Closet doors in North York: from 1960s bungalows to Yonge-Sheppard towers
In an older North York bungalow, measure the opening in several places because the walls are rarely square, and check whether you're replacing swing doors or bifolds. In a new Willowdale build, look at the taller heights. In a Yonge-Sheppard condo, measure under the bulkhead and plan for the elevator.
North York is hard to sum up in one closet. On one street you have a 1950s bungalow with its original plaster. Two streets over, someone has torn that same bungalow down and built a two-storey house with nine- or ten-foot ceilings. A few minutes east, tower after tower lines Yonge between Sheppard and Finch, and the units inside look a lot like the downtown condos we wrote about last week.
So the right closet door depends on which North York you live in. Here's how we'd approach each one.
Post-war bungalows and split-levels
Don Mills, Bathurst Manor, Bayview Village, and big parts of Willowdale and Downsview were built in the 1950s and 1960s. A lot of those houses are still standing, and a lot of them are in the middle of a renovation right now.
The closets in these homes usually have a few things in common:
- Swing doors or old bifolds. Many bedroom closets were built with a pair of hinged doors or a wood bifold. Switching to sliders frees up the floor in front of the closet, which matters in a small bedroom where the bed sits close to it.
- Openings that aren't square. Sixty-plus years of settling, plus plaster and lath walls, means the opening can be a bit narrower at the top than at the bottom, or a bit shorter on one side.
- Shorter heights. Most of these closets sit at a standard height. You rarely see tall openings in an original bungalow unless someone raised the ceiling during a renovation.
- Hall closets near the front door. Often narrow, and often the first thing a guest sees.
Measure the width at the top, middle and bottom, and the height on the left and right side. Order to the smallest number. If the numbers are far apart, talk to whoever is hanging the doors before you order, since they may want to shim or patch the opening first. Our guide on how to measure your closet opening walks through it.
One thing to check if you're taking out swing doors: the old hinge side often leaves a jamb or casing that sticks into the opening. Measure after the old doors and any trim that's coming off are gone, so you're measuring the opening the new doors will actually fill.
New builds and big renovations
Willowdale in particular has seen many original bungalows replaced with large new homes. These houses tend to have taller ceilings and wider closets, especially in the primary bedroom and the front hall.
That changes the order in two ways.
- Height. Buildr doors come in 83" and 98.5" heights, and framed mirror also comes in 110.5". A taller opening looks finished when the doors run the full height instead of stopping short under a filler panel.
- Panel count. Wide walk-in fronts and long bedroom closets often suit three or four panels instead of two. Buildr doors come in 2 to 5 panels. More panels means you open a smaller section at a time, which is handy when the closet is long. Our post on sliding closet door sizes explains how width, panel count and overlap fit together.
If you're building or gutting, wait until the flooring is in before you take final measurements. Hardwood or tile over a subfloor takes height away from the opening, and that difference is enough to matter.
Yonge-Sheppard and North York Centre condos
The towers along Yonge, around Sheppard, North York Centre and Finch, have the same closet pattern as most newer condos. There's an entry closet by the door, a bedroom closet, and very often a bulkhead sitting right over both.
Measure the height from the underside of the bulkhead to the finished floor, not to the ceiling. Then check your building's renovation rules and measure the elevator before pickup day. We covered this in more detail in our post on condo closet doors in Toronto, and the same advice holds up here.
Mirror or panel in a North York home
Our usual advice works in most North York homes.
- Bedroom closets. Mirror makes sense when the bedroom is small or doesn't get much light. Many older bungalow bedrooms have one window and a closet on the facing wall, so a mirror door gives you a full-length mirror and bounces that light back.
- Hall and entry closets. Panel in White or Black. These closets get bumped by boots and bags, and a panel cleans up with a damp cloth.
- Basements. Plenty of North York bungalows have a finished or half-finished basement. Panel doors are a practical pick down there. If the basement is a rental suite, a plain White panel is hard to go wrong with.
On the mirror itself: it's always clear glass, never tinted. Framed mirror doors come in White or Black, with a metal frame on each side you can grab to slide the door. Frameless shows more mirror, and it's the only way to get Silver. Every Buildr mirror door has an anti-shatter backing that holds the glass together if it ever breaks. If you're stuck between the two, our framed vs frameless guide and mirror vs panel posts go deeper.
Colour comes down to the rest of the house. Original bungalows with white trim and lighter floors suit White. A lot of new Willowdale builds have black window frames, black hardware and darker floors, and Black fits right in there.
Who's buying
In North York we hear from three kinds of people. There are homeowners slowly redoing an older house one room at a time. There are contractors and renovators working on the new builds. And there are landlords turning over basement suites and condo rentals.
All three use the same app and pay the same price. Buildr doesn't install, so you can hire your own installer or handyperson, or hang the doors yourself if you're comfortable with a drill and a level.
Our take
For an original North York bungalow, we'd put sliders in place of the old swing doors in the bedrooms, measure carefully because the walls won't be square, and use a White panel at the front hall. For a new Willowdale build, look at the taller heights and three or four panels on the wide closets. For a condo near Yonge and Sheppard, measure under the bulkhead and book the elevator.
FAQ
Can I replace swing closet doors with sliding doors in an older North York bungalow?
Yes. Take off the old doors and any trim that's coming out, then measure the opening that's left. Measure the width at the top, middle and bottom and the height on both sides, because older walls are often out of square. Order to the smallest numbers.
What height closet doors should I get for a new build with tall ceilings?
Buildr doors come in 83" and 98.5" heights, and framed mirror also comes in 110.5". Measure the finished opening after the flooring is in and pick the height that fits it.
How many panels do I need for a wide closet?
Most standard bedroom closets suit two panels. Longer closets and walk-in fronts often suit three or four. Buildr doors come in 2 to 5 panels.
Are mirror closet doors safe in a family home?
Every Buildr mirror door has an anti-shatter backing that holds the glass together if it breaks. The mirror is clear glass, and framed mirror doors come in White or Black, while frameless comes in Silver.
Do you install closet doors in North York?
No. Buildr makes the doors to your measurements and you pick them up in the GTA. You can hang them yourself or hire your own installer.
Do homeowners pay more than contractors?
No. Homeowners and trade pay the same price in the Buildr app.
Price your North York closet doors in the Buildr app
Measure first, then open the Buildr app on iPhone or Google Play. Choose panel or mirror, the colour, the number of panels and the height, and enter your width and height. The exact price shows on screen before you pay. The app shows your ready date, and you pick the doors up in the GTA.
Want to see the rest of the city? Have a look at closet doors in Toronto. Not sure what suits your closet? Call, text or email us with a photo and we'll tell you what we'd do.
