I normally just build/install kitchen cab’s but customer has asked me if I could help out with this situation.
They have a mud room off of the kitchen with a std 3068 door into the mud room. The door stays open 95% of the time so they asked about installing a pocket door. The only problem is that there is a run of cabinets (wall cab’s are substantial–42″ high with 3/4 ply) on the wall that the pocket would have to go into. I thought about “adding” the pocket wall on the other side of the kitchen wall (the mud room side) and re-trimming the door jamb for essentially a 6″ thick wall. How much additional space would be required for the door? i was just guessing at maybe 1 1/2″ for the door cavity and 1/2″ for the frame and 1/2″ for the drywall for a total of 6″.
Jim
Replies
Find out what hardware you are using and base the dimensions on the width of the track.
J.P.
If you add the pocket door on the outside of the existing wall, you're using the same piece of floor space which would be used by a hinged door standing open against the existing wall. That is, you gain nothing in exchange for a lot of work.
True, the open door against the wall takes the same amount of space that the pocket door would but it is 4' of lost wall space. They want to intall some built-ins in the space or at the very least use it for hanging coats etc.
Jim
Let's see. Johnson's pocket door frame, made for a 1-3/8" door, fits a 3-1/2" studwall. The cavity has about 1/8" clearance each side, so their "studs" must be about 15/16" deep. It might be possible to do some surgery on a Johnson kit, so as to just use the metal clad studs of one side. If you succeed, you will need to do a rough frame of 2x3s, for a wall thickness of 2-1/2".
Why not skip the door - make it a cased opening. They gain the space they want with little work and you said they hardly use the door.