Do-it-yourself wardrobe assembly

Recommendation points

• What does a sliding wardrobe consist of?
• Sizing and detailing
• Determination of cabinet dimensions (length, height, depth)
• Detailing (the most important stage !!! you can’t be wrong !!!)
• Choosing a sliding system
• Cabinet installation
• Installation of a sliding system
• What have we saved

Everyone who wants to save money on a wardrobe – a compartment is dedicated 30–35%. We will consider what the wardrobe consists of, how to calculate the dimensions of the details of the future cabinet, how to choose a sliding system and, finally, how to assemble the cabinet yourself.

What does a sliding wardrobe consist of?

Let’s start with the fact that any sliding wardrobe, by and large, can be divided into two parts:

1. The wardrobe itself is a large box with shelves and drawers made of chipboard
2. Sliding system

Everything else: rods, pantographs, various accessories for hanging ties, etc. they are not included in the constructive part, and it is quite easy to do without them. In the same way, you can break down the cost of a sliding wardrobe, as a percentage:

• Cabinet: approximately 35-40% of the total price of the product
• Sliding system: 40-45%
• Installation: 15-20%

Real savings can be obtained at points 1 and 3, as the sliding system is too complex to assemble at home.

Sizing and detailing

I want to say right away that the heading does not use the word “assembly” for nothing. The fact is that the complete manufacture of a sliding wardrobe requires specialized equipment, and it is almost impossible to perform part of the work at home..

Specifically, this applies to cutting (cutting) chipboard and gluing the edge. But there is a way out of this problem – in almost every city there are firms selling chipboard and offering as additional services its cutting and edging of parts. So we just need to decide on the size of these parts, which is where we actually start:

Determination of cabinet dimensions (length, height, depth)

Length: we mark two points between which our cabinet will stand, and measure the distance.

Depth: the recommended depth of the wardrobe compartment is about 600 mm (this is due to the fact that the sliding system itself takes about 100 mm, plus hangers with clothes hanging on them – another 450 – 500 mm).

Height: theoretically, the cabinet can be made to the very ceiling, but … The ceiling and the floor are almost never parallel, the distances at different points of measurements can differ by 10-15 mm, therefore: either we leave a decent gap to the ceiling, or we measure the height at 3-4 points and we take the minimum value, for accuracy reduced by 10 mm.

Example: There is a niche that, according to the minimum measurements, has a length of 2030mm, a depth of 635, a height of 2370. The dimensions of the sliding wardrobe, which will be delivered here, should be no more than 2020 * 625 * 2360 (the height is indicated taking into account the legs), less is possible, more – in no case…

Detailing (the most important stage !!! you can’t be wrong !!!)

For example, let’s take a cabinet with the previous dimensions: 2020mm long, 625mm depth, 2360mm height. Immediately reduce the height of the cabinet by 40 mm – taking into account the leveling feet. We get: 2020 * 625 * 2320.

This cabinet consists of: 1. Standing (upright standing racks made of chipboard) we will designate them as 1,2,3,4,5 2. Bottom (7) 3. Top (6) 4. Shelf and jumpers (8.9)

The size of the two outermost (1 and 4) stanchions is:

• Dimension A = (cabinet height) minus (32mm) = 2320mm – 32mm = 2288mm (where 32mm is the total thickness of the chipboard top and bottom)
• Dimension B = cabinet depth = 625mm

Top and Bottom (6.7)

• Dimension A = cabinet length = 2020mm
• Dimension B = cabinet depth = 625mm

The size of the two center posts (2 and 3)

• The height of these posts depends on the desired height of the rod for hanging clothes and is usually equal to 1900-1950 mm
• Hence:
• Dimension A = 1900 mm
• Dimension B = (cabinet depth) minus (100mm) = 625mm-100mm = 525mm (where 100 mm is the space for the sliding system)

Small stock size (5)

• Dimension A = (Height of post 1) minus (height of post 2) minus (16 mm) = 2288mm – 1900mm – 16mm = 372 mm
• Dimension B = (cabinet depth) minus (100mm) = 625mm-100mm = 525mm (where 100 mm is the space for the sliding system)

Shelf size for mezzanine (9)

• Dimension A = (Cabinet length) minus (32 mm) = 2020mm – 32mm = 1988 mm
• Dimension B = (cabinet depth) minus (100mm) = 625mm – 100mm = 525mm (where 100mm is the space for the sliding system)

Shelf sizes (8)

• • The width of the shelves is taken as required, usually 400-500mm

Size A = 450mm

• Dimension B = (cabinet depth) minus (100mm) = 625mm-100mm = 525mm (where 100mm is a space for a sliding system)

Shelf size (10) and hanging pipes.

• Dimension A = (Cabinet length) minus (64 mm) minus (double shelf size) = 2020mm – 64 mm – 450mm * 2 = 2020mm – 64 mm – 900 mm = 1056 mm

Back wall

• Made from fiberboard (that which is thin)
• Dimensions are equal:
• Dimension A = (Cabinet length) = 2020 mm
• Dimension B = (cabinet height) = 2320 mm

We summarize the results in a table:

Part name from chipboard	amount	Dimension A (in mm)	Dimension B (in mm)
Stand (1 and 4)	2	2288	625
Bottom. Top (6.7)	2	2020	625
Stand (2 and 3)	2	1900	525
Stand-up (5)	1	372	525
Mezzanine shelf (9)	1	1988	525
Shelf (8)	8	450	525
Shelf (10)	1	1056	525

Part from fiberboard: 2020 * 2320 (can be divided into smaller ones, with docking along the wall), for example: two pcs. – 466 * 2320 and one 1088 * 2320.

With such a table, you can go and order cutting and edging of chipboard parts.

Attention: All calculations are given from considerations – the thickness of the chipboard is 16 mm, there are still 18 and 22 mm – in my opinion, you should not overpay for the thickness, but if you suddenly decide to increase the thickness, be sure to take this into account in the calculations …

Plastic edge is desirable, thickness 0.5 mm. Thicker is possible, but absolutely not necessary.

One more thing: Chipboard with a wood imitation coating has this concept: the direction of the structure. In sliding wardrobes, this does not play a special role … although in the case of stand-up wardrobes, the direction of the structure from the bottom up.

Choosing a sliding system

Sliding systems for sliding wardrobes are of two types: steel and aluminum. Without going into details, I will say right away – it seems to me: aluminum is better, but this is deeply personal.

Assembling the system is a difficult thing, so it is better to leave it to professionals and contact some kind of company that sells sliding doors. For ourselves, let’s leave the definition: exactly how many doors you need, and the installation of these doors on the finished cabinet.

The number of doors is determined based on the dimensions of the cabinet, and the condition that the width of one leaf should not exceed 1000 mm. The cabinet we make can theoretically be fitted with 2 or 3 doors, of your choice. By the way, before ordering doors – draw their location on the front image of the cabinet – you will immediately understand how convenient or inconvenient it will be to use your product, and you will be able to adjust the number of doors. When ordering doors, it is enough for a company to simply tell managers the size of the opening where the system will be installed – in our case it is:

• Dimension A = (Cabinet length) minus 32 mm = 2020 mm – 32 mm = 1988 mm – system length
• Dimension B = (cabinet height) minus (32mm) = 2320mm – 32mm = 2288mm – system height

Prices for sliding systems are highly dependent on the manufacturer – of course, your business, but over 7 years of working with various manufacturers, I have not noticed a fundamental difference in the quality of the product. Even Chinese aluminum works quite well with proper installation. Nevertheless, I will name several manufacturers with the most acceptable, in my opinion, price-quality ratio: Komandor, ARISTO, RAUMPLUS

Cabinet installation

Modern chipboard products are assembled mainly at confirmations, so for assembly you will need a screwdriver or drill, a nozzle for a confirmation, a drill for a confirmation, well, the confirmations themselves, sorry for the tautology.

The assembly process itself is quite simple: first, the lines for finding future shelves are marked on the stand with a pencil or thin felt-tip pen, and the mounting holes are drilled. Then the same procedure is carried out with shelves, in which holes are drilled in the ends, coaxial with the holes drilled in the rack.

When all the marking and drilling is completed, the installation itself begins.

Nuance: If the sliding wardrobe is designed for the ceiling itself, it is more convenient to attach the top and bottom not to confirmations, but to mounting corners (there are plastic and metal). If desired, the shelves can be fixed in the same way..

The fiberboard is nailed from the back with a stapler, or ordinary nails, what exactly does not play a special role …

I almost forgot: the leveling feet. Quite often, wardrobes are made without them, in my opinion this is not very convenient, especially when exposing the wardrobe vertically and horizontally. For a cabinet up to two meters in size, 4 pairs of legs are desirable. Adjustment is made with a hex key from inside the cabinet. The resulting distance between the bottom of the cabinet and the floor is closed by a false panel made of chipboard. In our case, these will be two parts 35 * 600mm – side panels and 35 * 2010 – front panel.

Installation of a sliding system

The sliding system consists of two rails – guides, and the doors themselves.

The upper rail is attached to the top of the sliding wardrobe flush with the mullions, and the lower rail is attached to the bottom with a 10-15 mm offset relative to the mullions, depending on the system manufacturer.

After fixing the guides, you can insert the doors, which is done by maximizing the door feed upward, and aligning the lower door roller with the groove in the lower guide.

The door is adjusted using adjusting screws and a hex key.

What have we saved

On average, the cost of a ready-made sliding wardrobe without a sliding system is about $ 130 -150 per linear meter, respectively, the above cabinet should cost about $ 260. Installation of this cabinet and the system for it will cost another 100 dollars. Total $ 360-400.

Chipboard consumption for this cabinet – 13 m² it’s about $ 100. Sawing and edging is about $ 50 more. Fiberboard and fittings – 20. In total, 170, even rounding this figure to 200, the savings will be at least $ 160-200. Good luck !