Selection and installation of fittings for classic, sliding, kitchen and other types of cabinets

A profile for sliding wardrobes is a door frame, including a frame, holders and a sliding opening system. Its main tasks are to support the facade, secure it, ensure fast, unhindered movement of the rollers, and prevent accidental sliding. When choosing a fitting element, look at its type, material, characteristics and dimensions. I’ll tell you about the intricacies of selecting a profile, and popular companies are reflected in the comparative table with descriptions and prices at the end of the article.

Types of aluminum profiles

Types by place of use

For the door system to function properly, you need a combination of several types of guides. There are 6 of them:

• Vertical profile. Frames the door on the sides and serves to connect it with other elements. Available in different configurations: straight, asymmetrical, S-, L-, H-, U-shaped. It is clearly visible on the façade and is used as a handle.

• Horizontal bottom bar. It is symmetrical, when cut it has the shape of the letter H. It serves to fix the rollers, covering them.
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• Bottom guide. A profile with tracks for wheels, along which they slide when opening doors.

• Top bar. It is fixed at the top of the door leaf, connecting it to the rollers. Consists of 1-3 square or rectangular sections.

• Top guide. Symmetrical deep profile providing space for free movement of wheels.

• Connecting or intersectional profile. Used in combined decorative facades as a separating element between materials. Available in straight, zigzag, curved and wavy versions. The size of the connecting profile is smaller than the others, since it is installed on one door.

For suspended versions of the door system, the guides are swapped. The part with the rollers is attached to the top wall of the cabinet, and the supporting structure is attached to the bottom or floor. There are also universal combined guides that combine both functions. Their famous.

Sliding systems Komandor

The main advantage of Komandor sliding door systems is the improved bottom roller design. The roller has an increased tensile strength, due to which it is able to withstand heavy loads. This allows you to slightly increase the maximum door dimensions. Also, special hooks on the lower roller prevent the door from sliding off the rails while moving. The profile is made of rigid aluminum alloy, which increases the reliability of the structure as a whole, however, the profile fastenings are not as reliable as those of the Raumplus systems. This can cause arbitrary disconnection of the profiles that make up the frame of the door leaf. All profiles are coated with polyester varnish or anodized to protect against the influence of aggressive environments. The shape of the profiles allows the door to slide freely along the rail, reducing the load. This increases the service life of the system as a whole.

Profile material

The most popular materials for making guides are aluminum and steel. They are strong enough to support doors, resistant to damage, easy to process, inexpensive - this makes mass production possible. Plastic and polymer options are less common, but they are short-lived, unreliable, and prone to breakage.

Steel

The main advantages of steel door guides are high strength, reliability, and resistance to mechanical damage. These profiles are cheaper than aluminum ones, which allowed them to gain a foothold in the Russian market.

The disadvantages of steel products include:

• it is difficult to find quality products among Russian manufacturers;
• tendency to corrosion - small cracks on the surface of the steel are enough for rust to appear, followed by slow destruction from the inside;
• design limitations - the color range of the guides is poor, they cannot be given an unusual texture.

Metal versions are produced by Russian companies, but there are exceptions - the Polish Laguna, the French Leroy Merlin. Due to their low prevalence, it is difficult to replace fittings when they break.

Aluminum

Aluminum products are more expensive than steel ones, but they do not have the inherent disadvantages of their competitors. These are durable, reliable, flexible guides of different models, dimensions, designs, and purposes. They are resistant to corrosion, moisture, temperatures, and mechanical stress, and therefore last a long time, rarely break, and are easy to repair.

Aluminum slats differ from steel slats in that they have thick walls because their structural strength is lower. But they weigh less, and therefore the door is easier to open.

Classification

The modern furniture market offers several types of sliding door mechanisms for wardrobes. They differ in type of construction and materials of manufacture. The choice of the optimal option depends on the shape and dimensions of the product for which the fittings are selected.

Characteristics of sliding wardrobes with 4 doors, popular models and designs

By type of design

According to this criterion, sliding mechanisms for wardrobes and wardrobes are divided into the following types:

1. Roller - the system consists of upper and lower guides, which are built into the furniture body. Door facades move along these profiles on special wheels. The main load falls on the lower guide, so its installation requires special attention.
2. Hanging - the doors of the structure are fixed on the top guide. When moving, the facade does not touch the floor and the lower part of the body. The disadvantage of this installation method is its relative fragility. This option is not suitable for heavy doors; the recommended weight of the door leaf is no more than 80 kg.

If you plan to make a wardrobe with your own hands using a hanging sliding system, the doors are best made of plastic, glass, plywood or chipboard.

Roller

Hanging

According to the material of manufacture

If low quality raw materials are used in furniture production, the product will not last long. In this regard, when choosing sliding elements of the system, you need to pay attention to the materials of manufacture:

1. Steel - stainless alloys are used in the production of accessories for the economy segment. The material is considered relatively reliable, but has a lot of weight. If handled properly, steel profiles will last no less than more expensive options.
2. Aluminum - the metal is used for the production of luxury cabinet models. Its advantage is considered to be the ideal ratio of lightness and strength. Handle profiles, guides, and door frames are made from aluminum. Another advantage of the material is the variety of colors and textures. The disadvantage is the high cost.

Review of the main models of sliding wardrobes, tips on selection and placement

An aluminum profile can be decorated in two ways:

• anodizing - applying paint with a chemical reaction, while the pigment penetrates deep into the metal and remains resistant to moisture and sunlight;
• PVC film - using special equipment, the part is covered with a durable laminating film, which is also wear-resistant.

Aluminum profiles and guides can be painted in any color, matte and glossy textures, wood or stone finishes are available. Matte bronze, silver or gold shades, artificial aging of the surface, and patination are popular.

Steel

Aluminum

Anodizing

PVC film

According to the shape of the door and the presence of the frame

Sliding systems for sliding wardrobes differ in the type and shape of the facade, the presence or absence of a frame:

1. In the form of a separate suspension, the rollers are placed inside the guide. This ensures quiet and easy gliding.
2. Systems for radius facades - profiles have curved or concave shapes, which makes it possible to install semicircular doors. The guides for such cabinets are made of aluminum, which makes the design more expensive.
3. Frame - the material of the door facade is framed in a special metal frame, which can be made of stainless alloy or aluminum. Such designs are used when doors are made of fragile materials, such as glass or plastic. In this case, the frame ensures the strength of the facade. In addition, a metal element can be used to divide the door into several parts, each of which will differ in color or material (combinations of wood and glass, plastic, rattan, bamboo are popular).
4. Frameless - the design is the most budget-friendly. Only one vertical profile can be attached to the facade, acting as a handle. All fasteners are screwed directly to the door itself. In frameless structures, facades made of chipboard, MDF, furniture board, and solid wood are most often used. The downside is a shorter service life due to possible deformation of the door leaf.

In the form of a separate pendant

For radius cabinets

Framework

Frameless

By type of guides

Depending on the mounting location, the guides are divided into upper and lower. As the name implies, the first ones are mounted on the inside of the cabinet body cover, the second ones are installed at the bottom. The most durable is a combined system using both types of profiles. This way the door leaf is secured on both sides, which eliminates the risk of it falling out or deforming.

Based on the number of facades, single and double guides are selected. The second type allows you to install two doors that can move in the same plane without interfering with each other.

Upper

Lower

Characteristics

When deciding which profile to choose for a sliding wardrobe, look at the following characteristics:

• The thickness of the walls should be in the range of 1-1.6 mm - too narrow ones will bend or break, and thick ones will deform the cabinet.
• Durability. The manufacturer indicates the number of door opening-closing cycles for which the cabinet is designed. With a parameter of 60-70 thousand, the system will last 20 years.

When choosing, the reputation of the manufacturing company and user reviews of the products play an important role. Many focus on them rather than on objective quality criteria.

Sliding systems Versal

The main advantages of the Versal sliding door system are the perfect accuracy of matching profile dimensions, ease of assembly and the large height of the top rail, which allows you to hide uneven ceilings, and low cost. This system is almost a complete analogue of the Raumplus sliding system, but it is less durable. The profiles are covered with a protective film of various colors, the bottom roller can withstand loads of up to 60 kilograms, and the rigidity of the profile allows the production of doors with a height of up to 3500 millimeters. The design strength is up to 70,000 door openings and closings, or 17-18 years. Using the data from our comparative characteristics, you can make an informed choice in favor of one or another sliding system when ordering a sliding wardrobe. It should be remembered that profiles for systems are manufactured in two versions - aluminum and steel. Steel profiles are much cheaper, however, despite their name, they have a smaller margin of safety than aluminum ones and are more susceptible to corrosion, which entails a shorter service life of the product as a whole.

Dimensions

Product parameters depend on the dimensions of the opening, door, connecting parts, and fasteners. They are calculated this way:

• the length of the horizontal guides corresponds to the distance between the side walls of the cabinet;
• between the vertical profile and the top of the compartment a gap of 2-4 mm is left for free movement of the rollers;
• the height of the guides depends on the type of model - the value ranges from 2-6 cm;
• The width of the slats is 8.5-10 cm; for triple, quadruple, and five-fold doors it increases due to the placement of additional rollers.

Profile sizes are calculated based on the door dimensions.

Standard door assembly kit with dimensions

Choosing a wardrobe based on its internal contents

Based on the external design of the sliding doors and design, the wardrobe is matched to the specific interior of the room. There are no special recommendations for choosing doors for a wardrobe in a hallway, bedroom or living room - it all depends on the decoration of the room itself and the taste preferences of the owners. In terms of operation, high-quality sliding systems perform excellently even with intensive use (for example, in hallways). In fact, any materials for filling doors are quite easy to maintain if you handle them carefully.

But the internal content of the wardrobes largely determines in which room the furniture should be placed:

1. For the hallway, there is a reason to choose a wardrobe with large sections for short and long clothes on hangers, nets for shoes and hooks.
2. In the children's room - with shelves and drawers in which it is convenient to store toys and put things away.
3. The presence of trouser holders, tie holders, and baskets is welcome for a bedroom closet. Pantographs, built-in rotating mirrors and other convenient devices are also appropriate here.
4. For the living room, it is better to choose a wardrobe with functional contents, designed for storing small items, accessories and decorative design in the form of glass and mirrors, for displaying items of pride of the owners - various awards, souvenirs and memorable gifts.

You can choose the internal contents of the wardrobe from budget options, consisting of dedicated niches with rods for clothes and shelving shelves. The use of drawers and mesh storage systems increases the cost of furniture. But there is always the option to choose a decent content within the available budget and choose a really good, functional and beautiful wardrobe.

All photos are taken from the official website of Commander - one of the leaders in the production of sliding wardrobes

Staining methods

Alkyd, acrylic, epoxy, and enamel paints are rarely used for processing planks. They are short-lived, easily crack, and peel due to constant movement.

The main ways to decorate profiles:

• Wrapping in PVC allows you to add different textures and shades, increases resistance to damage, and ensures silent movement of doors. Used to create wood textures.
• Anodizing is the coloring of metal with the creation of an oxide film on the surface. An anodic coating paints the surface and protects it from tarnishing, abrasion, fading, and increases the water resistance and strength of the guides. This method is chosen by the majority of leading companies, “Hephaestus”, “CityLine”, “Futurum”, “Absolute”, “Hettich”.
• Cataphoresis is a multi-stage chemical treatment that provides ideal coverage of the entire surface of the product, eliminating pores, cracks, and irregularities. Gives aluminum smoothness, uniform texture, and shine. Complemented with appliqué to simulate textures. Rarely used due to complexity.
• Brushing - thorough sanding with brushes, gives a matte finish, and cleans the product. More often it acts as an additional processing method.
• Veneering is covering a product with a thin layer of wood. Perfectly imitates the natural color and texture of different types of wood. The veneered profile is coated with transparent varnish or additionally painted to obtain the desired shade.

Decor options

The method of decorating the facade is selected depending on the base material.

• The wood is decorated with carvings, shaped overlays, covered with several layers of varnish, and embossed.
• Wood boards are covered with veneer, film, and laminated.
• The glass is frosted, painted, patterns, three-dimensional elements are applied, or painted with stained glass paints.
• Mirror surfaces look stylish on their own, but patterned patterns enhance the effect.
• A covering made of natural or artificial leather will add solidity to the atmosphere. MDF is usually used as the basis for such decor.
• Photo printing allows you to complement the facade with any image you like and ensure a unique design.

The peculiarity of furniture doors is that in addition to their functional purpose, they also serve a decorative purpose. This fully applies to large cabinets. Their design and external design always corresponds to the interior and color scheme, and sometimes is the main factor determining the overall style of the room.

Coupe door design

The design of an interior door is determined by the material of the door leaf. The production of canvases is carried out using the following materials:

• Solid wood;
• Veneering;
• Laminated;
• MDF.

Vertical profile

Important! Plastic is not used as a compartment door material due to the low rigidity of the material.

Double doors made of solid wood are rare. Because this kind of design has a lot of weight and price. A universal variation is sliding doors with glazing. Such designs are used as a delimiter and as a built-in element of sliding wardrobes.

Holder type

Coupe doors have a top or floor type of fastening of the structure. With the suspended method of fastening the structure, roller carriages are mounted at the top of the opening. Consequently, the structure rests directly on the upper roller device.

In the floor variation, the roller bottom profile is fixed to the floor covering. To hold the door in a vertical position, runners are installed on top of the door opening directly on the wall.

Standard product color

Important! Most products use bottom floor mounting of the guides.

Roller shutters and blinds for cabinet doors

The sectional “broken” type of sashes, by analogy with “accordions,” can be so frequent that it allows you to “wind” the facade onto a shaft. Such roller shutters and blinds can be found in the design of interior partitions. But they are also used to equip large walk-in closets and built-in wardrobes.

Electric blinds look interesting and impressive when used in cabinets.