FHB Logo Facebook LinkedIn Email Pinterest Twitter Instagram Tiktok YouTube Plus Icon Close Icon Navigation Search Icon Navigation Search Icon Arrow Down Icon Video Guide Icon Article Guide Icon Modal Close Icon Guide Search Icon Skip to content
Subscribe
Log In
  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Videos
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House
  • Podcast
Log In
SPEC

Bypass Pocket Doors Make Open Floor Plans Work Harder

Two sliding-door kits from Johnson Hardware let you close off big doorways when you need privacy and make sets of doors disappear into the wall when you don’t.

By Rob Wotzak Issue 306 - April/May 2022

Open-concept homes work great for large gatherings and for informal modern lifestyles, but the lack of separate spaces can be a hassle when conflicting family activities coincide. One way to get the best of both worlds is to connect rooms with wide open doorways but give the option of closing them off with a bypass pocket door, which is just a pair of pocket doors that slide side-by-side into the same wall cavity. With a system like this, you get a clean unobstructed look when you want it, but can give everyone some privacy when they really need it. I tracked down some solid bypass pocket door options from Johnson Hardware, a sliding-door-track manufacturer in Elkhart, Ind.

Johnson’s standard bypass pocket door offering is their 1562 Series frame kit, which is designed to support pairs of solid wood doors, each up to 200 lb. and 36 in. wide. The frames come in heights ranging from 80 in. to 108 in. and can span up to a 70-¾-in. doorway—double that if you have a frame kit on both sides of the doorway. Each frame fits neatly into the width of a 2×6 wall.

An image of picket door hardware and frame An image of pocket-door hardware

If that’s not big enough for your home, then opt for the Johnson Hardware 200BP commercial hardware kit that doubles the weight capacity to 400 lb. per door and, if you opt for two pairs of 48-in. doors, maxes out at nearly 16 ft. wide. This heavy-duty kit requires a 9-¼-in.-thick wall, but its robust track system is rigid enough that there’s no need to install unsightly floor guides to keep the doors straight.

Prices for the 1562 Series door frames range from $310 to $500 and the 200BP hardware kits top out at $726. You can find specs, get installation instructions, and purchase the kits on Johnson Hardware’s website.

johnsonhardware.com

Photos courtesy of the manufacturer.


RELATED LINKS

  • Problem-Free Pocket Doors
  • Hanging Pocket Doors
  • Stubborn Pocket Door
  • Add Space With Back to Back Pocket Doors

Sign up for eletters today and get the latest how-to from Fine Homebuilding, plus special offers.

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters
×

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

New Feature

Fine Homebuilding Forums

Ask questions, offer advice, and share your work

Log in or create an account to post a comment.

Sign up Log in

Become a member and get full access to FineHomebuilding.com

More SPEC

View All
  • Hand-Crafted Pendant Lights
  • Durable and Sustainable Zinc Roofing and Cladding
  • Stay Cool With a Prefab Plunge Pool
  • Compact Concealed Fridge
View All

Up Next

Video Shorts

Featured Story

The Story of Habitable Attics

Before turning an attic into livable space, learn the code requirements specific to attics.

Featured Video

How to Install Cable Rail Around Wood-Post Corners

Use these tips to keep cables tight and straight for a professional-looking deck-railing job.

Related Stories

  • Airtight Kneewall Access Door
  • Nail-Set Upgrade
  • Build a Transom Above a Stock Door
  • A Guide to Mitered Joints That Won't Open

Discussion Forum

Recent Posts and Replies

  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
View More Create Post

Highlights

Fine Homebuilding All Access
Fine Homebuilding Podcast
Tool Tech
Plus, get an extra 20% off with code GIFT20

"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

Video

View All Videos
  • Podcast 380: 40th FHB-Anniversary-Edition Interview With Gary Katz
  • Podcast Short: Hurricane-Resistant Housing
  • Cutting Out Drywall for Doorways
  • Podcast 193: Understanding Permeability, Insulating Behind Fiberboard Sheathing, and Building a Patio Door
View All

Hardware

View All Hardware Articles
  • Bypass Pocket Doors Make Open Floor Plans Work Harder
  • Should This Deck Framing Make Me Nervous?
  • Edgecliff Pull Made from Recycled Brass
  • Quick Door Fixes
View All Hardware Articles

BOOKS, DVDs, & MERCH

Shop the Store
  • Pretty Good House
    Buy Now
  • Code Check Complete 3rd Edition
    Buy Now
  • 2022 Fine Homebuilding Archive
    Buy Now
  • 2023 Tool Guide
    Buy Now
  • Shop the Store

Fine Homebuilding Magazine

  • Issue 318 - October 2023
    • Make Mudsills Square and Level
    • Turn Up the Heat With Induction Cooktops
    • The Fine Homebuilding Interview: Lloyd Alter
  • Issue 317 - Aug/Sept 2023
    • Finishing Drywall With Seamless Results
    • A Flat Roof in a Cold Climate
    • Compact Cordless Shop Vacs
  • Issue 316 - July 2023
    • Timber-Framed Solar Canopies
    • Build a Transom Above a Stock Door
    • Understanding Toilet Design and Efficiency
  • Issue 315 - June 2023
    • How to Craft a Copper Roof
    • 5 Lessons from Building in a Cold Climate
    • The Advantages of Cellular PVC Siding
  • Issue 314 - April/May 2023
    • 7 Options for Countertops
    • Tool Test: Wood-Boring Bits
    • Critical Details for Ductless Heat Pumps

Fine Homebuilding

Follow

  • YouTube
  • instagram
  • facebook
  • pinterest
  • Tiktok
  • twitter

Newsletter

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

Membership & Magazine

  • Online Archive
  • Start Free Trial
  • Magazine Subscription
  • Magazine Renewal
  • Gift a Subscription
  • Customer Support
  • Privacy Preferences

Taunton Network

  • Green Building Advisor
  • Fine Woodworking
  • Fine Gardening
  • Threads
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Careers
  • Copyright
  • Terms of Use
  • Site Map
  • Do not sell or share my information
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility
  • California Privacy Rights

© 2023 The Taunton Press, Inc. All rights reserved.

X
X
This is a dialog window which overlays the main content of the page. The modal window is a 'site map' of the most critical areas of the site. Pressing the Escape (ESC) button will close the modal and bring you back to where you were on the page.

Main Menu

  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Video
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Reader Projects
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House

Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk

Webinars

  • Upcoming and On-Demand

Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk

Webinars

  • Upcoming and On-Demand

Popular Topics

  • Kitchens
  • Business
  • Bedrooms
  • Roofs
  • Architecture and Design
  • Green Building
  • Decks
  • Framing
  • Safety
  • Remodeling
  • Bathrooms
  • Windows
  • Tilework
  • Ceilings
  • HVAC

Magazine

  • Current Issue
  • Past Issues
  • Magazine Index
  • Subscribe
  • Online Archive
  • Author Guidelines

All Access

  • Member Home
  • Start Free Trial
  • Gift Membership

Shop the Store

  • Books
  • DVDs
  • Taunton Workshops

More

  • FHB Ambassadors
  • Reader Projects
  • Podcast
  • FHB House
  • Customer Support

Account

  • Log In
  • Join

Newsletter

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

Follow

  • YouTube
  • instagram
  • facebook
  • pinterest
  • Tiktok
  • twitter

Join All Access

Become a member and get instant access to thousands of videos, how-tos, tool reviews, and design features.

Start Your Free Trial

Subscribe

FHB Magazine

Start your subscription today and save up to 70%

Subscribe

We hope you’ve enjoyed your free articles. To keep reading, become a member today.

Get complete site access to expert advice, how-to videos, Code Check, and more, plus the print magazine.

Start your FREE trial

Already a member? Log in