Sliding Closet Doors Over Carpet
#1
09-06-08, 10:47 AM
Sliding Closet Doors Over Carpet
Our master bedroom previously had a bare wood floor but we decided on carpeting. The closet doors are sliding doors, the kind where there's a metal track along the top of the opening and two doors are hung by rollers on that track. I believe they're called "sliding bypass doors".
Anyway, with the bare wood floor there was no problem. To install the carpet we removed the doors and the floor guide (which keeps the doors from swinging in/out). After the carpet was installed I trimmed about 1/2" from the bottom of the doors and rehung them. They slide fine, but I don't know what to do about the floor guide. I got a new floor guide at the hardware store that says it's for use with carpeted floors but honestly I don't know what the process is for installing it. The kit contains the same type of guide that I removed from the wood floor, but also a stack of five or six plastic spacers that, presumably, go below the guide.
Looking at it, the only idea I have is to cut a large-ish hole in the carpet where the guide should go, screw the spacers to the floor, then screw the guide to the spacers. Is this right? Do I really have to cut up my new carpet to install this? I considered just screwing the new guide through the carpet and into the floor but the guide bends way too much and the carpet looked very stressed.
I'll cut if I have to but before I do I need to know if I'm missing something that's perhaps obvious. Thanks.
Anyway, with the bare wood floor there was no problem. To install the carpet we removed the doors and the floor guide (which keeps the doors from swinging in/out). After the carpet was installed I trimmed about 1/2" from the bottom of the doors and rehung them. They slide fine, but I don't know what to do about the floor guide. I got a new floor guide at the hardware store that says it's for use with carpeted floors but honestly I don't know what the process is for installing it. The kit contains the same type of guide that I removed from the wood floor, but also a stack of five or six plastic spacers that, presumably, go below the guide.
Looking at it, the only idea I have is to cut a large-ish hole in the carpet where the guide should go, screw the spacers to the floor, then screw the guide to the spacers. Is this right? Do I really have to cut up my new carpet to install this? I considered just screwing the new guide through the carpet and into the floor but the guide bends way too much and the carpet looked very stressed.
I'll cut if I have to but before I do I need to know if I'm missing something that's perhaps obvious. Thanks.
#2
09-07-08, 03:51 AM
Generally the carpet is cut and the guide installed. It will show less stretching of the carpet if you do it that way. Face it, if you remove the carpet later, no loss. If you decide to install tracked mirrored bypass doors, no loss. Cutting the carpet will resolve your immediate problem, and will look better, using the shims to keep the guide elevated.
#3
09-07-08, 06:57 AM
Member
Which ever way you decide to do it, be very careful. If you cut the carpet, use a new blade in your utility knife and if you screw through the carpet, make a hole so that the screw doesn't grab the carpet pile and pull it.
#4
09-09-08, 01:41 PM
Thanks. Looks like I'll be cutting.
Now for the next question: Why is it when I search the forum for posts I've made, this thread doesn't appear (though others do)?
Now for the next question: Why is it when I search the forum for posts I've made, this thread doesn't appear (though others do)?
#5
09-09-08, 04:16 PM
Super Moderator
They make non grabbing screws, but I'll be darned if I can find 'em. I've used 'em, I've seen 'em...but oh well.
Dunno about the search thing, it shows up when I search for ya.
Dunno about the search thing, it shows up when I search for ya.
#6
12-12-08, 07:45 AM
I found this while searching the forum, I have this same problem only my sliding doors are in the basement. We had a flood, insurance covered re-carpeting. The contractor who removed the track never came back to replace it (after 3 times of making appts, argh) so I want to try this myself.
Here are photos of before, during and after. What concerns me is that when they ripped up the carpet, there was a line of carpet tacks next to where the track was. If I try to cut into the carpet, I'm afraid I might hit that area, it seems tricky to me.
Here is what it looked like before:
Here is what it looked like after ripping out the old carpet:
And here is the final carpeted area the way it looks today:
It seems like it wouldn't be hard to re-install them but I'm afraid. Oh, and there are already holes drilled in the concrete with plastic anchors in them for the track. Any advice would be appreciated, thanks!
Here are photos of before, during and after. What concerns me is that when they ripped up the carpet, there was a line of carpet tacks next to where the track was. If I try to cut into the carpet, I'm afraid I might hit that area, it seems tricky to me.
Here is what it looked like before:
Here is what it looked like after ripping out the old carpet:
And here is the final carpeted area the way it looks today:
It seems like it wouldn't be hard to re-install them but I'm afraid. Oh, and there are already holes drilled in the concrete with plastic anchors in them for the track. Any advice would be appreciated, thanks!
