Whether you are looking to renovate the existing wardrobe or planning to get a new one, the choice of the type of door can count for an important decision. You need to select between sliding and hinged door; lot of options available, based on mechanism, colour, fabrics, and material, etc. All these parameters are imperative to make your investment worth. Choosing the design isn’t always easy and hence you need to understand both the advantages and disadvantages of hinged and sliding door to make a choice.
Sliding door Vs hinged door
Sliding door type of wardrobes need a top track and floor track with rollers for the doors to operate. The standard depth is 26-in, inclusive of 2 inches running track, while the width should be minimum 7 feet. The standard hinged doors wardrobe would be of 24inches width to prevent excess load on the hinges, while the door is kept open.
Pros and cons
Space constraint
Sliding doors don’t need any space clearance to unlock the door’s sliding mechanism. The straight lines of these ceiling to floor panels look neat, providing modern and sleek appearance. Such type of wardrobes works as space savers, not taking up additional space in the bedroom.
Hinged doors take up extra space, as they doors open outwards. If you’re looking to save some space in the room, or literally you’ve small room, consider opting for sliding door.
You should evaluate how much space you have in your room, before deciding the type of door mechanism. Sliding doors are the ideal choice for compact, confined spaces, while hinged doors serve well in the area having enough space clearance.
Cost Effectiveness
Since hinged doors are small, fitting them to the whole wall may need larger number of doors, which affect the hardware and material cost as well. Sliding doors uses reduced labour effort or material cost, as it comes with larger widths, thus minimizing the overall cost of the doors. But do take note that hardware fittings, materials, laminations, and finishes are few other factors that affect the cost of any type of doors. Hence, choose the design of utmost quality, staying in budget.
Use of Mirrors
Installing a glass accent or mirror to hinged doors can cause a problem, as hinges may not be able to hold the additional weight of mirror or glass materials. If you’re planning to get a hinged door, then you should select the hinges that can withstand the materials suited for mirrors. Sliding doors can be made into all mirror or glass shutters. You can also experiment on customized look with glass, such as frosted or tinted.
Installation
Sliding doors can be installed quite easily, as it needs wheels and tracks to be taken care of, while hinged door installation require lot of precision from carpenter.
Maintenance
Maintenance wise, hinged doors are easy to be maintained, while any damage to tracks or wheels in sliding door can hamper the whole door’s sliding mechanism.
Both types of wardrobe designs come with their own set of advantages and disadvantages. Consider the style, practical usage, materials, space to choose the perfect design for your wardrobe.
