DIY sliding door closet is such a smart and space-saving choice. I love how practical DIY sliding door are, whether used indoors or outdoors. If you’ve been following along with our home projects, you might remember the little coat closet near our entryway. We recently transformed it into a lovely playroom for our daughter. Since the space is a bit tight, a regular swinging door just wouldn’t work. So, we decided to install a DIY sliding door closet instead, and it was the perfect decision! Not only does it look amazing, but it also functions perfectly and saves so much space. Plus, doing it ourselves saved us some money and was such a rewarding DIY experience.
If you’re thinking of trying this project for yourself, I’ve got you covered. This guide walks you through all the tools you’ll need and the step-by-step process for installing a DIY sliding door on the wall.
Tools and Materials Needed:
How to install a sliding door easily:
Step 1: Measure Your Door Frame:
I started by measuring the width and height of the door opening to get accurate dimensions for the sliding door. The existing opening is about 38″ wide and 7.5 feet high. Since I want the door to extend all the way to the ceiling, the final height will be 9 feet. Standard plywood sheets come in 4×8 ft sizes, so we’ll need one full sheet for the main body and an additional piece at the top to reach the full height.
Step 2: Order the right hardware:
Choose the right length for your sliding door track. Make sure to allow at least 4 inches of extra space for the track wheels to roll smoothly past the door opening. Since our door is 38 inches wide, I ordered a 42-inch track to ensure proper coverage and functionality.
Step 3: Mount the Wooden Block and Door Rollers on the wall:
Mount the wooden block:
We started by mounting a solid wooden block to the wall, just above the door frame. This step is really important because the wooden block serves as the sturdy base for the sliding door hardware. I secured the block in place with some strong nails, making sure it wouldn’t budge or shift over time.
After the block was firmly attached, we moved on to the next part—installing the door rollers. These rollers are what let the door glide smoothly along the track, so I was extra careful to attach them securely to the wooden block while making sure they are perfectly level. I made sure to screw them in tightly, ensuring they’d hold the weight of the door and function just right.
The wheels is supposed to sit in the groove under the door. I was worried the door frame might come in the way, so I added a small piece of wood at just the right height along the bottom edge of the door. That way, the door can glide smoothly without hitting the frame.
Step 4: Mount the top track to the door frame:
Next, I attached the sliding track to the top edge of the plywood door. I carefully marked the placement by holding the door near the frame and aligning it with the wall-mounted wheels. The track needs to sit precisely where the rollers will catch and support the door, so I took my time to get it right.
Once I was confident with the alignment, I used the hardware from the kit to secure the track firmly in place. This step is crucial — the track is what hooks onto the rollers and allows the door to glide smoothly. Taking the extra time here really pays off in how well the door functions later.
Step 5: Add wheels to Door Base:
We attached a 1×2 strip to the bottom of the plywood to mount the wheels. Ideally, these wheels would sit inside a groove cut into the bottom of a solid door, keeping them hidden. Since this is just plywood, adding the 1×2 provides the necessary thickness and support for the wheels.
Step 7: Extending the door to the ceiling BY ADDING PLYWOOD:
Now that hardware is installed, extend the door height. The plywood I’m using is 8 feet long, but our ceilings are 9 feet high. That one-foot gap was something we needed to solve. So, I came up with a simple solution: I added a smaller plywood piece on top of the main door panel. It sits right above the panel and acts as an extension to close that gap.
Step 8: Securing the Extension with Clamps:
After trying wood glue and Kreg joints without success, we finally secured it firmly using braces — and that did the trick!
Step 9: Adding Trim to the Door:
I picked up this fluted trim for the design on the front side of the door. To add the trim I used a nail gun and 1 1/4th inch nails. The trim pieces are 4 ft long and our door is 9ft long. I came up with a pattern that doesn’t require lof cuts and has less wastage.
Step 10: Filling nail holes and gaps:
Using a wood filler, I filled all the nail holes and the small gaps between the trim and the door. This helps even out the surface and makes everything look clean and smooth before sanding and painting. Do not over do this step as it is time consuming and might mess with stain. Just add if you see huge noticeable gaps.
Step 11: Prep to paint:
I removed the excess wood filler from the trim using a putty knife, then cleaned everything up with a hand vacuum to get rid of all the dust.
Step 12: Stain the trim:
To paint the trim, I picked a dark walnut stain to match our floors and the entryway arch. I used a soft microfiber cloth to apply the stain, which helped me spread it evenly without any brush marks. Using the cloth made it easier to control how much stain I put on, so the finish looks smooth and neat. I took my time to make sure the trim looked just right and matched the rest of the room.
Now it’s time to hang it. It took 3 of us to take this giant door inside and hang it on the wheels. But it was oso worth it!!
Step 6: Add Guide to the floor:
Install a floor guide into the floor to keep the door aligned and sliding smoothly in a straight line. I added a thin strip of wood along the edge of the 1×2 on the opposite side of the guide, creating a narrow channel for the floor guide to fit snugly between the door and the wood piece.
That’s all you need to do!! Your sliding door is ready, making a statement!
Check out my other blog post to see how I transformed a Walk-in closet into a playroom.
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Pit in for later ⬇️
