Convert your wardrobe

Article from Tuis | Home magazine.

Converge hinged doors to sliding doors for a contemporary, space-saving cupboard makeover

Quick Project Guide

Hard Labour: 4/10 (an extra pair of hands is necessary)


Skill Level: 5/10 (requires use of power tools)


Time Needed: about two hours (excluding drying time)
 

TIP:

Meranti planks are more suited to this purpose than pine, as it is a denser wood that can better hold the screws for the rail.

Shopping List

• Old cupboard
• Top hung track sliding door kit - kits are available in 1200mm, 1500mm, 1800mm and 2400mm for three door wide openings. We used a 1200mm kit for our cupboard makeover. Each set includes the track, hangers, guides, finger pulls, door stops and screws.
• 69 x 12mm meranti planks (optional)
• 44 x 22mm meranti planks (optional)
• 69 x 12mm pine planks (optional)
• 35 chipboard screws (optional)
• 100mm castors
• Medium grit sandpaper
• Wood filler
• Wood glue
• Multisurface primer
• Enamel paint
• Paintbrush
• Sponge roller and tray

Tools

• Pencil
• Measuring tape
• Combination square
• Hacksaw
• Jigsaw
• Straight edge
• Screwdriver
• Sanding block
• Putty knife
• Cordless drill
• 3mm drill bits
• 32mm speed bit

Get Started


Step 1

Remove the doors, hinges and all hardware such as handles and locks and fill up holes and damaged areas with wood filler; smooth with a putty knife.

Step 2

Measure the dimension of the cupboard opening(s) and cut the roller track to size using the hacksaw. If you are fitting it to the underside of the cupboard frame make sure to fix the track flush with the top edge of the cupboard using the screws provided.

NOTE: The roller track width measures 50mm (depth) and, as the centre partition and shelving extended all the way to the front of our cupboard, we needed to modify it by creating an additional framework that protruded 60mm all around the opening.

The extra 10mm is needed for the roller plates and for the doors to slide past each other unimpeded.

We used the 69 x 12mm (top and sides) and the 44 x 22mm (bottom) meranti planks for this and fixed these in place with wood glue and 35mm chipboard screws.

Step 3

You will need to remove about 40mm from the length of existing doors to allow for the height of the track and roller hangers. Measure and mark a line along the top of the door(s). Now use the jigsaw to cut the doors neatly to size.
TIP: Use the straight edge as a guide for the jigsaw in order to make a perfect cut.

Step 4

Use the combination square to properly position the roller plates an equal distance from either side of the doors, as shown. Hang the doors in place and fit the door guides. Fit the back guides followed by the doors with guides in between.

NOTE: The roller plates have one round hole and two diagonal slots. The round hole creates a pivot point while the diagonal holes allow for adjustments to be made at a later stage. Therefore you should place the screws about midway along these slots when fixing the roller plates in place.

IMPORTANT: Two sets of roller plates accompany a track kit - one set has a 'deeper' bracket and should be fixed to the door(s) that will hang from the front of the track. If your doors are thicker than 22mm the deeper bracket is to be placed at the back.

Step 5

Use the cordless drill and 32mm diameter speed bit to create holes in the doors for the finger pulls. Position these holes about 30mm from the edge of the door.

Step 6

Fix a fascia in place to hide the rail, roller hangers and the top edge of the cupboard door(s). We used 69 x 12mm meranti for this, but pine would work equally well.

Step 7 (Optional)

Fix the castors to the base of the cupboard. You may have to create a framework onto which the castors can be fixed if the cupboard has a plinth or false bottom. We used 69 x 12mm pine planking for the framework of our cupboard.

Step 8

Fill all holes, blemishes and exposed screws with wood filler.

Once dry, use sandpaper and a sanding block to lightly sand the entire surface of the cupboard to ensure that the paint bonds to the surface. Dust the cupboard properly with a soft cloth before starting to paint. Use a brush and a high-density foam roller to achieve smooth results and paint two to three layers, leaving the paint to dry thoroughly between each coat.

The first coat should be a multisurface or wood primer.

We used white for the outside of our cupboard and a pale blue (Bristol's Harbour City, available from Builders Warehouse) for the doors.

For more home improvement articles also visit Home and Tuis website.