How to Hide a Sliding Door Track

Knowing how to hide a sliding door track is important for homeowners who prioritize the seamless integration and hygiene of their sliding doors. Hiding the floor track creates clean lines that fit perfectly into modern, slick home aesthetics, and provides a clean environment for living and play areas.

Modern interior door design offers several solutions that streamline the look by hiding sliding doors' aluminum track. Look for sliding doors that sidestep visible tracks or consider track inserts for pre-existing tracks.

Cover Existing Floor Tracks with Track Inserts

Track inserts are a good solution for pre-existing floor tracks. Track inserts for sliding doors are small plastic or metal pieces that slot into the track along which the door slides. They fill in the unsightly gap to create a smoother appearance.

Track inserts offer several benefits including:

• Noise reduction: Track inserts can dampen the sound of the door sliding, making it quieter and more comfortable to use.
• Smoother operation: They can improve the sliding action of the door, making it easier to open and close.
• Preventing wear and tear: By reducing friction between the door and the track, track inserts help to prevent wear and tear on both the door and the track.
• Easy to install: Inserts usually snap into place or can be easily secured with screws.
• Aesthetic appeal: Adding track inserts means the tracks blend in much better with the surrounding floor, offering a more integrated and seamless appearance.

Opt for Doors without Visible Tracks

There are several types of sliding doors that don’t have visible tracks or that come with upper tracks but not floor tracks.

Magic Doors

Unlike traditional sliding barn doors, magic doors are designed to cleverly conceal all their hardware, including the rail. The result is a door that slides open and shuts seamlessly with no sign of the hardware that facilitates its smooth function. Magic doors run along small, imperceptible wheels installed on the back of the door, meaning a floor track isn’t required.

If you’re looking for an option with no visible barn door hardware or track, magic doors are the number one option.

Barn Doors

Traditional sliding interior barn doors move along a rail placed above the door opening. Typically, interior barn doors don’t need a floor track as the rail does all the heavy lifting. Sliding doors are excellent options for limited spaces as they don’t require clearance space to open and close. This is important as the average single-family home in the States is getting smaller.

A traditional sliding barn door with a visible rail offers a classy option in many homes as they perfectly marry rustic chic with elegant modernity. Though the rail is visible, its lack of floor track means barn doors are eye-catching and modern doors that require minimal upkeep.

Tip: If you wish to hide a barn door rail, you can find purpose-built rail covers. Rail covers are typically inexpensive and help the rail blend in more seamlessly with its surroundings.

Pocket Doors

Pocket doors are another type of sliding door that doesn’t typically require a floor track. A pocket door runs along an overhead track which is installed inside the door frame. Its tracks extend into the door recess—or pocket—and also into the upper rail cavity, meaning the track itself is not visible.

One of the greatest advantages of a pocket door is that the whole width of the door opening can be used when the door is open. This is because the door tucks into the wall cavity, leaving a wide space that opens up your home. Pocket doors’ functionality and style make them one of the best creative door ideas for modern homes.

Bypass Doors

Bypass doors are a type of sliding door system that allows for a wide, unobstructed opening. Many homeowners choose bypass doors for their sleek look and floor-saving capabilities.

Bypass doors consist of two or more panels that slide past each other on tracks and are typically mounted to the top of the doorway. When the door is opened, the panels slide past each other. The panels are closed by sliding them back together, overlapping to form a closed door. Bypass doors sometimes come with a floor track but don’t necessarily require one.

Why Hide or Avoid Sliding Door Tracks?

There are several aesthetic and practical reasons to hide or avoid sliding door tracks:

• Many homeowners find door tracks unsightly as they don’t fit in with the rest of the home’s look. In homes where every aspect of the decor is intentional, floor tracks can appear crude.
• Tracks interrupt the flow between rooms: Choosing trackless doors means your flooring flows seamlessly from one room to another.
• Safety issues: Floor tracks represent a trip hazard, especially for elderly people.

Cleanliness issues are also a huge factor to take into account with floor tracks. Tracks accumulate dust, pet dander, and other particles to create an unhygienic area, especially for children. Cleaning between the small spaces within the track is also a time-consuming and arduous task. Covering the track—or choosing doors that don’t require a floor track—keeps your home cleaner, safer, and more hygienic.

Choose Concealed Rail Systems to Eliminate Tracks

Opting for doors with concealed rail systems like magic doors means you don't need to worry about finding solutions to cover an unsightly track. Alternatively, track inserts are a great solution when changing your sliding doors isn’t an option.

Effectively concealing your sliding door tracks helps to create a seamless and visually appealing space. Whether you choose trackless options or inserts, hiding the track will enhance the overall aesthetic and hygiene of your home’s interior.