How to measure sliding wardrobe glass doors

Measure sliding wardrobe glass after the carcass or niche is finished: take the opening width at top, middle and bottom, and the height at left, centre and right, using the smallest of each; check the floor is level for the track; and note skirting, switches and loft doors. Record in millimetres — the channel system decides final shutter sizes.

Step-by-step

Finish the opening first. Measure only after the wardrobe carcass, loft panels, side fillers and flooring are fully installed — the sliding doors fit that finished opening, not the room.
Measure the width at three heights. With a steel tape, measure the inside width of the opening at the top, middle and bottom, in millimetres.
Measure the height at three points. Measure the inside height at the left, centre and right of the opening, from the finished floor or carcass base to the underside of the top panel.
Use the smallest of each. Work from the smallest width and smallest height — the track lengths and shutter sizes are all deducted from these.
Check the floor is level. Lay a spirit level along the bottom track line and note any fall in millimetres across the run, since sliding shutters run off-true on a sloping track.
Note obstructions and depth. Record skirting, switches, plug points and loft-door handles near the opening, and confirm there is front depth free for the track (typically about 80–100mm for a two-track system).
Decide shutters and overlap. Note how many sliding shutters you want, which one should run in front, and remember adjacent shutters overlap by roughly 25–50mm — the channel system’s chart sets exact door sizes.
Record everything in mm. Fill the checklist below with your readings and finish choices (glass, lacquered glass or mirror per shutter), photograph the opening, and let the installer take the final measure.

What to write down

Print this table, stand at the wardrobe opening with a steel tape and a spirit level, and fill every row in millimetres before you talk to suppliers.

Measurement	Where to take it	Your reading
Width — top	Inside the finished opening, just under the top panel	______ mm
Width — middle	Inside the opening at roughly half height	______ mm
Width — bottom	Inside the opening, just above the floor or base	______ mm
Height — left	Floor or base to top panel, left side	______ mm
Height — centre	Floor or base to top panel, centre	______ mm
Height — right	Floor or base to top panel, right side	______ mm
Floor level	Fall in mm along the bottom track line	______ mm
Track depth available	Free front-to-back space for the sliding track	______ mm
Obstructions	Skirting, switches, sockets, loft handles near the opening	______
Number of shutters	How many doors, and which one runs in front	______
Finish per shutter	Plain glass, lacquered glass or mirror, per door	______

Common mistakes

Measuring the room, not the opening. Sliding shutters fit the finished carcass or niche — measure inside it, after lofts, fillers and flooring are done.
Using the largest reading. Openings are rarely square, so tracks and shutters are sized from the smallest width and height, never the largest.
Ignoring floor slope. Even a 5–10mm fall makes shutters drift open or closed on their own — record it so the installer can level the track.
Forgetting the overlap. Two shutters are not each half the opening — they overlap by roughly 25–50mm, and the channel system’s deduction chart sets the exact sizes.
Working out door sizes yourself. Give the installer opening sizes and shutter count; cutting glass to your own arithmetic is the most common way wardrobe doors go wrong.

Not sure which glass to ask for? The standard for wardrobe sliding shutters in India is 5–6mm lacquered or mirror glass with a safety backing film — see the wardrobe shutter glass thickness guide for the full table.

Frequently asked questions

What glass is used for sliding wardrobe shutters?

Typically 5–6mm lacquered glass or mirror bonded with a safety backing film, run in an aluminium channel system. The glass itself is a small part of the door — the profile and track system carry it — so the system brand’s specification decides the exact thickness.

How much do sliding wardrobe doors overlap?

Adjacent shutters usually overlap by about 25–50mm so the opening stays covered when both doors are closed. Because of this, each door is a little wider than the opening divided by the number of doors — the channel system’s deduction chart gives the exact figure, which is why you record opening sizes rather than door sizes.

What if my floor is not level across the opening?

Note the fall in millimetres on your checklist. Small falls are handled by shimming and levelling the bottom track during installation; if the track goes down on a sloping floor as-is, the shutters will drift and the soft-close hardware will not work properly.

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Also see: how to measure a shower enclosure, how to measure a glass partition, mm to sqft converter.