I’m in the process of installing sliding door hardware for my closets. I got guides that go on the bottoms of the doors, and aluminum tracks. The two obvious ways of installing the tracks would be 1)on the floor, with a beveled piece on either side and 2)inset in the floor.

I was planning on option 2, but now I’m wondering, is there a compelling reason not to just route a channel into the floor that is the same depth and width as the interior dimensions of the aluminum channel? The guide is made of nylon, so I think that will sacrificially wear rather than the wood of the floor. There will be some seasonal movement of the floor, but both sides of the channel should move equally. As a fail safe, if I do get unexpected problems I have the option of routing it out wider to put the aluminum track in.