What is the difference between the guides in the wardrobe? Mechanisms for sliding wardrobe doors

A guide profile for sliding wardrobes is a component whose purpose is to move door leaves on rollers. When choosing guides, it is necessary to take into account the size, weight, quantity, material of the doors, as well as the opening option.

These components for sliding wardrobes are made from various materials:

• plastic;
• steel;
• aluminum.

Guides for sliding wardrobe doors from the company site are made only from aluminum of the highest quality and are particularly strong and durable; they are not subject to deformation under high loads and temperature changes. And steel and plastic guides for sliding wardrobes, the price of which, although much lower than aluminum ones, significantly lose in technical characteristics and operational properties.

Before you buy guides for sliding wardrobe doors, you should determine their characteristics:

• thickness. Everything is simple here: the thicker the guide profile, the stronger it is and the more resistant to loads;
• shape: open or closed;
• color. The modern color scheme helps bring to life the most daring design projects of sliding wardrobes.

Buying a guide profile for a sliding wardrobe from our company means purchasing high-quality components that will last as long as possible.

Types of guides for wardrobe doors

Guides for sliding wardrobe doors can be made with one track, two or three, depending on the number of door leaves. The sliding systems themselves come in three types:

• from the top guide on which the door is hung. Special rollers are mounted below. Such systems are often used for interior partitions;
• with a bottom guide that can be installed on the floor or on the bottom shelf. For normal operation of the wardrobe, it is necessary to regularly clean the rails from dust and dirt;
• combined. A whole set of sliding wardrobe guides is installed: upper and lower. The opening and closing of the door is controlled both from above and from below, so this type is considered the most reliable.

The most popular models of aluminum guides for sliding wardrobes are lower and upper with double track.

The guide profile for sliding wardrobes is also selected based on the shape of the cabinet and doors:

• straight: for traditional rectangular cabinets;
• radius: used in cabinets of unusual models with rounded shapes.

However, it is necessary not only to correctly select and buy guides for sliding wardrobe doors, it is also important to carry out correct installation, on which the operation of the sliding mechanism will depend.

IN small apartments ah, sliding doors are popular. Because they allow you to save space, since they do not require additional space for opening, and also animate the interior decoration with a unique design approach. If you have the desire and time, you can master making compartment doors yourself.

Types of compartment doors

The types of products depend on the dimensions of the doorway and the tasks being pursued. All sliding structures of this type are classified based on the following parameters:

• Type of holder;
• Special profile material;
• Number of valves.

Holder type

Coupe doors have a top or floor type of fastening of the structure. With the suspended method of fastening the structure, roller carriages are mounted at the top of the opening. Consequently, the structure rests directly on the upper roller device.

In the floor variation, the roller bottom profile is fixed to the floor covering. To hold the door in a vertical position, runners are installed on top of the door opening directly on the wall.

Important! Most products use bottom floor mounting of the guides.

Special profile material

The following profiles can be classified as utilitarian structures:

• Metallic profile. Such devices are famous for their availability and strength characteristics;
• Aluminum profile. A specific feature of the device is the location of the roller device inside the frame. The profile design is resistant to corrosion. In addition, the profile is lightweight and has an attractive appearance;

• Veneered profiles for internal compartment doors made of aluminum. These are aluminum structures covered with veneer. Thanks to the additional coating, such profiles are more expensive than regular ones.

Guide – upper double

Number of valves

Regarding the number of door transoms, there are:

• Single leaf. Optimal variation for small doorways;
• Bivalve. The design consists of a pair of transoms that go in one or opposite directions;
• Tricuspid. Several variations are provided. When the structure is swung open, the active leaf can be one or all;
• Quadricuspid. The transoms of the structure move in one direction or by approaching;
• Pentavalve. The travel design is similar to four-leaf structures;
• It is rational to use six-leaf doors for wide doorways.

Important! Ultra-modern sliding structures combine metal, wood, glass, as well as a special mechanism and modern fittings.

Compartment doors can be divided into types according to the following criteria:

• Production method;
• Method of implementation;
• Fabric material;
• Type of decorative coating.

Coupe door design

The design of an interior door is determined by the material of the door leaf. The production of canvases is carried out using the following materials:

• Solid wood;
• Veneering;
• Laminated;

Important! Plastic is not used as a compartment door material due to the low rigidity of the material.

Double doors made of solid wood are rare. Because this kind of design has a lot of weight and price. A universal variation is sliding doors with glazing. Such designs are used as a delimiter and as a built-in element of sliding wardrobes.

Door installation methods

Compartment doors can be installed in two ways:

• Using a guide profile on the inside, there are two types of coupes;
• With one guide profile.

Installation of the structure on the upper and lower special profiles is most often found in sliding wardrobes. This variation is not suitable for internal doors, since the lower profile becomes a barrier to movement. To avoid this, the lower rail device can be recessed into the floor covering.

The movement of the door product is made by moving the leaves along the slats using wheels.

Installing the structure on the top or floor rail has positive aspects:

• There are no obstacles when moving;
• The rooms are not separated from each other by a threshold. Consequently, with the transom close together, the rooms are smoothly connected to each other.

The movement of the valves in this design occurs along the upper rail installed on top of the diaphragm, using wheels.

Important! The number of wheels is determined by the weight of the panel.

Installing a cassette device helps to hide the transoms in a special niche.

To save money, it is possible to install an accordion door. It is advisable to use such designs for equipping kitchen openings.

Radius sliding interior structures are of interest. Thanks to doors that swing open along a radius, you can change the space. This kind of construction is considered to be an elite class.

Radius plowing system

Radius sliding devices are widely used in the design of sliding wardrobes

Structural characteristics and dimensions depend on the characteristics of the room and interior decoration. Regarding the configuration, radius cabinets can be arched or bent.

Important! Modern designers use a combination of cabinets of various configurations, as a result, they acquire an original wave.

Regarding the design features, cabinets are divided into:

• Built-in type;
• Product with convex shapes.

For small apartments, it is preferable to use a corner cabinet. Regarding the configuration, such a cabinet should be symmetrical.

A cabinet cabinet is a free-standing piece of furniture. The radius cabinet does not have side panels or they are small in size. To install a cabinet, take all measurements so you don’t have to adjust the dimensions on site.

A built-in wardrobe, as a rule, does not have a body, and a base ceiling and floor covering is used as the lower and upper floors.

Types of special profiles for sliding wardrobe doors, installation variations

The design of devices for wardrobe doors contains a variety of peripherals and parts, the main task of which is to restrain the elements of the structure. For example, they provide for smooth movement of transoms different types cabinets

Several types of special profiles are popular:

• Buildings including several structural types;
• For pulling out drawer devices.

Important! Of interest are the designs for doors and transoms of sliding wardrobes.

Purpose

All types of guides must ensure easy closing and opening of transoms, regardless of whether they are transoms of internal or cabinet panels. The foundation of the sliding device, including sliding wardrobes, is placed on slats along which the transoms move due to wheels.

It is necessary to select a profile for compartment doors taking into account:

• Dimensions of parts;
• Transom weights;
• Number of transoms.

Guides

When selecting a profile for a door or a cabinet, regardless of the type of sliding mechanism, attention is paid to the material.

The plastic profile has low price, at the same time it has a significant disadvantage - low strength and low service life. Thanks to modern technologies It is possible to use a combined version of rail supports. The key advantage of this type of profile is the steel support for the wheels.

Steel rail supports are characterized by safety.

For compartment doors aluminum profile – best option. Since such a profile has positive performance characteristics, great production and plastic properties. The only negative is the high cost.

Features of the wardrobe door profile

	Metal profile for cabinet	Aluminum profile for sliding wardrobe
Advantages	Low price	Good quality, light weight, wide selection
Types	–	Profile with anode lining for cabinet	Profile for cabinets covered with PVC
Availability	Used by domestic cabinet production companies	Offered by leading cabinet manufacturing companies	Recommended cabinet manufacturing companies with extensive distribution networks
External view	Limited color range	Extensive color palette	Huge selection of shades and textures

Important! Depending on the type of overhanging and the number of transoms, the rails can be multi-lane. Supporting elements are made shaped or curved.

Types of sliding buildings

Popular for residential premises is the compartment type of door with an upper or lower swing type.

Features of the top type

Top hanging involves hanging the door on a profile. This type of element is installed exclusively in the upper part of the embrasure. The bearing wheels move along the upper profile. The lower guide is used in the form of a latch, parallel to which the locking wheels move.

Thanks to this approach, the swinging of the suspended panel is turned off. The advantage is the integrity of the flooring, it is more elegant and quite easy to swing open. If the lower special profile is installed below the level of the floor covering, then a threshold-free device will be obtained, and the fixing elements will run longitudinally on a secret rail.

The lower one has similar device. The supporting element of the structure is the lower profile. The top rail and wheels prevent the transoms from falling out.

Combined devices, in which the transoms are supported and fastened along the upper and lower profiles, are more durable. But such devices are difficult to install and regulate.

The upper sliding device is used to equip internal barriers and form compartment doors moving next to the wall.

The lower and combined types are widely used in sliding wardrobes.

How to determine size

First of all, you should find out the size of the door lampshade.

Important! To obtain the correct dimensions, the width and height of the lampshade must be recorded repeatedly.

In the process of determining the size of the hole, the following standards must be followed:

• Width is measured at the lower, upper and average level;
• The height is chosen relative to the smallest dimension;
• The depth of the product is not significant for choosing the width of the profile.

How to calculate the height of a door structure?

The height of the door device is calculated using the formula:

Building height = hole height – 40 mm.

For example, the height of the hole is 2500 mm, therefore the height of the building is 2460 mm.

If you look at the cross section of the top rail for a sliding wardrobe, then the length of the internal space, the top rail is 45 mm. Reducing the length of the door structure compared to the openings by 40 mm allows you to avoid differences in height of 10 mm. The upper guide will not allow the wheels to leave the profile.

Calculating the door width

The width of the door product should be such that there is an overlap of the panel by the width of the handle.

The width is calculated relative to the diagram:

• The width of the building with two transoms = (opening width + 26) /2. Where 26 mm is the size of the first overlap;
• Product width for a three-leaf device = (hole width +26 *2) /3. Where 26 is the size of two overlaps.

For example, the width of the holes is 1600 mm according to the formula:

Product width = (1600+26) /2

Sometimes, to calculate the correct dimensions of a structure, it is necessary to take into account the width of the fender brush. To determine new dimensions from the width of the hole 2 thicknesses of the brush.

For example, if the brush has a thickness of 5 mm, then 10 mm must be subtracted from the width of the hole, and the acquired value must be used as the width of the hole to calculate further dimensions.

For symmetrical handles, the calculation of dimensions will differ from the width of the opening. A section should be added to the existing dimensions.

Calculation of the length of the upper and lower special profile

The length of the connecting profiles is taken into account less than the width of the panel. The length of the upper and lower joining parts is equal to the width of the opening. The size of the dividers is calculated identically to the upper and lower profiles.

The length of the upper and lower special profiles is made in accordance with the formula:

Horizontal profile length = building width – handle width * 2.

For an asymmetrical handle, profile length = product width – 2 *26.

How to find out the size of a wardrobe door?

To find out the length of the guides for cabinet products, you must use the formula:

Profile length = opening length – 2 mm

Important! The length is reduced to facilitate the installation procedure.

Profile length for built-in devices:

Profile length = door lampshade length + 40 mm

The length is increased in order to have the potential to adjust the size during installation. Because the size of the top and bottom profiles will vary.

The design of guides for sliding sliding doors includes various components and parts, the main function of which is to ensure the movement of various elements of furniture structures. For example, they ensure free (without jamming) opening of the sashes various types cabinets

Today, two systems of guide mechanisms are most common:

• door, which include several design varieties;
• for extending box structures - table drawers, sofa trays, tabletop extensions and shelving.

The systems for sliding doors are of greatest interest. interior doors-compartments and wardrobe doors.

Main functional purpose

Various types of sliding door guides must ensure the free closing and opening of sliding doors, regardless of whether they are interior doors or cabinet doors. The basis of any design is the rails along which the doors move horizontally using rollers.

Additional accessories include:

• roller hangers or supports;
• profile seals and plugs;
• clamps;
• small fittings;
• additional devices, the availability of which depends on the specific choice of rollers and guides.

The choice of guide profile depends on the overall dimensions of the furniture parts, the weight of the sashes, their number and other factors. It is not difficult to purchase all the necessary components and fittings for furniture today; just look at the price list of any furniture supermarket. On the modern furniture market there are budget options:

• "SLIDER-Volkhovets"
• "Framir"
• "Herkules" or "Rollan".

So are imported ones, the price of which is quite high:

• "Raumplus"
• "Francco"
• "Archie"
• "Hangroller"

Guides

When choosing a profile for sliding doors, regardless of the type of sliding system, the main attention is paid to the material of its manufacture. Today they are made from various materials.

The plastic guide profile has the lowest cost, but has a significant drawback - relatively poor reliability and short service life. Today, combined rail supports are mainly used, in which a plastic profile has a metal supporting surface for the rollers.

Steel rail supports are highly reliable. Their price is low and depends primarily on the brand. Moreover, sometimes the cost is clearly too high compared to the performance properties and ease of installation.

Rail supports of all well-known furniture brands are made from aluminum, including circular guides for sliding doors. They have the best specifications and high ergonomic and aesthetic properties. Thanks to their optimized properties, they can be used to install sliding panels of any weight and width, up to five meters in height. The only drawback is the significant cost.

Depending on the type of hanging option and the number of sashes, rail guides can be one-, two- or three-lane. In addition, the supports themselves are made straight or curved.

To increase decorativeness and aesthetics, almost all elements and parts are anodized, chrome-plated or painted using powder coating technology. The type of tinting can be anything, ranging from traditional silver, gold or wood texture, and up to “antique bronze”.

Types of sliding systems

In residential premises, sliding doors with an upper or lower swing type are most widespread.

Thanks to this, transverse vibrations of the hung canvas are eliminated. The undoubted advantage of this mechanism is the integrity of the floor covering, it is more aesthetically pleasing and easier to open. If the lower profile is installed below the floor level, a threshold-free structure is obtained, and the locking rollers of the sliding doors will move along a hidden guide.

The lower one has a similar design, but the supporting element is the lower, fixed profile. The top rail and rollers prevent the sashes from falling out.

Combined systems, in which the sashes are supported and fixed along the upper and lower profiles, are more reliable. However, they are more difficult to install and adjust.

The first option is mainly used when arranging sliding partitions and creating interior sliding doors that move along the wall. The second and third are predominantly used in wardrobes.

Most commercially available kits are classified according to their load capacity, which depends on the total weight of the door leaves. In addition, when selling any kit, a supermarket salesperson or online store manager will definitely ask the client about the type of system (suspended or support) and the preferred price range.

A video clearly showing the types of guides and their attachment points.

Installation

The process of installing sliding doors is simple and consists of assembling all the components, parts and fittings included in the purchased kit. In this case, the apartment owner himself decides whether he will order sliding panels separately or purchase them together with a set. Any person with minimal plumbing skills will be able to perform the installation work independently. However, the assembly process itself requires special care and precision. The first step in installing any horizontally sliding panels is to install and secure the support profiles.

The reliability of the operation of sliding doors and the ease of their operation depend on the qualified and careful installation of the guides. This applies to both top and bottom rail systems and longitudinal opening types. In case of poor installation, the possibility of the sash coming off cannot be ruled out. Of course, such a situation will not lead to tragic consequences, but the work to restore the functionality of the doors is quite labor-intensive.

The most simple option is installation with a single-lane support rail.

This option is used for installing single-leaf interior doors or double-leaf ones, when the leaves are installed without overlap, but end-to-end and slide apart in opposite directions. Let's look at the fastening process using their example.

The assembly of any sliding system begins with fastening the upper support profile. Typically, this operation does not cause problems. For installation, in most cases it is necessary to attach an additional beam to the wall, above the doorway. For a single-leaf door, its minimum length should be equal to double the width of the opening. If double-leaf interior doors are installed in a living space, then the length of the beam should be equal to four times the width of the opening.

After fixing the upper profile, pre-assembled sashes are hung on it. For most industrially manufactured kits, this operation is performed by simply “winding” the door rollers through the end of the support profile.

The hung canvas is aligned vertically, using a level or laser plumb line. Next, you need to secure the bottom guide to the floor. Its installation and fastening depends on the sliding door system (hung or supported), the type of rollers and the nuances of the purchased kit. Usually, at the first stage of installing the lower or fixing profile, it is not rigidly fastened. Having secured it “live”, they check the functionality of the entire structure and only after making sure that the assembly is correct and the panels slide freely, they finally fix it.

Often the fastening of both parts is carried out before installing the rollers on the canvas. The sequence of work is similar to that described above. The alignment of the rail in the vertical plane is controlled using a building level, and the distance between their surfaces is controlled using a regular tape measure. After installing the support profiles, the door leaves are assembled, which are then hung in the usual way.

The video clearly shows the process of installation and installation of sliding wardrobe doors.

Of course, there are other assembly schemes. Some “craftsmen” generally refuse to purchase a full set, purchasing only videos. At the same time it appears more options for creativity, both in the choice of panels themselves and fastening parts.

Features of installation of “pure” hinged sliding doors

Today, in the online trading system and in furniture supermarkets, you can purchase kits for installing sliding doors without a bottom guide. A typical representative is the Raumplus kits.

Preventing vibrations of hanging sliding doors is carried out due to the special design of the upper roller support and the weight of the door leaf. The roller support has a rather complex mechanism. Typically a roller carriage contains four rollers. The advantages of “Raumplus” type structures include ease of installation. For the home handyman You just need to securely fasten the top profile and install the panels.

However, support-free suspension systems require more careful maintenance and handling. An alternative to these are bottom support wheel designs, which do not require a bottom support rail. In this case, the door leaves have special wheels at the bottom that roll freely directly on the floor surface. As a rule, the lower wheels are spring-loaded, which to a certain extent compensates for uneven floors.

Undoubtedly, the optimal solution for installing sliding interior doors is to contact specialized companies that sell roller kits and install them on a turnkey basis. Most of them offer customers several options when placing an order, differing in both systems and final design. However, many homeowners, having considered various options, settle on self-installation. It is not uncommon for home craftsmen to completely refuse to purchase ready-made kits, purchasing separate panels, separate upper and lower profiles, and ordering roller supports individually.

Gallery of furniture with sliding doors

Various sliding wardrobes allow you not only to save living space, but are also a great way to diversify the interior of a bedroom or hallway.

A sliding wardrobe guide is a set of parts that perform the function of moving various furniture structures. At the moment there are two systems. This is a guide for a sliding wardrobe and for Despite the great similarity in design, today we would like to pay attention to the first type of parts.

Varieties

It should be noted that in various wardrobes are applied at all different designs. For example, economy-class devices use a type of mechanism in which the door is enclosed in a steel or (most often) aluminum frame. On furniture designs of a more expensive class, an option is used in which there is no door frame. In this case, plastic guides are used on the bottom and top sides of the furniture (for wardrobes). Special rollers are mounted in the grooves of these devices, which are tightly attached to the extreme parts of the door frame.

It should be noted that this version of sliding devices is not very convenient to use, since the door is removed from the frame, and various dirt and dust can accumulate in the grooves. If you do not wipe them in time, these deposits will over time prevent the device from opening freely, which is why you will have to use additional effort. As a result, the service life of the guides, and the cabinet itself as a whole, is significantly reduced. Therefore, cheap furniture is not such a bad option compared to expensive counterparts.

Sliding wardrobe guide and its rollers

Such parts are most often made of metal, since plastic can simply crack under load over time. The design of the rollers assumes the presence of a ball-bearing internal mechanism, which allows the door to move freely in the horizontal direction.

Using this design is the most practical and durable. Plastic rollers gradually wear out, and it is not uncommon for owners to buy new parts to replace the ones that have failed after several months of use.

Devices used in expensive furniture

More expensive designs use other rollers that are inserted into door frame and move on special rails. At the same time, a special hook does not allow them to slip out of the slats. This mechanism is considered strong and durable. However, compared to the rollers that are used on cheap economy-class sliding wardrobes, they are not only reliable, but also silent.

The door in such structures opens with the slightest effort. The material here can be steel or aluminum. Sometimes plastic rollers are found, but their material differs significantly from the first type of product in its quality and durability. Polyurethane devices used on expensive furniture are almost never washed, much less crumbled. At the same time, the lower and upper guides for a sliding wardrobe are always made of metal, regardless of what type of rollers is used.

Buying a wardrobe can solve the problem of limited space in your room. One property is similar in all such models: their canvases are able to move thanks to the presence of special mechanisms - guides. This article will tell you how to choose guides for sliding compartment doors. Only having the necessary information can you make a successful choice.

Kinds

Similar designs may differ in size and other features:

• be equipped with a sliding door and an opening opening, which is similar in size to the parameters of a standard door;
• have a movable partition and opening extending from wall to wall, from floor to ceiling;
• have panels that open the opening of a sliding wardrobe separate from the walls of the room (this is a standard design of a sliding wardrobe);

• Modern manufacturers also offer a built-in type of similar cabinet, as shown in the photo. This is something “in between” the standard model and a movable partition. Often such a product does not have any walls and is installed directly on the walls of the room.

Equipment

Each similar design is distinguished by the presence of:

• Guide;
• Rollers;
• Stopper;
• And a limiter.

The last two of these listed elements can be purchased together with a roller mechanism, or together with a sliding structure. However, their parameters do not have a significant impact on the operation of the entire product, which cannot be said about the guides.

Thanks to the presence of a stopper, such a door is fixed in one place, which prevents the doors from colliding with edges on the same “track”.

The limiter, in turn, is designed to determine the greatest distance by which the door will be able to move apart. The standard design is characterized by the installation of a limiter. In this case, the stopper is mounted to the floor and hidden by the door leaf of the product. This is definitely a big plus.

The most important factors that determine the parameters similar design, guides and rollers protrude.

The guides are made in the form of thick profiles. The product webs will move along them. Guides can be:

• top, and then they are attached to the wall;
• as well as the lower ones, and then they are attached to the floor;
• the guides can also be single or double.

Which of them to use in a particular cabinet model depends on the design of the product itself.

Rollers are divided into:

• upper ones, which may differ in the number of wheels depending on the weight of the door leaf installed in the cabinet. Heavier weight required more rollers. Depending on the shape of the profile used in the manufacturing process of the upper rollers, the latter can be divided into symmetrical and asymmetrical products.

• and lower options, which are not very diverse and are almost all made using the same technology.

Now we will tell you in more detail about the main components of the cabinet system. Having this information, it will be much easier for you to understand the characteristics of each of the selected species.

Upper and lower sliding systems

Based on the name of the type of sliding system, it becomes clear that in the first version the rollers are located in the upper part of the product, and only clamps are located at the bottom. They also prevent the door leaf from oscillating while it moves. The lower sliding system has the opposite characteristics. The upper system is characterized by a number of significant advantages: when installing them, the unity of the floor covering is not disturbed, you will not encounter the problem of tripping over the threshold, or the difficulty of cleaning it.

In the case of using a lower sliding system, the load lies on the lower wheels moving along the grooves; and at the top of the doors there are additional wheels that move along a second guide.

A non-threshold design is more often used in the case of creating sliding doors and partitions, and a sliding system with lower support rollers, as shown in the photo, in the case of sliding wardrobes.

Material

Often, steel or aluminum is used as such material, which determines the name of the system. Increasingly in last years Furniture manufacturers divide designs based on this feature. There is a lot of debate about which one is better. But none of them is without its shortcomings.

Such systems are divided into classes according to load capacity.

Before choosing one or another mechanism with guides, you must take into account the weight of the door, since such systems differ depending on the weight of the door leaf.

Conditional classification

All of these systems include two or more movable door panels. And if we talk about fittings and types of fastenings, then such systems are divided into:

• moving along the wall;
• driving into a niche in the wall.

Let's sum it up

By purchasing a wardrobe, as shown in the photo, you can significantly save space small room. Therefore, such designs have been very popular lately. Such systems have different classifications and differ from one another in certain features that must be taken into account before choosing one or another option.