How Do You Measure up for Sliding Wardrobe Doors?

To measure up for sliding wardrobe doors, take the opening width at three heights and the opening height at three points across the width, then work to the smallest figure in each direction. Add the finished floor level, check the head is level and the sides are plumb, and confirm the depth available for two or more panels to pass each other, which is usually around 100mm for a two panel system. Those measurements, taken carefully, decide whether the doors run smoothly or bind from day one.

Sliding doors are less forgiving than hinged doors because they cannot be adjusted to hide an out of square opening. A hinged door has three way hinge adjustment. A sliding door simply follows the track, so the track must be right.

Gather the Right Tools

You need a steel tape measure rather than a fabric one, a spirit level of at least 1200mm or a laser level, a pencil, and paper to record every figure. A short level is not adequate for checking a full height opening, since small errors multiply over two metres.

Work with the space empty and clean. Old carpet gripper rods, paint build up on the reveals and skirting board offcuts all distort measurements. If the floor covering is being replaced, decide what is going down before you measure, because that changes the height significantly.

Measuring the Width

Measure the opening width at three heights: close to the floor, at around waist height, and near the top. Record all three separately rather than averaging them.

In most British homes these figures will differ. A variation of 5mm to 20mm across an alcove is common, and older properties can be worse. Your working width is the smallest of the three, because the door system has to fit through the tightest point.

Measure from the finished wall surface, not from a projecting skirting board or a bulge of plaster. If a skirting board runs into the opening, decide whether it will be removed in that section or whether the track and side trims will sit in front of it, since this affects the usable width.

Note where the largest discrepancy sits. If the top is wider than the bottom, the side trim will need a small taper or the gap will be covered by a scribe fillet.

Measuring the Height

Measure the height at the left side, the centre and the right side, from the finished floor to the underside of the head, which may be the ceiling or a fitted head board.

Again, use the smallest figure. Ceilings in older houses dip in the middle, and floors slope, so a difference of 10mm or more between the sides is normal.

The finished floor level matters more here than anywhere else. Carpet and underlay together typically add 10mm to 20mm, engineered wood with underlay around 15mm to 20mm, and vinyl very little. Measuring to bare boards and then laying carpet afterwards is a common and costly mistake, because the doors then bind on the pile.

Where the ceiling slopes noticeably, sliding doors may not be viable at full height. In that case a lower track and head board fitted level, with the space above closed in, gives a workable opening.

Checking Level, Plumb and Square

Put the long level along the floor across the opening. Note which side is high and by how much. Then check the head in the same way.

Hold the level vertically against each side wall to check plumb. Walls that lean, bow or ripple all affect how the side trims sit and whether the doors seal against them.

Check square by measuring the two diagonals of the opening. Matching diagonals mean a square opening. Different diagonals tell you how much correction the frame or trims will need to absorb.

Record all of this. A supplier or fitter needs these figures, and if you are fitting a system yourself they tell you where packers will be needed to bring the track level.

Depth: the Measurement Most People Forget

Sliding doors need front to back space for the panels to pass one another. A typical two panel system needs around 100mm from the front face of the leading door to the back of the rear door. Three panel systems need more, often 150mm or so, depending on the track.

Check the manufacturer’s specification for the system you intend to use, then confirm you have that depth available without losing too much internal hanging space. Remember that a hanging rail set front to back requires roughly 550mm of clear internal depth, so a wardrobe needs around 650mm total depth to accommodate both the rail and a two panel sliding system comfortably.

Shallow alcoves under about 550mm total depth are better suited to end to end rails, or to a sliding door system on a shallower single track with panels that bypass into an adjacent recess.

Deciding How Many Panels

Panel count follows the opening width. As a rough guide, openings up to about 1800mm suit two panels, 1800mm to 2700mm suit three, and wider openings suit four. Individual panel widths of roughly 600mm to 900mm are the most practical: narrower panels look busy and wider ones become heavy to move.

Bear in mind that sliding doors always overlap, so you can never see the whole interior at once. With two panels you can access half the opening at a time. With three, you gain flexibility but each panel covers less. Plan your internal layout accordingly, keeping frequently used hanging on the sections you can reach most easily.

Mirrored panels add a great deal of light to a narrow bedroom but weigh considerably more, which affects the track specification and the fixings. If you want mirror without the weight on the track, a separate piece from our modern bedroom mirrors UK sale range is an alternative worth considering.

Recording and Ordering

Write your measurements clearly, labelled by position rather than as a single set of numbers. A useful record includes width at top, middle and bottom, height at left, centre and right, the diagonal measurements, the depth available, the finished floor type, and notes on skirting, sockets and any pipework.

Order the door system to the working dimensions, not the largest measurements, and always confirm whether the supplier quotes the aperture size or the panel size. This distinction causes more ordering errors than anything else, since a system sized to the aperture already accounts for the track and trims.

If the numbers make you uneasy, a ready made unit removes the risk entirely. Our range of sliding wardrobes UK sale arrives with the track, panels and carcass already matched to each other, which sidesteps the measuring problem altogether. You can compare widths and internal layouts across the collection at Furniture in Fashion, and we offer free delivery to most UK mainland postcodes.

Planning the Interior at the Same Time

Measuring for doors is the right moment to plan what sits behind them. Once sliding doors are fitted, changing the internal layout is awkward because you can only reach part of the interior at a time.

Decide where long hanging, short hanging and shelving will sit, and keep the most used sections behind the panel that opens most conveniently. Allow around 1500mm below a long hanging rail and 1000mm for short hanging.

Move items that do not belong in a wardrobe elsewhere. Shoes block airflow across the base and are better in a hallway unit, and bulky bedding takes up hanging space that clothes need. A modern ottoman UK sale piece at the foot of the bed absorbs bedding neatly, and a modern chest of drawers UK alongside handles folded items far better than deep shelving inside the wardrobe.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many measurements do I need for sliding wardrobe doors?
At minimum, three widths, three heights, both diagonals and the available depth. Record each separately and work to the smallest width and height.

How much depth do sliding wardrobe doors need?
Around 100mm for a two panel system and more for three or four panels. Check the specific track specification, and allow around 550mm of clear internal depth for a front to back hanging rail on top of that.

Should I measure before or after fitting the carpet?
Always measure to the finished floor level. If carpet is going down afterwards, allow for the underlay and pile, typically 10mm to 20mm, or the doors will catch.

What if my opening is not square?
This is normal. Work to the smallest dimensions, then use packers behind the track and scribed side trims to absorb the difference. The track itself must be level regardless of the opening.

How wide should each sliding panel be?
Between roughly 600mm and 900mm works best. Narrower panels look cluttered and wider ones become heavy and awkward to slide.