Table of Contents
Do pocket doors need a header?
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.
Can a pocket door go in a 2×4 wall?
Pocket doors are really convenient when you are tight on space, but they aren’t always the easiest doors to use. This is especially the case on pocket doors that are taller than the standard 6’8″. The reasoning is a 2×4 wall really has no room for framing other than a 1×2 or 1×4.
How much wall space is needed for a pocket door?
A pocket door requires a “sleeve” inside the wall to retract into. For a traditional 32-inch-wide interior door, you’ll need at least 66 inches of linear wall space: 32 inches for the door and the rest for the housing.
What is the rough opening for a pocket door?
Determining what size to make rough openings for single pocket door framing is a simple process. Almost all hardware manufacturers state in their instructions, width of the rough opening is two times that of the door plus one inch and the height is seven feet one inch.
How difficult is it to install a pocket door?
If you have simple tools, you can install the pocket door frame and hardware with little difficulty. Installing the door into the pocket is also fairly easy to do. The rough opening is the wide and tall archway created with regular framing wall studs that houses the pocket door track and thin studs.
Do pocket doors need a bottom track?
Typically, pocket doors have an upper track only, but if you plan ahead you can have a bottom track. This gives the sliding door a robust fixing and makes it less likely to flap about when in the open position. It involves fixing the track into the floor — one way to do this is with a router in a timber floor.
Do you remove the bottom plate when installing a pocket door?
To install a pocket door, you need access to the wall framing for the entire width of the door frame. You’ll have to remove the part of the of the bottom plate that extends across the door opening (normally done with a reciprocating saw).
What are standard pocket door sizes?
A standard sliding pocket door has the same sizes as a corresponding hinged door. It typically measures 30″ or 36″ in width and 80″ in height. It is also possible to build customized solutions having very large or very small passage sizes.
Are pocket doors good for bathrooms?
Pocket doors are a great solution for smaller spaces that lack the wall space for a full swing door. This makes them perfect for small bathrooms, closets and connecting those two areas, for example between a master bath and the walk-in closet.
Why did pocket doors go out of style?
Pocket doors were popular in the late 1800s, especially in Victorian houses. They had a resurgence of popularity in the 1950s. But because pocket doors from the past ran along raised tracks on the floor, the tracks were a tripping hazard, so builders and homeowners avoided pocket doors when possible.
Can you put a pocket door in a wall with electrical?
The pocket door literally fits into a pocket inside the wall and typically slides on rollers on a track above the door. One downside to the pocket door is that it often leaves little room for anything else in the wall, such as plumbing or electrical (such as outlets or switches), so careful planning is required.
Can a pocket door be installed in a load bearing wall?
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). A wall with pipes isn’t a good candidate for a pocket door.
Can you use a slab door for a pocket door?
As long as the measurement is correct for the pocket opening, the door is the right thickness, and the door hasn’t been pre-drilled for a standard door lockset or hinges, you can use any kind of door for a pocket door.
Are pocket doors more expensive?
The cost of a pocket door is not much different since it is simply a slab rather than a pre-fitted interior door with a cut handle hole. The major difference between the two is the price of having them installed. It will cost you between $1,000 and $3,500 to have a pocket door installed in an existing wall.
What can I use instead of a bedroom door?
Sometimes, you may have a doorway without the door in your home but want to separate two rooms or divide one large to two small spaces.How to Cover a Doorway Without Door Curtains. Bookcase. Roman shades. Shoji sliding doors. Barn doors. Accordion-style divider. Folding screens. Beaded strings.
How much wider should pocket door be than opening?
Measure Rough Opening For example, if your door is 80 inches tall, the minimum height of the rough opening would be 84 1/2 inches. The width of your rough opening for the door generally will be two times the width of the door plus 1 inch.
How big is the rough opening for a 30 inch pocket door?
The rough opening width should equal two times the door width plus 1” (25.4mm). For example, a 30” (76.2 cm) door multiplied by two equals 60” (152.4 cm) plus 1” equals 61” (154.94 cm) rough opening width.
How much space do you need for a 28 inch pocket door?
Installing a pocket door is going to require at least partial demolition of an existing wall to give you enough space to install the door’s sliding hardware. The rule of thumb for sizing the opening is door width times 2 plus 1 ¾”.
Can you install pocket door after drywall?
To install a pocket door in an existing wall, you have to remove drywall, and it’s easier to uncover the entire wall instead of trying to work in a limited opening. You’ll need to set new king studs and trimmers, place the header and install cripple studs between the header and the top plate of the wall.
