A pocket door is a great solution for closing off an open section of your home or office, as well as adding a quick way to move from room to room where a wall already exists.Instead of taking up space in one room or the other, these doors disappear into the wall when opened.If you have the right tools and know-how, you can install pocket doors yourself, avoid the hassle of hiring a contractor, and take a hand in the design of your home.
Step 1: Purchase a pocket door kit.
The kit should have the door, split studs, a track, and door hardware.Most are under $100.You can find pocket doors at lumberyards.Regardless of where you go, you should be able to find kits for doors that are 8 inches high.Talk to a professional if your door isn't a standard size.
Step 2: You have to check the wall.
You don't want to tear a hole in your wall and find out that it's not possible to put a door there.Check if there's enough room in the wall before you start drilling and tearing down.You need to double the width of the door to hide.If the wall is load-bearing, check it.If it is load bearing, you will need a new header and a means of temporary support while the door is being worked on.Check for plumbing or wiring.A wall with pipes is not a good place to put a door.A cheap voltage sensor can be used to detect wiring.
Step 3: If applicable, remove the existing door.
You'll need to get rid of the existing door if you're replacing a door with a pocket door.The first thing to do is to remove the mold with a saw blade.The door frame can be removed when the nails are cut.The door jambs are not nailed against the wall.
Step 4: There is a side of the wall with drywall.
Make sure you don't miss any obstacles by doing this slowly.Don't go all the way to the ceiling if you want to get more work done later.
Step 5: Carefully cut the stud.
There is room for the new framing.If you use a combination of a circular saw and a small hand saw, you don't want to damage the wall you did not cut away.To allow the pocket door to pass through, the goal is to leave large holes in the studs.There is a pocket door that is 1.75 inches wide.To make this step even easier, look for a pocket door kit that has split studs.
Step 6: If necessary, make a new header.
It's possible that your door requires a different height.If you need a new soleplate, the height of yourheader is determined.The split-stud brackets can be secured to the floor if it is minimal.The height of the soleplate and the length of a new door can be used to determine the standard height for most kits.Once the appropriate length is determined, install a new stud from the existing one.Cut and fit the soleplate to the floor after you nail the new header.Use a saw to remove the partition header.Cut away the studs to make room for the framing.Before cutting the stud tops to length, you need to cut the nails that are between the studs and the soleplate.You may end up with a frame that is not the right size.
Step 7: The track should be installed with the slider track.
The rails on which the door slides into the wall should be in your pocket door kit.Attach the brackets to the studs using the directions that come with your pocket door kit.Pre-split studs can be installed after you install the track.The mark on the track should correspond to the door size.These markers are included in most kits.Attach the nailers with a handsaw and use a hacksaw on the channel.Make sure your track is level.It won't slide easily in and out of its pocket if it's not.
Step 8: The door and hardware should be placed in the track.
The door should stay level if it is easy to slide.The door will slide if the mount is on the top of the door.The carriages should be slid into the track.The carriages have hooks on them.Once the door is in place, adjust the assembly until it hangs plumb.
Step 9: Remove the old drywall at the beginning of the project and replace it with new.
Panel glue and screws are required for this part.Don't move onto taping and mudding just yet, there's still more work to be done.
Step 10: The latch hardware needs to be installed.
The pocket door kit should come with door hardware.This will be attached to the door and the wall.The pocket door kit has instructions.The door needs to be sliding easily on the track and the latches need to line up.
Step 11: It's time to finish installing the drywall.
You can tape and mud the wall.Aim for multiple coats over every seam with plenty of drywall compound.Get rid of any excess compound by putting tape in it.Allow it to dry, sand it, then apply the next layer of compound using the same method as necessary.Sand the wallboard to make it smooth.
Step 12: You can either paint or decorate the wall.
All you have to do is return the wall to its original state.Unless you want the door trim painted, do this before you install it.If your lines aren't straight, the trim will cover them.
Step 13: Attach the door trim.
The pocket door kit should have the trim hardware.The pocket door kit has instructions on how to install it.Attach it to the door studs.That's it!It looks like your pocket door was professionally installed.