Use sliding doors to create a hiding TV cabinet.
Installing sliding doors is a cool way to hide your television and add a "wow" factor to your décor. This technique expands on the concept of sliding doors similar to those used for sliding closet doors. You will use an existing television cabinet to define the width for the sliding doors and a track system mounted on the floor and ceiling to hide and reveal the television. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Measure the width of the existing television cabinet and then measure the height, from floor-to-ceiling, of the wall where the cabinet is located. You will use these measurements to determine the size of the sliding doors to hide the television.
2. Multiply the width measurement by 2, and then add 4 inches to allow ample width to slide the cabinet doors. You will use these measurements to determine the width for the sliding doors and the length for the tracks to install on the floor and ceiling to slide the cabinet doors so you can hide the television and reveal the television for viewing.
3. Remove enough existing flooring material, such as carpeting, to accommodate the floor track with a utility knife. The track must be installed on a flat surface, such as directly on top of the subfloor material, such as plywood or concrete.
4. Mark a spot on the floor that is 4 inches from the right and left outer edges of the television cabinet that faces into the room with a carpenter's pencil, and mark a spot 4 inches out from the center of the cabinet. Use a straight edge to draw a line for the track, according to your measurement from step 2.
5. Tie strings to five 2-inch nails. Climb on a ladder and hammer a nail into the ceiling at a point for the far left end of the track, the left edge of the cabinet, the center, the right edge of the cabinet and the far right end for the track. The nails will serve as your guide for installing the track on the ceiling so it will be level with the track on the floor.
6. Attach a string level to check and adjust the nails so they are vertically level with the track on the floor. Mark the spots of ceiling nails for reference with a pencil just in case a nail pops out from the ceiling.
7. Install the ceiling track first because it will be easier to adjust the floor track than the ceiling track, if needed. Use a stud finder to mark joist stud locations on the ceiling. Drill pilot starter holes, but only deep enough so that you will still have enough raw wood to complete screwing in the screws for the track manually. Use a screwdriver to finish tightening the screws to install the ceiling track. Reinsert nails and string lines on the ceiling so you can check the level with the floor track.
8. Place the floor track in position and check that it is level with the ceiling track. Once you have confirmed that the floor track is vertically level with the ceiling track, drill pilot starter holes. Tighten the screws manually to complete attachment of the floor track.
9. Cut the MDF board pieces according to your width and length measurements for the sliding cabinet doors. Sand, prime and paint or stain the board pieces as you desire.
10. Cut the locking glide pieces according to the width for each sliding door panel with metal snips. Attach the glide pieces to the top and bottom edges of the sliding cabinet door panels. Insert the door panels into the tracks to complete the installation of your hiding TV cabinet door project.
Tags: floor track, sliding doors, ceiling track, level with, cabinet doors
