Are tambour doors hard to make?

Tambour doors, sometimes called roll-up doors, are doors that are made of narrow horizontal slats that can roll up and down to open and close. Many people find them visually appealing and want to install them in their homes. However, some wonder if they are difficult for a home DIYer to make. Let’s explore whether these unique doors present an overly challenging woodworking project.

What Are Tambour Doors?

A tambour door consists of a framework that holds many long, narrow wooden slats. The slats are connected together with a flexible material that allows them to roll up onto themselves when opening the door.

Tambour doors originated in the Middle East and India before becoming popular in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. The name comes from the French word “tambour” meaning drum. This describes the way the slats roll up similar to how drum skin is stretched across a circular drum frame.

Today, tambour doors are installed as closet doors, pantry doors, cabinet doors, and even pass-through doors between rooms. They provide a creative alternative to standard hinged cabinet doors. Tambour doors roll up and out of the way into the top of the cabinet, saving space without having to allow room for a swinging door.

Benefits of Tambour Doors

Tambour doors offer several benefits that make them a popular choice:

• Space saving – Eliminates the need for clearance to accommodate opening a swinging door
• Aesthetically pleasing – The rolling slats have a clean, attractive look
• Flexible – Slats can roll up completely to provide full access or partially open for variable visibility
• No hardware needed – Slats roll in tracks so no hinges or hardware are required

How Tambour Doors Work

The heart of a tambour door is the tambour slats. These are long, thin boards, usually made from wood, MDF, or vinyl. The slats can be 4-8 inches in width and cut to the height of the cabinet or opening. Ash, maple, birch, oak, and poplar are common woods used.

The slats fit into tracks on the top and bottom of the cabinet frame. Flexible fabric tape connects each slat so they maintain their horizontal spacing but can still roll. As the slats roll up, they form a continuous spiral that closes up into itself with no gaps.

Many tambour doors use a bottom track that sits flush with the cabinet base. The top track often has a lip that provides a stop for the slats in the closed position. Slats can be manually pulled down to open or pushed up to close. For larger doors, cabinet makers sometimes add a spring-loaded roller mechanism to help retract the door.

Strengths of Tambour Doors

When installed well, tambour doors have many strengths:

• Smooth operation – Top and bottom tracks should allow slats to roll up and down effortlessly. This prevents jamming.
• Visibility – Narrow slat widths give the door an open, see-through look when partially open.
• Strength – Properly connected slats are quite strong and can withstand everyday opening and closing pressure.
• Durability – Wood or MDF slats hold up well to moisture and everyday use with minimal maintenance.

Weaknesses of Tambour Doors

Potential downsides to tambour doors include:

• Light gaps – Small gaps between slats are inevitable and allow light through.
• Noisy – Some cheaper tambour doors rattle or make noise when operating.
• Collects dust – The many slats collect dust, so occasional vacuuming is needed.

Overall though, most of these weaknesses come from poor construction rather than issues with the design itself.

Planning a Tambour Door Project

Building a tambour door requires careful planning and execution. The first step is deciding on the size of the door:

• Measure the opening height and width.
• Calculate the slat length and quantity needed for the opening size.
• Addabout 2 inches of extra length for attaching slats to the top roller.

Next, select suitable materials. Ash, poplar, maple, birch, and oak all make durable slat material. For a painted door, MDF is an affordable option. The slat width can be from 4-8 inches, with thinner slats rolling up into a smaller housing.

Once you know slat sizes, purchase enough flexible tambour tape for connecting them. Tambour tape comes in different depths to match slat thickness.

The framework requires wood for the tracks, plus 2 rollers and endcaps to fit your slat size. Optional extras include a locking pull or rod to secure the closed position.

Building the Tambour Door Frame

With your materials cut, it’s time for assembly. The main steps are:

1. Build a rectangular frame for the opening from four pieces of straight wood.
2. Install the bottom track so it sits perfectly flush.
3. Attach the top track with a lip to provide a stop.
4. Insert the rollers into the ends of the top track and secure in place.
5. Test that the tracks allow smooth rolling motion. Fix any points of friction.

Getting the top and bottom tracks level and parallel is crucial. They need to allow the unobstructed rolling of slats and tamper tape. Take care not to overtighten roller hardware too.

Assembling and Installing the Tambour Slats

With the framework complete, you can now install the tambour slats using the following process:

1. Optional step – Stain or paint slats prior to assembly if desired.
2. Lay slats side by side and attach tambour tape connector to the adjoining edges.
3. Continue connecting slats into one long chain leaving no gaps.
4. Lay chain into the track starting with the top roller. Feed slats into the tracks.
5. Secure end slat to the bottom roller. Test rolling action.
6. Install cabinet door frame once operation is smooth.

Take your time connecting the slats into a tight chain. It helps to work on a flat table so slats stay aligned. Connecting the chain around the rollers can be tricky. Having a partner helps feed the slats into place.

With some finesse and patience, the slat chain will take shape in the tracks. Fine tune the door opening and closing action before permanently mounting the frame.

Adding the Finishing Touches

Once the tambour door is installed and operating correctly, add any finishing touches:

• Install door pulls or knobs if desired.
• Consider adding a stopper to secure the closed position.
• Seal, stain or paint the door to match the cabinetry.

Test the door for smooth operation after adding any hardware. The door may need occasional lubrication going forward if it starts to stick when rolling.

Conclusion

Installing a tambour door successfully requires careful planning, precision workmanship, and patience during assembly. But the results are well worth it. Follow the right steps and don’t rush the process, and even first-time DIYers can create beautiful and functional tambour doors.

The many slats must align perfectly to roll smoothly. But breaking the project into manageable steps makes this less daunting. First create a sturdy opening frame. Then focus on assembling the slat chain itself before mounting the door. Time and care at each phase will pay off in a reliable tambour door that provides years of service.

While tambour doors require more skill and effort than a simple hinged cabinet door, the end result adds beauty and valuable storage space to any room. For DIYers up to the challenge, a hand crafted tambour door offers great satisfaction and a stylish accent to your home.