Sliding door to close off narrowboat side corridor - pics or ideas?

[Monsoon merchant]

Hi

 

We would like to do as the topic title suggests. There is not room for any other kind of door.

 

Obviously it requires an odd shaped door, simplified, I imagine, by filling in the under-gunwale space.

 

It is the mechanism I am having trouble visualising - a track on the floor would not be a problem, but what about the curved roof? A horizontal rail would take quite a lot off the corridor headroom.

 

Any genius ideas, pictures and suggestions of suitable mechanisms are most welcome, or is it a non-starter?

 

Thanks for your help.

[peterboat]

i removed one of these last year still have the door but the sliding rail i have used at my other halves. they only take up a few inches of headroom so shouldnt be the end of the world

[Bee]

Having wrestled with sliding doors I wouldn't bother trying, they are sods to fit, jiggle their way along instead of sliding and trying to fit one into that shaped hole will be a horrible job. Next time you are near Dunelm get some good heavy fabric and make a curtain.

[David Mack]

I think you have just identified why side corridors either have no door or have a hinged door with the hinges towards the centre of the boat.

 

Sliding doors running front to back are quite common e.g. on a bathroom accessed off a side corridor, but if you want one across the corridor it will need a space in the middle of the boat to slide into - either along the face of a bulkhead or into a slot (which could make access for maintenance difficult).

 

My initial thought was that the top track would have to be horizontal, and hence take some headroom, but I suppose you could fit an inclined track (which would take less headroom but still have some impact), so the door would lift from the floor as it opens. You would then need a catch to hold it open as otherwise it will shut under gravity. I would suggest that for a boat you look at sliding door gear intended for wardrobes, as it is lighter than the standard door stuff.

[peterboat]

mine was just standard door stuff and worked very well, and the space on the wall wasnt missed. its just me changing the boat around that made me remove it

[FadeToScarlet]

If it's going next to a bulkhead, I'd have a second false bulkhead spaced to make a slot, and some horizontally mounted castors on each side of the top of the door to keep it running straight. You might't need a track on the floor if you make the door such that it is twice as wide as the opening, so half of it is always between the castors to be kept straight.

Thinking about it, you could use heavy duty drawer runners if you don't mind seeing them on one side of the closed door.

[rusty69]

We have two sliding doors on Mr Rusty. One on either side of the boat. They are hung from the top on a slider. The doors themselves are modified louvre doors which slide back into a double bulkhead. The only draw back is they are noisier than a hinged arrangement.

[Texasboater]

Pocket door hardware is probably available in the UK.

 

http://www.johnsonhardware.com/pdindex.htm

[Monsoon merchant]

Thanks for the replies. Might go for the simplicity of a curtain!

[cuthound]

On DQ I wanted a door to close of the rear bedroom corridor, but the steps at the side of the engine prevented it. I fitted a wardrobe rail to the roof and hung a child's duvet from it, so that it just reaches the bottom step. Works well and is easily removed in the summer, as the wardrobe rail slots into its supporting brackets.