mm between their centre lines (see diagram below).

The tracks should be fixed in place with floor tile adhesive or mortar at the point of tiling.

The gap between the two tracks can be infilled with floor tiles cut to size after the tracks have set firmly in place.

Sliding Doors/Room Dividers

For fitting recessed tracks for sliding doors or room dividers follow the same method described above for installing sliding wardrobe doors prior to laying ceramic floor tiles.

Installation over linoleum flooring, vinyl flooring or vinyl floor tiles

Sliding Wardrobe Doors

If the lino or vinyl flooring is already installed then you can fix the surface mounted bottom track directly on to the lino/vinyl using a suitable adhesive. A floor liner is not necessary in this instance.

However, if you wish to use a floor liner then make sure the liner is perfectly level before fixing the bottom track to it. If the vinyl flooring or tiles are laid over a solid floor (e.g. concrete) then suitable plugs and fixings should be used to secure the liner to the floor.

Sliding Doors/Room Dividers

For surface mounting over linoleum or vinyl flooring the same method is used as for surface mounting over laminate flooring - see above.

Installation prior to laying linoleum flooring, vinyl flooring or vinyl floor tiles

In this one instance, whether you are installing sliding wardrobe doors, sliding doors or room dividers we recommend that the lino or vinyl flooring is completed first. Fix the bottom track (or liner and bottom track) over the flooring to obtain the most professional looking finished appearance.

Fixing the bottom track to the flooring / liner

There are a number of ways the bottom track can be fixed to the flooring or the floor liner. The most secure method is to drill holes into the floor liner and screw the track to it. However, professional installers often use double-sided tape and / or silicone adhesive in certain circumstances.

Installation over floors that are not level or are uneven

If you are installing sliding wardrobe doors, sliding doors or room dividers over a floor surface that isn't level or is uneven across its surface then read our guide: How to install sliding wardrobe doors on a sloping floor.

Get in touch.

If you require any further information about installing our liners or bottom tracks over your specific flooring or would like to discuss your sliding door project please call the design team on freephone 0800 035 1730.