How to remove old wardrobe steel frames?

[Olivia22]

Hi I’m looking to remove the old steel frame on our wardrobes inside one of our bedrooms. I don’t know how these come together or how they come apart but looking for some advice so that we can take them off and hang sliding doors instead to limit the space the current hinged doors take.

there are no visible screws or fixings into the wall so maybe glue? Any help would be highly appreciated.thanks in advance.

Olivia

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Olivia22. It's terrific to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about removing a steel doorframe.

Before you start, can I ask what type of sliding door you were considering? Typically sliding doors can be installed when there is a wall next to the door. In your case, it appears you have walls on both sides, but they run perpendicular to the door frame. Where was the door going to slide to?

There are a couple of types of metal door frames. They come in knock-down and welded varieties. The knock-down type are three pieces and will typically be held in place with screws into the timberwork or bricks. Look around the frame to see if any fixings can be undone. If it's a welded frame or a brick/concrete dwelling, the bricks might be recessed within the profile of the frame. In this case, you'd need a couple of crowbars and potentially need to cut the frame apart with an angle grinder to make any headway. You basically need to remove the door and any fixings and pry the frame away from the wall, starting at the bottom. Be aware that you'll likely damage the wall in the removal process, and that will need to be repaired later.

Remember to where appropriate PPE, including safety glasses, gloves and a face mask.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

[brathi]

Hi @MitchellMc ,

Thanks for those details.

To install the sliding doors, can I just get away with cutting the floor beam of the frame and the vertical part for door hinge (3-door wardrobe)?

I want to cut the floor beam so I can lay laminate flooring all the way into the wardrobe. AND don't want to remove the entire frame from the wall to avoid extensive repair works afterwards.

Thank you,

Baz

 .

[EricL]

Hello @brathi 

I suspect that the bottom rail supports the vertical side rails of the metal frame. Removing these might weaken the frame unless it is screwed or anchored to the side of the stud frame. I suggest doing a bit of investigation by removing one of the bottom and top pieces.

Please note that by doing this you must be prepared for the possibility that the entire steel frame will come apart. But even if you succeed, it is better to remove the entire frame and replace it with a timber one as cut steel with an open end does not look good and is a cutting hazard.

A timber frame, even a thin one can be custom cut so that your new sliding doors will fit snugly, and you'll still be able to have your flooring travel into the wardrobe.      

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric