Not everyone can boast of having oneapartments with a large area and convenient layout. In this case, an accordion door, made and installed with your own hands, will help not only to rationalize the already scarce interior space, but also to significantly save the family budget.
Scheme of a folding accordion door.
Distinctive features of the accordion door
Like any functional item, the accordion door has its pros and cons, which determine the area of its use. Its undeniable advantages include:
Tools for installing accordion doors.
- saving space;
- the versatility of the design, allowing the left- or right-hand opening scheme (depending on which side of the joint is to be installed);
- the design of the door, which does not allow spontaneous opening or closing under the influence of drafts or incorrect installation of loops;
- high decorative and aesthetic qualities, allowing to fit into almost any interior;
- the possibility of automation and control of the process of opening and closing with the help of the remote control.
The main disadvantage is related to the operating principle.The design of a sliding door has quite a lot of moving parts. It is known from school physics that a body interacting with other bodies through friction will be subject to greater wear than one that is at rest. In other words, the service life of such doors is relatively short: about five, maximum ten years. Another feature of sliding doors that limits their use is their low mechanical strength. Using fewer door segments and additional guides can increase the structural strength, but it will still be significantly inferior to sliding panel or panel doors. Return to contents</a>
Components of the structure
The accordion door includes the following elements:
Assembly procedure for a folding door.
If necessary, the entire structure can beadditionally be equipped with such devices as seals. They create a sealing contour around the perimeter of the sliding door and protect the room from drafts. Another useful additional device is a stopper, which allows you to fix the door in an open or half-open position. Return to contents</a>
Materials for the manufacture of doors
Scheme of a folding door from two elements. In order to make accordion sliding doors yourself, you will need to use some sheet material. This can be:
- an array of wood (panels, furniture boards);
- dsp;
- mdf;
- sheet materials on the basis of plastic;
- frame structures (frame-frame made of wooden slats with plywood or dvp fixed on it).
Of the more exotic materials, we can mentionfabric, leather and tempered glass. When making it yourself, it is easiest to use solid wood materials or frame structures. Compared to all other options, wood has an optimal ratio of strength, weight and ease of processing. Changes in the geometric parameters of solid wood over time can be compensated for by using pre-dried material or a frame structure.
Scheme of the folding door mechanism.Modern finishing paints and varnishes allow you to give almost any look to the door leaf. In addition, if desired, wooden slats can be easily repainted in a different color or refresh the existing coating. In the process of manufacturing and installing a sliding door, you will need a number of common tools that are in the arsenal of almost every home craftsman:
- electric drill;
- Screwdriver;
- electric jig saw;
- Hacksaw for metal (for cutting rails);
- level.
Consumables that may be needed during the installation process:
- self-tapping screws;
- loops;
- set of rollers.
Having everything you need at hand, you can begin making a sliding door. Return to Contents</a>
Cutting of door leaf parts
Types of folding doors.When making door slats yourself, remember that the smaller their width, the less space will be freed up due to the more compact dimensions of the door when folded. However, a thoughtless reduction in width will lead to an unjustified increase in the number of moving parts, which will sharply reduce the reliability of the structure as a whole. Here you should look for a compromise between dimensions and strength characteristics. It is believed that sliding doors should have a width of individual segments of 10-15, maximum 20 cm. An exception can be considered a type of folding door - a book door. It has only two slats in the door leaf. The selected material is cut into separate strips of the desired length and width. The size and number of strips are determined by the dimensions of the doorway. The slat in which the lock will be installed should be slightly smaller in width (5-10 cm). This is explained by the fact that it will remain non-folding in the opening and partially close its free passage. The very first lamella that connects to the jamb may differ in size from all the others.
Installation diagram of the roller mechanism.If the width of all segments is the same, the assembled sliding door will extend beyond the doorway, which is undesirable. For the most compact placement, the first segment of the door leaf should be twice as narrow as all the others. Then the door in the folded position will be exactly in the middle relative to the thickness of the jamb. After cutting, individual edges of the resulting parts are carefully processed with sandpaper to remove the slightest burrs that inevitably appear during sawing. Return to contents</a>
Assembling the door leaf
The door leaf is assembled by connecting the slats together using hinges. The hinges can be of a wide variety of designs:
Diagram of the roller mechanism of the door frame.
- guide-hinges;
- end hinges;
- piano loops.
Even ordinary furniture can be usedhinges. When making the accordion door yourself, it is better to install piano hinges. They are quite easy to install, provide additional spatial rigidity to the structure and, importantly, they are easy to get and cheap. The only nuance that should not be overlooked during installation is the orientation of the hinges. On opposite edges of the lamella, the hinges should be attached from different sides. This will provide the required transformation mechanism. Otherwise, nothing will work. Then, install the rollers in the upper and, if necessary, lower ends of the door segments. The rollers are fixed in the middle of the end length through one lamella. Return to contents</a>
Sliding door installation: recommendations
Once the sliding door is assembled, it needs to be installed in its place. Installing the door is a fairly simple process:
After final fixing and adjustmentdoor travel, you can consider that the main work is done. All that remains is to periodically inspect the moving joints and, if necessary, lightly lubricate them and tighten the hinge fasteners.
