Doors that slide away into walls is an old design that still makes sense. A pair of 3- or 4-foot-wide doors can turn two rooms into one or vice versa, and free up floor and wall space where standard doors would swing. But you rarely see pocket doors in new homes because they're not hung on the structure like hinged doors; they're built into it. That's more complicated, labor intensive and expensive.Suppliers offer prefab units with a hollow center for the door that's covered by framing. You or your contractor install these pockets next to the opening instead of standard 2-by-4 studs and then add drywall. But most pockets are rickety. I've tried several, and even using many of the longest possible fasteners, if you push on the drywall over the door cavity it bows. That's because the 3 1/2 inches of support in each full stud has been reduced to a 3/4-inch strip on each side. Leave a 2-inch space for the door in the middle and that's what's left. FramingA few extras can add strength to underframed pocket areas.

One is to apply the covering wallboard with glue and screws for extra stiffness. Another is to trade up from standard 1/2-inch to beefier 5/8-inch drywall. The most helpful is to frame the wall and buy a pre-framed kit for 2-by-6 instead of 2-by-4 construction. There is still the hollow 2-inch core, but 1 3/4-inch instead of 3/4-inch framing on each side.Another option is to custom-frame the pocket on-site. It could be done with 2-by-4s on each side of the pocket. But that's two 3 1/2-inch studs plus a 2-inch hollow, plus drywall —10 inches wide overall. Or control the width using 2-by-4s or 2-by-6s but turned sideways. That gives away some lateral strength, but the wall width overall shrinks to 6 inches.Vertical loads get more complicated — in partition walls that divide floor space, and more so in bearing walls that carry structural loads for a second story, the roof or both. At any opening where studs are removed you need a header, constructed with two 2-by-6s on edge. The header carries the load that used to be carried by studs that were removed.

In an existing house this becomes a complex structural project — and typically requires a building permit. Pocket doors that are 4 feet wide would require a header that spans the opening of 8 feet, plus another 4 feet on each side where the doors tuck away. It's 16 feet long, heavy, unwieldy and often constructed of two 2-by-10s or more depending on the load above. garage door ann arbor miAnd in remods you can't pull 16 feet of studs out of a bearing wall without installing temporary support walls as the work gets under way.outdoor gas fire pit seattleKey componentsBoth prefab pocket kits and custom framing on-site are challenging for most DIYers. ipad 2 screen replacement phoenix az

The sliding track must be straight and level, and on double doors meet exactly in the middle. That means the header must be dead on as well — and strong enough to carry the extra weight of doors and hardware. Hollow-core doors are no problem. But a pair of standard-size solid-core doors can weigh more than 200 pounds.garage roller door weather sealAny face hardware like a handle or pull has to be recessed (mortised into the door) or it will catch at the jamb. ikea sliding wardrobe doors only saleNothing can protrude into the cavity, not even the tip of a drywall screw, or the door will stick on its way into the wall. hollow metal door sill detailOverall, it's exacting construction.garage door companies in wichita falls

Other usesSingle pockets are easier projects. They make sense wherever space is limited and a standard door swing would be in the way. Trying to find space for a powder room tucked under the stairs? With a pocket door you don't have to allow for the door swing between a toilet on one side and a sink on the other.They also solve problems in accessible designs by eliminating the process of opening a swinging door from a wheelchair and maneuvering around the swing to close it on the other side. Therapists see no developmental benefits from seatsDark meaning of bubble-gum Pumped Up Kicks is tough to chewPain relievers: What are the differences? Barkley Fined, Suspended For Spitting IncidentToo cold for car wash? Motormouth answers your questions10 reasons why you want the jobA pocket door is a great way to pick up usable floor and wall space that normally would be occupied by a door's swing. You can buy and install a pocket door for as little as $100, and the kits are readily available at home centers and lumberyards.

There is one catch, though: You'll have to tear out a portion of the wall to make room for the split studs that replace the wooden ones and for the track on which the new door hangs. The demolition can be a bit messy, but it's straightforward. 1. Cut through the nails to remove the door and jamb assembly. Use a reciprocating saw and metalcutting blade. 2. Use a wood-cutting blade to remove pieces of wallboard. Avoid cutting too deep. 3. Remove a section of drywall above the door to allow you to frame in a new header.  4. To remove the existing header, slice through the nails that fasten it to the studs. 5. Cut a Length of Straight 2 X 4 to form the new header. nail it at both ends and screw it to the cripple studs.MATERIALS: Door, Sterling 1430 Series Pocket Door Kit, 2 x 4 lumber, drywall, drywall tape and compound, jamb kit, molding.First, check that there's enough room in the wall -- you need a rough opening that's just over twice the width of the door. Then, determine if the wall is load-bearing or simply a nonstructural partition.

Load-bearing walls typically are near the center of the house and run perpendicular to the floor joists (check joist direction in the basement). Doors in these walls will have headers -- usually laminated beams -- over their openings. Installing a pocket door in a load-bearing wall requires replacing the old header with a longer one. Creating the opening for the new header may require temporary ceiling support while the header goes in (you may want to consult a pro for this).Check to see if the wall contains wiring or plumbing. A wall with pipes isn't a good candidate for a pocket door. If you have attic and basement access, it should be easy to reroute electrical cables. Just keep in mind that all wire splices need to be made in a permanently accessible electrical box. Concealed wiring is easy to detect with an inexpensive, noncontact voltage sensor, such as the Live Wire GVD-505A from Gardner Bender (about $16).Prep and FramingDoorjambs aren't nailed tight against the studs, but spaced with wooden shims.

To remove the existing door, first pull off the molding, then slip a reciprocating saw blade into the gap and cut through the nails clustered around the shims. Use a metalcutting blade or a demolition blade that is rated for cutting wood with nails in it. With the nails clipped, tip the door from its opening.Make exploratory openings in the wall to check for any obstacles you may have missed. Tip the saw down for shallow cuts, and take the drywall out between the studs. Remove the drywall above the header, but stay a few inches below the ceiling to avoid extra finish work later. In our installation, we were able to leave the drywall in place on the inside.Use a reciprocating saw to remove the partition header and cut away the studs to make room for the pocket door's new framing. Nip the nails between the studs and the soleplate, then determine the height of the new header before cutting the stud tops to length. The header height depends on whether you need a new soleplate. If the floor covering above the subfloor is minimal, you can secure the kit's split-stud brackets directly to the floor.

We had a carpet and pad, so we used a 1 x 4 plate to avoid having to cut the door for it to clear the carpet. To determine the new header height for a kit like ours, figure the length of the new door, plus 31/4 in., plus the height of the soleplate, if any. Cut the stud tops to the length needed to support the new header at the correct height. Determine the rough-opening width and install a new stud this distance from the existing stud on the opposite side. Nail or screw the new header in place, then cut and fit the soleplate to the floor.6. To cut the track to length, use the mark on it that corresponds to your door size. 7. Mount the track in the rough opening by screwing the brackets to the studs. 8. Tip the split studs into the floor brackets and nail the tops of the studs to the header.  9. Install the door hardware and hang the door. Adjust for level and lock the adjustment nuts.Hardware InstallationThe pocket-door track is a metal channel with wooden nailing strips on each side.

The channel is marked for various door widths so it's easy to cut it to the right length. Cut through the nailers with a handsaw and use a hacksaw on the channel.Attach the channel to the studs with end brackets, and check the channel for level. Then, snap the split studs into their floor brackets, tip the studs upright and nail them to the header. Check that the studs are plumb, and nail the floor brackets to the soleplate or floor.Mount hangers on the top of the door, and slide the wheeled carriages into the track. Hook the hangers onto the carriages, and adjust the assembly until the door hangs plumb. Then install any latches and pulls. Secure the drywall with panel adhesive and screws. Apply drywall compound, embed tape in it, then strike off excess compound. Allow it to dry, sand it, then apply the next layers of compound in the same way.To trim our door, we bought a jamb kit and ripped two pieces of it to 13/8 in. wide for our 15/8-in.-wide door. We installed these at the top and side of the door opening.