Comparing our sliding wardrobe doors with other retailers' doors

We are often asked why some other manufacturers and online retailers offer apparently similar doors, some at a similar or higher price, some much cheaper; so why the price variation? It is quite a difficult one to answer because, unless we can compare exactly the same product specifications, there are a number of variables that will affect the overall cost. However, what we can advise you of are the factors that we believe make our doors excel over others available on the market. You may also find some of our other articles related to this topic of interest and links to these can be found at the end of this article.

Quality of laminate door panels

All our plain colour and woodgrain effect laminate door panels are manufactured using melamine-faced chipboard (MFC) from EGGER, leading suppliers to the UK and European kitchen and bedroom manufacturing industry; so you can be assured that the products we use are of the highest quality available in the market.

Quality of mirrored door panels

Our clear mirror, bronze mirror and grey mirror panel doors offer perfect reflection with no distortion or imperfections. They are manufactured from 4mm thick mirror glass and safety backed.

Quality of coloured glass door panels

Our coloured glass door panels are free from imperfections and colour distortion. They are manufactured from 4mm thick glass and safety backed. All our glass and mirror products are safety backed to meet the UK standards BS EN1036-2 and BS EN12150-2.

Note: Any air bubbles that you may notice on the back of our coloured glass or mirrored glass door panels are due to the safety backing film, and are completely normal. These do not show on the front face of the doors.

Aluminium door frames

When comparing our aluminium door frames with those of others available notice the depth of material used to construct the profile i.e. the thickness of the aluminium. Our profiles are made from extruded aluminium with a profile wall thickness 0.8mm-1.5mm, hard-wearing anodised or powder-coated aluminium and this improves the overall structural integrity of the doors as well as giving them a very durable finish. If you are able to obtain samples of other manufacturers’ door framing materials we invite you to compare them with ours. We are pleased to offer free samples of our own aluminium profiles which will assist you in the process of designing and colour matching.

Steel door frames

Our steel frame doors are fabricated using 0.6mm - 0.8mm thick steel which is rolled into shape. The choice of door framing usually comes down to whether you prefer the shape of our profile (the vertical framing section that goes up the full height of the door on either side that is used to open and close the door) and the visible width of the front facing edge of the door frame – some manufacturers use narrower profiles.

Aluminium running gear

Our top and bottom aluminium running gear is manufactured from nickel-plated steel. The top running gear features dual wheels that are rubber-coated to facilitate smoother and quieter running within the steel top track channels. The bottom rollers feature durable nylon wheels that are spring-mounted within the bottom rail assembly of the door to prevent the door from leaving the track. Both the top and bottom wheels use 608zz double-shielded bearings (rated ABEC-5) – meaning that the rolling bearings are protected from contaminants during operation and are ‘lubricated for life’. The bottom roller wheels are also slightly chamfered so that they roll smoothly and quietly within the bottom aluminium track channels. The bottom wheels are load-bearing up to 50kg per wheel.

Steel running gear

Our top and bottom steel running gear is manufactured from a nickel-plated steel with an injection moulded PVC insert. The top running gear features dual wheels that are rubber-coated to facilitate smoother and quieter running within the steel top track channels. The bottom rollers feature durable nylon wheels and anti-jump tabs which, when snapped into the bottom track channel, prevent the doors form leaving the track. Both the top and bottom wheels use 608zz double-shielded bearings (rated ABEC-5) – meaning that the rolling bearings are protected from contaminants during operation and are ‘lubricated for life’. The bottom roller wheels are also slightly chamfered so that they roll smoothly and quietly within the bottom steel track channels. The bottom wheels are load-bearing up to 30kg per wheel.

All Wardrobe Doors Direct running gear carries a 10 year manufacturer's guarantee which means we will replace them free of charge if they become defective within that time.

Contact us

If you would like to talk through any aspect of this article or for a quote please call the Design Team on freephone 0800 035 1730.