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I'm looking for input on my intended plan of action.

I'm drywalling a room, closet included. The closet track is to be mounted on a crossbeam running the width of the closet. The crossbeam is actually two 2x4s that have been sandwiched (not right together, about 1/4 inch apart, but thoroughly attached & shimmed).

I believe I'm supposed to attach the track to the outer beam, then cover the track with some ornamental moulding. Is this the correct method?

What can I do (if anything) about the other, inner (as in, towards the closet) beam? Should I drywall that 1.5" space? What's the standard practice?

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    Might look best if you drywall first, then attach the track to the beam through the drywall.
    – Tester101
    Commented Jul 19, 2012 at 11:41
  • I read that the drywall doesn't provide a rigid enough backing to the track, so eventually it gets wobbly.
    – Quasipickle
    Commented Jul 19, 2012 at 15:59
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    @Pickle Drywall doesn't compress when it's installed directly on the header. You screw through the drywall and into the header behind it to get a solid mount. But a jamb and trim will have a nicer look.
    – BMitch
    Commented Jul 19, 2012 at 22:17

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As generally described by Tester101, the standard approach is to install flat boards called jambs - horizontal to cover the cross beams and vertical to cover the upright studs. These are about 11/16 inch thick, and are available from home centers. These jambs are can be found in standard widths to fit the thickness of 2x4s plus 2 thicknesses of 1/2 inch wallboard. They then end up being flush on both sides with the wallboard or other wall surface. If the wall is a nonstnadard thickness, slightly larger jambs can be ripped to exact size.

Then the casings (surface moldings) are applied to bridge the area from the inside edge of jamb to the wall surface. There is usually a setback on the casings from the inside edge of the jamb (moving it away from the interior of the doorway) leaving a small step (usually about 1/8 to 1/4 inch) called a reveal.

The track for a sliding door could then be installed directly on the upper jamb toward the room side of the jamb. Most slding door tracks provide instructions about placement.

See, e.g., http://johnsonhardware.com/images/Install/SD/IN200SLD.pdf

A narrow flat molding, approximately 1/4 inch deeper than the track can be installed directly in front of the track, either nailing upward into the jamb or gluing it onto the track itself. Measure to be sure that it will not interfere with the door opening.

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Why not trim out the door like you normally would?

  • Install a frame in the opening. Frame
  • Install casing around the opening. enter image description here
  • Then mount your track to the upper part of the door frame.
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  • I believe his concern is that if done as you describe, the ugly track will be plainly visible from the room. Maybe drop the casing along the top down the height of the track so it is covered?
    – auujay
    Commented Jul 19, 2012 at 20:12
  • Thanks for the advice. I'll probably end up doing this.
    – Quasipickle
    Commented Jul 19, 2012 at 22:05

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