First Things First: Check to see if the floor below the track area is level. If the floor rises more than 1/2” the door may rub or not slide open completely. If the floor is not level, measure from the highest point of the floor surface to the recommended track placement and adjust track placement accordingly.
It will be necessary to install a header for the track when wall studs are not lining up with the track and door installation. Headers provide the necessary strength and stability for the track and door
Step 1: To determine where the track should be installed, first measure the height of the door, then add 2-1/8” to the door length. 1/2” will be for the clearance between the bottom edge of the door and the floor. 1-5/8” will be from the top edge of the door to the center of the track. (Figure 1).
Step 2: Using a level and a pencil, make a line above the doorway the same length as the track.
Note: The header should be 6" tall and 4" longer than the track.
Step 3: Using a stud finder, locate the studs along the area the header will be installed. Mark stud locations with a pencil (Figure 2).
Step 4: Lay the header on a flat clean surface. Using a measuring tape, measure 2” from the bottom of the header. Draw a line the length of the header with a pencil (Figure 3).
Step 5: Lay the track on top of the header, centering it with the line drawn on the header. Ensure the track is 2” from either end of the header. Using a pencil, mark the hole positions in the track onto the header (Figure 4). Set the track aside.
Step 6: Mark the center of the stud onto the header. Mark 1” from the top edge and 1” above the bottom edge (Figure 5).
Step 7: Drill pilot holes for the stud installation in the header with an 1/8” drill bit (Figure 6).
Step 8: Align the line on the wall with the line made on the header in step 4. Ensure pilot holes align with wall studs (Figure 7).
Step 9: Install header using 3” wood screws (Figure 7).
Step 10: Proceed with track installation using the instructions that came with the track (Figure 8).