After purchasing your barn door and having the barn door hardware installed, it’s important to keep it in good working order. Not doing so could lead to your sliding door hardware malfunctioning and causing harm or damage to your walls. The track and trolleys of the barn door are designed to operate doors that are within a certain weight capacity. There is also another important piece that enables your doors to move properly and that’s the bottom guide.
What is the Purpose of the Bottom Guide?
The bottom guide is a piece of barn door hardware that plays a critical role when it comes to keeping your door close and snug to the wall. It keeps barn doors from swinging out of place and causing damage to baseboards and walls. Its sole purpose is to keep sliding barn doors moving in a straight line. These can be found and installed on both wooden and glass barn doors.
Proper Installation of Bottom Guides
It’s very important that special attention is given during the installation of your sliding door hardware, especially when it comes time to input the bottom guide. Depending on the type of barn door you purchase, it may come with a pin or small groove in the bottom of the door. These are designated for floor guides.
For door panels that are made of wood and similar materials, there are two ways to prep the bottom of the door for the guide. The primary way of doing so is to route a channel at the bottom of the door’s panel that the guide will use to travel. If routing isn’t an option for your panel type, there are full-length guide channels that you can affix to the bottom instead. The guide is barely visible once it’s installed, acting as the door’s anonymous helper. It is covered by the panels of the door, no matter where the panel is located on the track.
For door panels made of glass and similar materials, the u-channels are used. This is mounted directly to the floor – no need for any other parts or prepping for the panel. Unlike with the pins, u-channel guides are always visible.
If you ever notice that your door isn’t opening and closing properly, it could be because of the barn door hardware being improperly installed. Check the track and the guide to determine the cause.
Types of Bottom Guides
Wall Mount Adjustable U-Channel
| Floor Mount Standard
| Floor Mount Adjustable U-Channel
| Wall Mount Adjustable Standard
|
Floor Mounting Bottom Guides - The ideal barn door floor guide for a sleek and disguised look.
Floor Mount Standard: This guide is the simplest of them all and designed to fit in the groove along the bottom of the door. This guide can be installed on tile, carpet, layered subfloor, and wood flooring.
Floor Mount U-Channel: This guide is a great option for doors that do not have a groove along the bottom edge, for example, doors made from metal, glass, or acrylic. Like the Floor Mount Standard Guide, this guide can also be installed on tile, carpet, layered subfloor, and wood flooring. The Floor Mount U-Channel Guide can also be adjusted to fit the thickness of your door for a smooth and secure glide.
Wall Mounting Bottom Guides - A great alternative when floor mounting guides aren't an option.
Wall Mount Adjustable U-Channel: The Wall Mount Adjustable U-Channel is intended to make sure the door clears both the wall and the baseboard. This bottom guide is great for metal doors or doors that don't have a groove along the bottom and can be adjusted to fit the thickness of your door.
Wall Mount Adjustable Standard: The Wall Mount Adjustable Standard Guide is very similar to the Wall Mount Adjustable U-Channel however, this bottom guide accommodates doors with a groove along the bottom.
