we installed two pocket doors in a bathroom. One is within about two feet of shower, the ohter is about 3 feet away. The one that is nearest warped about 3 years after we put it in.. The ohte rone hasnt warped, and if so not noticablly. Well maybe every year it has warped a little and now enough over time to cause a problem withit hitting. But the one near the shower has scape marks from hitting the frame as it slides in and out. Of course whe have the guides at the bottom. It seems to hit right at the “jamb” of the wall where it slides in to the wall
But we need to replace the door. we told the owenr we want to wait until spring /summer so that the door can be dry from manufacture to installation so it stays straight
When talking to the door supplier the other day, his responce was “duhhhh a pocket door near humidity, what did I expect”
even still. is there some nice mid-span ( in frame opening) slick non marking spacers to hold the door off the frame if it does indeed warp again in the future.
Replies
all 6 sides sealed and ya haveta use a better door with heavier humidity present on one side...
is this a masonite type door..
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
this is in part a design issue, IMO. Placing a pocket door in a bathroom is not ideal for privacy to begin with. Then add the humidity issues and the installer needs to go above and beyond to control how the door behaves. That means using an oil based paint on all six sides with a min three coats.
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!
thanks
ansers to your questions
1) birch hollow core
2) Yes all six sides but maybe not three coats t minimum , and cant remeber back then if it was an oil based or water based. Had a darker stain on it first That was about the time we started switching to water based
Owner wants replacement not to be dark stained
3) not a privacy issue, separates walk in closet from bathroom where other pocket is. Owner can either go through a door in master bed to bathroom , or threw 2 pockets form master to get to bathroom. the pocket furthest from is not warping
Edited 1/19/2005 12:28 am ET by Isamemon
I'm suprised at two things - one that a hollow core door warped, and two that a hollow core was used to begin with. I usually don't see pocket doors in an economy house, which is where you see more holowcore doors.the poly over the stain should make fore a good seal on the new one.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Isameman,
I hate pocket doors...but they happen to be a necessary evil! They are almost always a warranty item. No fix solutions offered, because I think you got them already...just my 2 cents. If possible, I always recommend against them.
Peace
"It seems to hit right at the jamb where it slides in to the wall...."
Note, this Jamb is normally a 1X that is affixed with a few finish nails or cabinet screws. You can remove this piece, and reattach it so to make a wider opening for the door to pass through. You may need to remove a 1/4 inch or so from the width of this board before renailing in place.... No big deal.
"We told the owner we want to wait until Spring/summer so that the door can be dry from manufacture to installation so it stays straight...."
What does this have to do with the price of coffee? That notion is a hill of beans!
Doors that are manufactured from reputable companies are made from kiln dried stock, and shipped in containers that keep out rain, and stored in lumber yards that are protected from rain and in many cases...the storage area is heated. Whether you buy your door in summer or winter it makes no big difference.
The things to be concerned about are :
1: Pick out a straight door in the first place...some doors develop a warp cause they are stacked up in a leaning position and over time, warp. If you buy a door with a slight warp, you will always have a warped door. So carefully inspect your door before purchasing.
2: Doors that are properly sealed are unaffected by the humidity....seal your door, especially the rails and stiles (framework). After staining, coat everyrthing with a good coat of polyurethane. Wheter it takes 3 coats, 2 coats, or 6 coats, depends more on your application technique. There are no "magic" number of coats to apply to a door or any other woodwork...it simply needs coated well enough to repell moisture.
3: Do the same with your exposed jambs...seal their edges on all sides equally as well. Jambs can twist and move too; especially if not nailed down in place very well.
4: When installing your pocket door, allow ample room for the door to pass through into the pocket...at least a good 1/4 inch of clearance on each face of the door. Doors with 1/8th inch clearance tolerances are too tight for this type of application...afterall, this is a pocket door; not a regular entry (man) door.
5: Last, but certainly not least...hollow core doors that are well made are less prone to warpage than a solid core door...because a hollow core dore is a torsion box...having equal pressure placed on both sides of the door. In my experience, this type of door only warps if the framework was already in a warped state prior to glueing on the skins and/or if the door was stacked in a vertical, leaning position for a long time prior to installation. Solid doors on the other hand, have much more inherent stresses and movement...these always seem prone to warping...so I would say stay with a hollow core style door, but make sure you seal it good.
Good luck with your pocket door.
Davo
Edited 1/19/2005 2:25 am ET by Davo