How to Install a Pocket Door

Learning how to install a pocket door can really pay off. Pocket door installations can add floor space to your home and make your room more cozy and inviting. Because pocket doors disappear into their adjoining walls, you don't have to worry about accommodating the sweep of a standard door. This will open up all kinds of design possibilities for your room and enhance traffic flow.

Pocket doors are effective space savers for bathrooms, dining rooms and utility areas. They also work well in areas where a number of doorways come together causing traffic jams in which doors bang into one another. Pocket doors can be stylish and unexpected design elements too. According to Ask the Builder's Tim Carter, pocket doors are among the most overlooked options when architects design homes.

Even though your home may not have been outfitted with a pocket door, you probably can still retrofit one.

Before you run out to purchase a pocket door kit, check your proposed door location for obstructions. The area on either side of an existing door or opening may contain plumbing, electrical and air ducts that could make the job more involved and expensive than you'd planned. If adding a pocket door is part of a larger renovation, you may be working with a clean slate, but if not, be aware of what you are dealing with. If you have visible ducts, cables, vents and the like, they'll give you a clue that there's something going on behind the wall that will have to be dealt with before you can make a straightforward installation. As a rough estimate, the in-wall area each door will need is slightly larger than the door itself.

Understanding something about the structure of your house will help too. Although you can install a pocket door in a load-bearing wall, it's a bigger job.

Purchasing pocket doors is one area where you really get what you pay for. You don't want to start having problems with warping after you've completed an installation. For the best results, look for pocket door frames and hardware that offer a guarantee that doors will stay true and not have problems jumping their tracks.

Kits or hardware will have detailed instructions for installation, including a tools and materials list. You should be familiar with using a sledgehammer, level, hammer, hacksaw, drill and other do it yourselfer staples.

• Frame the opening.
• Install the hardware, including the header, track assembly and side-split jams or reinforcing strips.
• Install the interior door stop or bumper.
• Paint or finish the door and install the door plates.
• Install the hangars on the track and hang the door.
• Fine tune the adjusting nuts and center the door.
• Install drywall or other covering.
• Install jambs and casings.

• It always seems repetitive to say it, but it's important that you read all manufacturer's directions carefully before you begin work. The more detailed the install, the more important it is not to take anything for granted. Pocket door installations are not beginner projects.

• Next to making sure that you've evaluated your project well and know what you're getting into, the most important thing you can do to avoid problems is confirm that your opening is spot-on before you install the door frames. Do this by making sure that the top of the opening is level and that your work is square and plumb.

• Evaluate any potential twists from side to side that might keep the door from sliding smoothly by running string from opposite corners, top to bottom, to create an X across the opening. If there's a gap greater than 1/8 of an inch between the strings, the studs will have to be readjusted.

• When affixing drywall to the framing members, be sure to protect your door from scratching by using construction adhesive instead of nails or screws.

• Take the extra time to completely finish your door before you install it. Once it's in place, it'll be hard if not impossible to get at. Don't forget to seal the edges too. Sealing the door will help protect it from moisture.

After learning how to install a pocket door and completing the project, you can really call yourself an accomplished do it yourselfer.

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