Door options for fitted wardrobes, selection criteria
When arranging a cabinet located in a niche, the appearance and type of all details must be taken into account. Modern doors for a built-in wardrobe are classified according to the opening mechanism, they are produced in various designs and colors. In order for the device to last a long time, it is necessary to study its varieties, as well as how to properly install the part.
Varieties
The general style of the room where the furniture is installed will depend on the appearance of the built-in wardrobe and its functionality. Before choosing a product design, it is recommended to pay attention to the type of device. Today they are represented by such species:
- compartment;
- swing wings;
- shutters;
- harmonic.
Each of the proposed door options for built-in cabinets has its own characteristics, which will be discussed below.
HarmonicCoupeSwingShuttersCoupe
The design of the doors for the built-in cabinet should not only be attractive, but also provide the product with functionality. The compartment mechanism solves this problem in the best way: it does not take up much space and does not imply the presence of additional space in the room. The best choice for a compartment will be for built-in wardrobes in a narrow corridor, small room or walk-through zone.
The peculiarity of the choice of such an element is that its installation is intended for a deep niche. If the opening for furniture is too small, then you should not mount the mechanism: any compartment has an increased thickness, and the number of wings increases this figure. In the case where the niche does not exceed a depth of 50 cm, the coupe should be abandoned.
There are several types of sliding door mechanisms, product photos can be seen below:
- internal guides - the most common mechanism for mounting the mechanism. The rollers are suspended and floor, the first option is characterized by lower strength, but stationary. Floor rollers are reliable and quiet running. Sliding doors for a built-in cabinet with floor rollers require careful maintenance, because dust is clogged in the rails;
- external guides - located outside the cabinet, they are suitable for structures built into a niche where the doors move along the wall. Installation of this option requires the presence of additional space for the movement of the element;
- hidden door leaving inside the closet. The advantage of such sliding structures is that there is no need for additional space. To install such a door, it is necessary to carefully consider the configuration of the built-in cabinets in order to plan the mechanism.
Depending on the width of the product, it is worth determining the number of doors. It is worth noting that with 3 doors, access to the cabinet will open only one third. It is considered optimal to equip built-in furniture with two sliding doors.
Swing
Structurally, these elements consist of a frame, panel and insertion part. The swing type is made of MDF, and the inner part in the frame is made of glass, stained glass, wood or mirror. The most affordable are solid swing doors made of chipboard, although they have less reliability.
On the other hand, this option is cheaper than the coupe mechanism. In addition, it provides a complete overview of the internal contents of the cabinet, which cannot be said about the previous system. When using swing elements, it is easy to design mezzanine compartments in the upper part of the cabinet.
The main positive aspects of this choice:
- finding the finished model is not difficult, all the factories are engaged in the production of doors of this type - they can be seen in the photo below;
- the durability of the products is due to the fact that the hinges withstand a large load, while the sliding mechanism must be adjusted over time;
- when the sash is opened, the door does not make noise, if over time the built-in cabinet makes a creak, it can be removed with grease.
Among the negative aspects, there are difficulties in the selection of ready-made models due to the production of standard widths of 60 and 45 cm. In addition, a cabinet equipped with swing wings requires additional space for opening. If the room is small, then it is worth abandoning swing structures.
Shutters
The mechanism of the roller shutter has long been included in the life of users. If initially they were used exclusively for windows, then modern production involves the installation of a mechanism as a door for a cabinet built into a niche. The product is represented by a special folding device upwards, which significantly saves space in the room.
The advantages of arrangement on roller shutter cabinets are:
- durable material that guarantees the protection of the internal contents of furniture under any temperature conditions;
- lack of a large number of accessories - built-in cabinets with roller shutters are locked;
- Specially processed raw materials are not subject to corrosion or mold;
- often the roller shutters in the niche are equipped with a button, by pressing which the opening mechanism starts;
- you can use photo printing on the surface of the product, as well as choose options for imitating materials or plain colors.
Often, cabinets with a door of the type of roller shutters are installed on balconies, loggias, bathrooms, hallways, kitchens, as well as those places where space for storing items is limited.
Harmonic
It is considered the least popular type of door for built-in furniture. This is due to the fact that sliding systems replaced the option. However, accordion doors are often used as an alternative to expensive coupe systems. They are successfully mounted on balconies and in small rooms.
Hinged doors, in comparison with the accordion mechanism, take up much more space. The latter option allows full access to the closet, which cannot be said for sliding doors. Of the minuses, users note the low reliability of the loops and the fragility of the material used. It should be light, because the accordion doors have a significant load on the cabinet.
Users often doubt such an acquisition because of the loose fit of the doors to the design of the embedded product itself. This issue is solved by the use of a special sealant that preserves the internal contents from dust. The most popular photo models of accordions can be found in this material.
Before choosing an accordion door, it is worth deciding on the number of elements, which can be from 2 to 12. Masters do not recommend making a facade door of this type wider than 1.2 m.
Materials of manufacture
The production of any type of door initially involves the use of wood-based panels, but there is additional raw material for the facades of built-in cabinets. Each type needs to be considered separately:
- compartment - sliding systems are made of laminated chipboard, additionally decorated at the request of the client with a sandblasted pattern, glass surfaces or mirrors. For ease of opening, each door is equipped with an aluminum profile;
- swinging elements - made of wood boards and can be deaf or with the addition of other materials: glass, stained glass, metal;
- accordion doors - built-in furniture with an accordion door usually has wooden elements, but often there are plastic sashes that ease the load on the hinges;
- roller shutters - lightweight aluminum is used to make the indicated type of leaf. It is coated with protective compounds to prevent paint shedding and material damage.
A photograph of the materials can be seen in this article, and when choosing, be guided by indicators of strength and durability of raw materials.
Facade Decor Options
The most common way to decorate facade elements is the use of mirrors. It significantly expands the boundaries of the room, while endowing the facade with practicality and functionality. This option is convenient to use for a built-in closet with mirrored doors in the hallway.
Other decoration techniques on facades:
- photo printing - convenient for decorating built-in structures in a children's room or room, where the style requires an image;
- frosted glass surfaces - well suited for the design of cabinets in the bedroom, provided they are located opposite the bed;
- sandblasting is a popular, but expensive way to decorate doors, in which facades are equipped with a variety of ornaments and patterns;
- imitation of material - today it is popular to imitate various surfaces: leather, wood, metal, artificial stone, photos of such original facades can be found below;
- the combination of decor is convenient for complex cabinet designs, where the mezzanines have their own doors and the main compartment has their own.
The presence of mezzanines allows the owner to create an original design of the facades. Swing systems can be made in contrasting colors or combine several materials: the main compartment will be made using glass, and the surface of the mezzanine cabinets will be equipped with stained-glass windows.
MattUnder the treeUnder the stoneUnder the skinSandblastingPhoto printingInstallation Rules
It’s easy to integrate the door opening mechanism, the main thing is to follow the basic rules. Depending on the type of construction, these points will differ:
- sliding doors - to begin with, they measure the internal perimeter, make up a drawing. Next, prepare the floor surface so that it is even; install aluminum rails and mount the door. After the product is integrated, do internal filling;
- swing doors - installation occurs from the lower elements, if present. Hinges are wound and front sashes are installed. After which each door is adjustable;
- accordion - make measurements, after which the lower and upper rail are fixed, along which the element will move. Hinges, fittings are installed, at the end of the procedure, the door itself is mounted;
- roller shutters - the guiding doors fit into the opening from the inside, as shown in the photo.
In general, consumers are satisfied with the built-in designs with any type of door. It is worth noting that sliding systems are most in demand. Choosing a door for a built-in closet is necessary based on the square meters of the room, material and access to internal storage.