Replies

1. 
   skyecore | Jan 25, 2006 09:16am | #1

   let me make sure i understand the problem with your old one: Did it just not slide all the way to the jamb leaving a gap that could be seen through?

   if yes then yes, you can make it close all the way. just read the directions and make sure that the track extends far enough in the direction of the closing jamb that the door stops closing when it hits the jamb and not when it hits the end of the track

   ______________________________________________

   --> measure once / scribble several lines / spend some time figuring out wich scribble / cut the wrong line / get mad

1. 
   loykd | Jan 25, 2006 04:11pm | #3

   The problem I have with the old luan door is that it doesn't seal well at the jam and there's a rather large gap (1/2") at the bottom of the door.  I was attributing that to workmanship and door quality, and your two comments seem to support that.  The new (old) house is much better construction and I figured I would use a solid door instead of cheap luan.  Also, I saw on other postings that Johnson hardware was the way to go.

   I know that pocket doors have been used for a long time in high quality construction.  Any other tips for making the door tight?  I figure that the bathroom needs a pretty tight door for privacy as well as "containment".

1. 
   pagoda | Jan 25, 2006 04:18pm | #4

   a noisy ceiling fan helps too ,

2. 
   Lansdown | Jan 25, 2006 04:19pm | #5

   Check out Hafele, it is the Rolls Royce of hardware.http://www.hafeleonline.com/usa

3. 
   JDRHI | Jan 25, 2006 05:12pm | #6

   A solid door certainly helps. Its weight alone helps keep it running smoothly thanks to gravity.

   Johnson makes a couple different "grades" of pocket door hardware. The stuff on the shelf at the big box aint the one you want.

   But even that hollow core door could have been adjusted to close flush.

   Door stop to the outside will give a better "seal" as well.

   J. D. Reynolds

   Home Improvements

4. 
   Dave45 | Jan 25, 2006 06:22pm | #7

   An uneven gap between the door and jamb usually means that the rollers need some adjustment.

   Pull the stop off of the top jamb and see if you can find an adjustment nut.  Most of them have a gear arrangement and rotating the nut moves the roller assembly which raises or lowers one corner of the door.  You may need to grind down an open end wrench so it will fit thru the gap between the door and the jamb.

   It may be helpful to look at pocket door rollers at a hardware store so you can see how they work.

1. 
   Rx7rob | Jan 25, 2006 07:54pm | #8

   Don't mean to hijack your thread, but ....Does anyone know of a good detailed set of instructions for pocket doors. I'm planning on installing some (a 4' single door if I can find one, or double 2' doors), but would like to see the finish trim details (top and sides).Thanks.... back to your regularly scheduled thread.

1. 
   Billy | Jan 25, 2006 08:02pm | #9

   Deatiled instructions at http://www.johnsonhardware.com

   Billy

5. 
   skyecore | Jan 26, 2006 09:09am | #13

   jdrhi mentioned how heavy doors work better. Good point. Go to a salvage yard if you have one and find a door that you like and that is an appropriate size. That way you can spend the money you save on good hardware. Take a pic when you're done and post it!Oh and dont do what dumb-a## me did two weeks ago and forget to put the stopper (limmiting how far the door opens) in before the sheet-rockers arrive.______________________________________________

   --> measure once / scribble several lines / spend some time figuring out wich scribble / cut the wrong line / get mad

1. 
   loykd | Jan 26, 2006 03:41pm | #14

   The good thing is that the original, solid door is installed on a hinge and I can reuse it for the pocket door.

2. 
   McDesign | Jan 25, 2006 03:12pm | #2

   Also, if the closing jamb is flat, put strike molding on one or either side to create a "slot" for the leading edge of the door to slide into.  My master bath has a sliding door I put in, and it's been fine for 13 years.  My parents house has / had a sliding luan from 1966, and it's always rattled and been sloppy - dad's gonna rip out the tile and fix it soon . . .

   Also, my experience has been that the heavier the door, the smoother the sliding - if it's luan, make it a solid, if paneled, use real wood.

   Forrest

3. 
   PeteVa | Jan 25, 2006 08:18pm | #10

   I find that pocket doors most often fit best when used on top of a burn pile to keep paper bits from floating off.

   The house I grew up in had a large pair of pocket doors between the living room and dining room. They are masive heavy oak monsters on cast rollers and work just fine when oiled every few years.

   I think most pocket doors there days are cheap hollow core slabs hung on a tin track with plastic/nylon rollers that were never round.

1. 
   loykd | Jan 25, 2006 08:55pm | #11

   Thanks all.  Worries are much allayed and I'll give it a try!

1. 
   zak | Jan 25, 2006 10:14pm | #12

   I just put a pocket door in for my bathroom. It's a solid door, and it seems to seal up plenty tight. You've got to be precise about the threshold height, if there is a threshold, and make sure that the pocket door hardware isn't high enough to interfere with a small gap at the bottom of the door. Rather than using the littl plastic guides they include for the bottom of the door, you can rip wood trim to fit very close to the sides of the door along the height of it, and then use a low friction tape (lee valley/veritas sells a good one) to make those the guide blocks.
   I think you could also do a lot of good with felt weatherstripping on some parts of the door.
   zak

2. 
   JohnT8 | Jan 26, 2006 05:42pm | #15

   I think most pocket doors there days are cheap hollow core slabs hung on a tin track with plastic/nylon rollers that were never round.

   I think many of the 1970's ones were rather cheap doors with plastic rollers that would fail after a couple year's use.  Or they'd sound like someone closing the garage door. 

   But a well constructed one with good hardware is pretty handy.  And with the hardware available nowadays, you can turn just about any door into a smooth rolling pocket door.jt8

   "Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goals."  -- Sydney Smith