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How to replace wardrobe tracks?

We have had new carpet installed, and our old wardrobe doors are rubbing on the carpet and aren’t sliding properly. They didn’t slide that well before the carpet, due to small tracks. We are hoping to keep the current doors and update the track system. The wardrobe doors have previously been cut down and as they are hollow inside, there’s not much room left to shave from the height. I was recommended a cowdroy system. Is there something like that where I could replace the top and bottom tracks so the doors run smoothly?

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JacobZ

Hi @NicoleDIY,

There are certainly options for top-hung door tracks that you could use to replace the current system. One example is this Cowdroy 2400mm Quick-Fix Door Track Set, which could be an option, assuming the opening is no more than 1800mm wide.

This sliding door system has a height adjustment slot in the wheel assembly, so there is some room for adjustment to account for the thickness of the new carpet.

Further details about the system can be found here Quick-Fix 25kg Wardrobe Track and in the product guide.

Can I trouble you to have a look at the technical specs in the product guide to confirm that this system would work for you? If not, could you let me know the thickness of the doors and the width of the opening so I can have a look for other systems that might work.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob

NicoleDIY

Hi Jacob,

Thanks very much for your reply. We were hoping to change the system so that the wheels ran on tracks down the bottom rather than the top. Would this work? We would need a two track system as two of the three doors run on the same track.

Cheers,

Nicole

MitchellMc

In most wardrobe systems @NicoleDIY, the doors are actually carried by rollers at the top, with the bottom track acting only as a guide to stop the doors swinging, rather than taking the weight. True bottom-roller systems do exist, but they are generally designed as a complete system from new and are not very forgiving when retrofitted to existing hollow-core doors. That makes them quite tricky in a situation like yours.

The Cowdroy system Jacob mentioned is a top-hung system and it is designed to allow two doors to share the same track, with height adjustment built into the rollers. That adjustment is usually what solves carpet clearance issues, rather than changing where the weight of the door is supported. Trying to convert your current doors to a bottom-running system would still require very accurate alignment and may not actually gain you any extra clearance over the carpet.

Given that your doors are hollow and have already been cut down, swapping the entire track system is not guaranteed to fix the rubbing issue and can easily turn into a fiddly job with mixed results. In many cases, poor sliding is caused by worn or damaged top rollers, bent tracks, or a lack of adjustment rather than the track design itself. Repairing or replacing the rollers, straightening or renewing the existing tracks, and then adjusting the door height is often the simplest and most reliable solution.

If there is nothing fundamentally wrong with the existing setup, keeping the current system and restoring it to work as intended is usually far less hassle than trying to retrofit a completely different style of track. If you are unsure, a carpenter or wardrobe installer can quickly assess whether new rollers and adjustment will solve it, which is often the cleanest outcome without risking further damage to the doors.

My major concern here is that simply installing a new track system isn't guaranteed to provide any additional clearance and could make clearance worse. If your doors are too large to clear the carpet, they need to be adjusted, and if there is no more room to do so, you might need someone to re-install a new bottom frame into the door at the correct height.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

NicoleDIY

Thanks Mitchell — I appreciate your advice.

My concern with the product above is that our current doors are on small bottom tracks and frequently come off them. We’re happy for our doors to move via rollers at the top, but I was hoping for a system that could be retrofitted with a full-length bottom track to prevent misalignment and the doors coming off the track.

Is there another wardrobe track system that might suit this better?

JacobZ

Hi @NicoleDIY,

How high off the carpet is the top of the rebate at the bottom of the door?

You might be able to just remove that existing guide and attach a piece of Aluminium Tee Section to the floor, which will essentially do the exact same thing as the current guide, just along the full length of the opening. You'd just need about 25mm of clearance from the top of the carpet to the top of the rebate.

Do you think that might work?

Jacob

NicoleDIY

Yes I think that might work! Thanks very much for the idea Jacob.

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