How to Change Sliding Closet Doors to Swing Doors

Sliding closet doors can be repurposed as swing doors with hinges, two doorknobs and a central latch. The removal of the sliding doors should include removing all railings and sliding track to make room for new swing doors. The process of switching sliding doors to swinging doors is straightforward, requires only basic tools and can be done in just a few hours. Experience installing doors is helpful to make the installation process go more smoothly and quickly.

1. Remove the sliding doors from their track by unscrewing the frame from the doorway using a drill. Save the wood screws and set them aside. Remove the frame from the doorway in pieces. Pull the door from its position within the door frame. Rip out all of the rest of the doorway frame using a prybar if necessary.

2. Position the two doors within the cleared-out frame. Set two door hinges between the doors and the closet frame. Evenly space the hinges so that they are each about one foot from the top and bottom of the door. Mark the positions of the hinge screw holes. Remove the hinges. Drill out the holes in the doors and the door frame. Reposition the hinges over the doors and the frame. Screw the hinges into the door with 1-inch wood screws. Screw the hinges into the door frame with 3-inch wood screws.

3. Swing the doors back and forth to see if any adjustments need to be made with the door positioning.

4. Set the doorknobs against the central side of each door. Drill out a hole for each doorknob. Drill another hole through the end of the door and into the previous doorknob hole. Position the doorknobs into the drilled holes and attach them in place with the included attachment hardware. Position a 1-by-2-by-4-inch block in the center of the top frame, directly behind the doors' closed position. Attach the block to the frame with 3-inch wood screws to block the doors from swinging into the closet.