Overall I'm really happy I took a chance and bought here rather than Lowe's for what looks like the same thing for 4X the price!
I'd echo many other reviewers. No idea where they came up with their measurements regarding stud placement. However, I knew this going in and also knew from lots of other projects that I rarely find studs consistently 16 on center in my 65 year old house. I also knew that things get different around the doorframe (NOT a professional obviously!)
It was a good solution for me for an awkward bathroom. It was an addition some years ago and they kind of squeezed it in. You couldn't have the bedroom door next to it open at the same time the bathroom door was open but this worked out great.
I used the old original cheap door with the sunken panels which turned out to be a lot of work. I wanted the sunken parts to be flat so I could build what you see in the pics. Filled them in with scrap paneling and leveled with floor leveler. Then used leftover laminate wood flooring glued and nailed on top of that. Then ripped apart an old pallet for the trim. I sanded that pretty well, light stain, and some polyurethane. I used galvanized pipe for a handle which was the only thing I didn't have laying around the basement. Easy and I think looks good.
Some tips learned the hard way:
- if you use the same door you had before it's probably too short and narrow as it was meant to fit inside the frame. I added 2x4's to the bottom and sides then covered them up.
- i used the lag bolts that came with the hardware along with the Pre-drilled holes in the rail and matched up wherever I could to studs. Drilled two more holes in the rail and added two additional lag bolts to ensure at least 4 were going into studs. I used a bunch of washers for the spacer between the rail and wall (spray painted black). My door weights at least 50 lbs or more but it's holding great with this setup
- Measure, measure again, sleep on it, get up and measure again before you cut or drill. If your door is too thick (I had to place straps under trim on door for correct distance from rail) it'll be a problem
- Directions show you the basics but are a bit vague. I found some online for a different brand but I think are exactly the same. Took pics of those and posted in this review. They were helpful
- Those little round discs go on top of the door and won't allow door to be lifted off rail unless they're turned. Notice the hole in them is off center. Screw them in not super tight and spin them so they're hanging off the top of the door. Put the door over the rail and spin them back so they're completely over the door
- The "door stops" mount on the rail and limit how far left or right the door can go. They're adjustable even with the rail on. However, you can't slide them over the head of the lag bolts so you should have a pretty good idea where the limits of your door will be before you put them on or like me you'll have to take out a lag bolt, slide the stop over, then put the lag bolt back in
- check your clearance between the inside of your door and the door casing. I had to countersink the bolts from the straps on the inside so they wouldn't hit the door casing
I know that's a lot of info but hopefully helpful. The hardware is good. Wheels roll easily on the track, etc. just be prepared to think it through and plan on a lot longer than you think if you're a regular homeowner like me!
| Manufacturer | U-MAX |
|---|---|
| Part Number | I-SLD-U |
| Item Weight | 13.99 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 40.5 x 4.3 x 2.4 inches |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Size | 6 Feet |
| Color | Black |
| Material | Alloy Steel |
| Pattern | 6FT-I Shape |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Batteries Included? | No |
| Batteries Required? | No |
