How To Replace Sliding Closet Doors With Standard Doors

In my last two room decors, one of the biggest and most dramatic changes I’ve made was to replace old sliding wardrobe doors with regular hinged doors. – at least they had a colonial look. But the sliding door was a bit unwieldy and mine kept going off the rails. I like the closet doors wide open, it’s easy to see what’s inside. Plus, if you need to put something big like a desk or something wide, it’s a much more efficient use of space. {Hayley’s Nautical Bedroom Remake}In my basement, the original home owners added sliding doors because they were cheaper than traditional doors. But I’ve found that my daughter can now use her closet much more efficiently with her closet doors all open. And, I was in the middle of a BIG living room remodel and I decided to do the same there.(an example of a sliding door, not my exact door. I couldn’t find the front door) I’ve searched the Internet for any helpful advice on this and found nothing. So instead, I consulted with my kind father-in-law, who, after consulting him, agreed to make it happen. and power tools. Here’s what you’ll need to buy/use:

hammer
chisel
Drills / dynamic drills, drill bits
Screwdriver
Hinges (2 per door, total 4)
Ball Catch (1 for each door, total 2) (this is a small ball that is spring-loaded at the top of the door to keep it closed, like this one by Lowe’s)
Fake door handles (1 for each door, 2 total) (this is a doorknob that fits on the outside of the door; it doesn’t actually rotate. Like this one.)
Door panels (not front-hanging – I’ve used these from Lowe’s.)
A butt marker to mark where you want the hinge to be. Yes, it’s called the butt marker. (Make sure you buy the right size for your hinge – 3 1/2″ or 4″.)

I can’t cover every detail, but I can outline what I’ve done and offer a few tips.0. Before you start, make sure your door frame is square or close to it. If it doesn’t fit at all, it may be more painful than it is worth trying this project. Go buy some shoes instead.Read more: How long do children in the village grow up1. remove old doors and closet grooves and any excess mold inside the door frame1a. Prepare the top of the door to match the new doors. When I took out the old mold, I had to put a “spacer” to lower the top of the door frame so that it was level with the door frame at the top. I used a thin 1×4 piece, cut to fit the door and screwed into the top of the door frame. Then I put in a small 1/2″ x 1″ compartment to keep the doors from swinging into the closet. I tapped the entire length of the door, but you can do just a few inches in the center if you like. measure openings and make sure you have the correct “normal” door sizes, trim them as needed I had to cut both doors 5/8″ on each long side with a table saw3. Mark where you will place the hinge on the door with a pencil (you can use another door in the room as a model), then mark where you will place the hinge on the door frame with the butt of the pen marker and a hammer. Important: leave a space of 1/8 or more at the top of the frame so you can catch the ball (below)4. With a hammer and chisel (and possibly a utility knife), carefully punch holes in the hinge in the door frame 5. Mark where you intend to place the catch balls at the top of each door (remember the catch balls will be in the middle, so treat those doors as left and right doors), and chisel a shallow hole, rectangular space on top of each corresponding door so that the plate will sit flat. Using an appropriately sized drill bit, drill a hole to accommodate the ball receiver. Attach the hinge to the door and then hang the door onto the frame. * This is the hard point. You may have to adjust the doors slightly up or down so they are the same height – so loosen the screws on the hinges to get started. * Once you’re done, you can adjust the door to hang straight in two ways:1. Plan the doors to keep them from pulling or Read more: how to make stacked spiked hair bows2. use thin shims behind the hinge. For example, if there is too much space between the doors on the bottom, you can wedge one or both of the bottom hinges by placing a thin shims (thin piece of wood) behind the door frame of the hinge. We used some leftover spacers instead of shims.7. Mark where the catch disc will pass through the top of the door frame, and then remove the chisel again so that the disc will lie flat on top of the door frame. Install it and cross your fingers. If the ball is not caught, open the door and adjust the catcher up or down. The cylinder in the catcher can be adjusted up or down so you can get just the right amount of tension. (All the ones I’ve used, I can adjust with a coin when they’re fitted to the door.)8. Then, fit a piece of wood across the back of the closet door to keep the doors from being pushed inward. This keeps the doors straight.9. You can now paint the door a better color than the default primer color. In our experience, doors will suck up paint even if they’ve been primed first, so be prepared with several coats of paint. Mark the position and install of your faux door handles so they will hang evenly once you’ve hung the door and level it the way you want it to. I like the look of the new doors. And I’m almost done with the guest room!!I’m so excited to share it with you soon!!Have a beautiful day!!!xoxRead more: How to suck moonrock