Introduction:
Are you seeking to elevate your garage shelves with a DIY sliding door? This is the post for you. We already built some Open Garage shelves and we wanted to hide all the mess with some doors. However, regular doors would need more space to open and would be tricky to install. So, I came up with this idea without compromising space and functionality.
Table of Contents
Materials:
Tools Required:
How to make a garage sliding door step-by-step
Step 1: Plan:
We considered several approaches for building these doors. Since we needed something lightweight and affordable, plywood was not an option. After deliberation, we settled on using brown wall panels due to their smooth finish, lightweight nature, and cost-effectiveness ( cheapest option). We cut them to the height of the shelves using a table saw.
Step 2: Build
The next step is to lay the brown wall panel on a flat surface and position the wooden pieces on the back of the door to give some support to the door frame. We decided to use 1x4s on the front. Measure them carefully before cutting. We decided to install four horizontal supports (wood boards) from the top to the bottom of the door panel.
After marking the measurements, cut the wood boards to size using a miter saw. Once the wood boards are cut to the right size and right length, place them on the brown wall panel. Secure them by nailing the wood boards onto the back of the panel using the nail gun. After all of the wood pieces are attached, fill in the small nail holes with filler. You can use pocket holes to join the pieces wherever needed.
Tip: Before placing the horizontal slats on the front of the panel, apply wood glue to each slat. This will facilitate a stronger bond when securing them with nails.
Note: Adding the wood pieces provides additional support to the doors.
Step 3: Assembly:
We got a Sliding door kit (ban door hardware kit) with a floor guide from Lowe’s to add the doors. Then, we had to cut the metal track ( rail hardware) to the size of the doors using a miter saw.
We needed support on top of the shelf to hold the doors. So we decided to use a 2×6 on the top of the shelf.
First, we fixed the track to the 2×6 and made sure it stuck out enough to move the doors freely. Then we nailed it on top of the shelf. If we had planned these doors before, we would’ve left space for this to sit on while building the shelf. Since we didn’t, the top isn’t flush but it’s strong enough and solves the problem.
The tricky part is attaching the wheels to the door. Then we attached the wheels to the doors. Ensure the wheels are attached at equal heights so that the doors aren’t crooked. Now, we can hang the doors, but we need to add stoppers on the edges.
We found these sliding window locks on Amazon and they worked great! We fixed them on the edges to stop the doors from rolling out.
That’s it! We have doors on our garage shelves. Hopefully, someday I’ll paint them and make them a little prettier. Maybe some chalk paint to write/draw the build plans while we work in the garage. Please let us know if I’m missing any details and I will try my best to add them 🙂
Conclusion:
Our DIY sliding door project has transformed our space stylishly. By opting for lightweight and cost-effective brown wall panels instead of plywood, we achieved a smooth finish for the door. This project not only enhances your garage but can also enhance your laundry room or living room, showcasing the satisfaction of creating a functional piece tailored to our needs.
Feel free to refer to the Garage shelves step-by-step instructions available on the blog for further guidance.
Good luck!
Hi!! I'm Gowthami
I am passionate about changing my builder-grade house into a home I love. I love DIY and sharing all my successes and failures in this process and I hope to inspire your next project. Thank you for hanging around!
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