Changing A Pocket Door To A Regular Door
Carefully cut drywall and pocket door frame to allow a 2x4 stiffener on hinge side of the new door.
Changing a pocket door to a regular door. To hang a pocket door you need a rough opening that is twice as wide as the door itself. Slide the door fully into the pocket opening and remove the wood casing and door stop on both sides and top of the jamb. A pocket door slides into a metal and wood cage that is installed as the walls are framed. Before we get into pocket door installation it s important to understand the function and design of this door type.
Cut the existing door out of frame. The family handyman expert rick muscoplat will show you how remove a pocket door and install a new one. Remove strike side jamb cut out steel track above. If you re looking to update your style and remove a pocket door to replace with a new one it isn t difficult to do.
The metal and wood cage that the pocket door slides into is usually installed when the walls are framed. If not you can buy a pocket door kit which includes all of the hardware for the door and build it into the existing wall. This means taking down the old swinging door removing the jamb and disassembling the wall framing. Step 2 move door to the fully closed position and remove it from the upper track by pushing the bottom of the door out then lifting up until the rollers detach from the metal track at the top.
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. Use a pocket door wrench to turn the hanger a quarter of a turn at a time until the door is parallel with the jamb.