ABOUT CLOSET DOORS

The two most common types of closet door are bifold and bypass sliding. Bifold doors fold in on themselves, and are fixed to sliding track at the top of the door. They take up less space, when opened, than normal doors. Bypass sliding doors take up even less space, as they slide along double or triple tracks. Closet doors may be frameless, or may have frames made from wood, aluminium, or steel. The panels of closet doors may be wood, glass, or steel. Glass is available clear, milky, frosted, or as mirror. Wood panels may be of solid or molded wood.

The leading closet door manufacturers, selected by Abacus Construction Index and listed below the panel of sponsored links, have comprehensive websites, with information on all aspects of closet doors, including online catalogs, specifications, colors and materials for closet doors, and care and maintenance of closet doors.

RECOMMENDED BOOK ON INSTALLING AND HANGING DOORS

We strongly recommend the book 'Installing and Hanging Doors' by Gary Katz. It covers: choosing a door, choosing hardware, door jambs, hanging doors, and weather-proofing for exterior doors. To read more about this book, and to buy it online at Amazon if you wish, please click on the blue link in the panel below:

LEADING CLOSET DOOR MANUFACTURERS

Craftmaster Closet Doors. Craftmaster, based in Chicago, Illinois, manufactures a wide range of interior doors including wooden and molded bifold closet doors. Its manufacturing plants are based in Towanda, Pennsylvania, Christiansburg, Virginia, Ozark, Alabama, and Garland, Texas. The wood bifold closet doors are available in Pine and Louver designs, with hollow core, semi-solid core, or solid core. Craftmaster recommends solid core closet doors, which gives the feel of solid timber, and is dimensionally more stable.

Craftmaster molded bifold closet doors are available in four forms. Smooth Bifold Doors, Textured Bifold Doors, Pre-Stained and Pre-finsihed Bifold Doors, and Tall Bifold Doors. Craftmaster also supplies mirror closet doors in both bifold and bypass sliding form. The bifold mirror closet doors are frameless; the bypass sliding mirror closet doors have a solid pre-finished steel frame.

Dunbarton Closet Doors. Dunbarton Corporation, of Dothan, Alabama, manufactures a wide range of doors including sliding and bifold closet doors. Dunbarton makes the Slimfold range of sound-dampened steel folding closet doors, painted to automotive standard. These may have louvers and raised panels. The Collegiate gives the look of a locker room. The Slimfold steel closet doors have a non-pinch design that makes it impossible to trap fingers or toes. Slimfold steel closet doors are available as two-panel units with total width of 2', 2'6", or 3', and as four panel units with total width of 4', 5', or 6'.

There is a range of mirror closet doors, which may be bypass sliding (framed or frameless) or bifold. There is also a Markerdoor for children's rooms; this has magnetic dry erasable marker panels in a pre-finished steel frame, on which children can draw.

Kestrel Closet Doors. Kestrel, based in Stowe, Pennsylvania, has been manufacturing interior and exterior shutters and doors, including closet doors, since 1989. Their wood shutters, closet doors, and folding screen room dividers are made to order in the factory in Stowe.

Closet doors are made from hardwood, including Basswood, Spanish Cedar, and Mahogany. They are joined with deep pocket mortise and tenon joints, which are pegged for greater durability. Floating panels allow for expansion and contraction. Panel designs include Colonial and Traditional, Shaker Flat, and recessed Philadelphia Federal. 3/8 inch louver blades are available in 1 7/8 inch, 2 1/2 inch, and 3 1/2 width, in both flat and tapered profiles.

Product categories in the Kestrel website include: Exterior Shutters, Interior Shutters, Closet Doors, Louvered Doors, Board & Batten Shutters, Folding Screens, Plantation Shutters, Bifold Doors and Sliding Closet Doors.

Sliding Closet Doors by IDRC. The Interior Door Replacement Company (IDRC) has been operating since 1997 from Fremont, California, and Mountain View, Huntington Beach, California. Its specialty is replacing old doors including sliding closet doors with custom made doors.

IDRC uses a digital measuring tool to measure the old door; this takes under one minute. The measurements are then passed to a computer controlled door cutting machine that custs the doors to exact measurements and bores all the necessary holes for handles and hinges. Existing doors are kept in place until the installation of new doors, avoiding inconvenience and disruption. Materials for sliding closet doors include: oak, maple, mahogany, cherry, pine, and alder. IDRC also offers a selection of handles, hinges, and paint finishes to match existing color schemes.

The Sliding Door Company Closet Doors. The Sliding Door Company, which is headquartered in Van Nuys, California, manufactures glass sliding closet doors and room dividers. The frames of the sliding closet doors may be made in aluminium, or in wood. The choice of woods is Maple, Wenge, and Walnut. 5mm tempered glass is used as standard; a coating is applied to resist fingerprints. The glass panels may be clear, frosted, milky, or may be mirror. Solid wood-like panels can be provided as an alternative. The floor tracks are designed to prevent tripping.

The Sliding Door Company website is divided into sections for home and workplace, with further sections containing product galleries, and advice on remodeling. In addition to closet doors, the Sliding Door Company product range includes Sliding Room Dividers, Pocket Doors, Swing Doors, Stationary Doors, Loft Dividers, and Office Partitions.

OTHER PRODUCTS RELATED TO CLOSET DOORS

You may also like to visit our USA product guides on: Bifold Doors, Cabinet Doors, Door Knobs, Folding Doors, Kitchen Cabinet Doors, Kitchen Cabinet Hardware, and Kitchen Cabinet Refacing.

USEFUL LINKS RELEVANT TO CLOSET DOORS

American Hardware Manufacturers Association

Door and Hardware Institute

International Door Association

CONSTRUCTION PRODUCT DIRECTORIES

We recommend the following professional construction directories, which include standard specifications, manufacturers' specs, and CAD details: 4Specs at www.4specs.com, Arcat at www.arcat.com, Arcom at www.arcomnet.com, Reed at www.reedfirstsource.com, Sweets at www.sweets.construction.com.