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how wide does a wall have to be for a pocket door

by Dr. Althea Jacobs I Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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A pocket door requires a “sleeve” inside the wall to retract into. For a traditional 32-inch-wide interior door, you'll need at least 66 inches of linear wall space: 32 inches for the door and the rest for the housing.Aug 9, 2021

Full Answer

What is the width of a standard pocket door?

Standard pocket doors are usually 24 to 32 inches wide and 80 inches tall. When installing a pocket door, you need to double the size of the door to determine the available wall space. Therefore, if installing a new 24-inch pocket door, you need a wall area of 48 inches.

What is the standard size of a pocket door?

Standard pocket doors typically come in the same sizes as regular hinged doors, between 30 and 36 inches wide and 80 inches tall. But, you need to consider the overall dimensions for the entire system, which are much larger. Overall, pocket door systems can range from 51 to 162 inches wide and 86 inches tall or more.

What are the standard widths of double pocket doors?

Standard door widths range from 24 inches to 32 inches. Double the width of the desired door, or pair of doors, to determine the wall space that's needed to install the pocket door frame. For example, 48 inches is needed to install the frame for a 24-inch pocket door, and 64 inches is need to install the frame for a 32-inch pocket door.

What is the height of a pocket door?

To install a 36 inch pocket door would need an opening of approximately (36 x 2)+1.75 inches = 73.75 inches. If you intend having a double door system with them meeting in the middle and disappearing into two pockets then you need to double the estimated width. The estimated height for all pocket door installations would be about 85.5 inches.

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Can you put a pocket door in any wall?

The pocket door system can be installed against the existing wall. This is done by creating a false stud wall along the side of your existing one with a space for the frame, the Rocket Pocket is only 100mm wide including plasterboard so you will not lose lots of space in the room.

Can you put a pocket door in a 2x4 wall?

1:564:12Pocket Door Installation in 2x4 Wall - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIt's not a strong wall of course after all the drywall gets mounted. It it does make it a bitMoreIt's not a strong wall of course after all the drywall gets mounted. It it does make it a bit stronger. But this is a pocket. Door um kit that's designed to go in the place of a two by four wall.

Can you put a pocket door in a 4 inch wall?

What is this? Required wall dimensions are double the size of the door that you plan to install and thickness of more than 4 inches (100mm). So a standard 32-inch door, the pocket door kit should at least be 64 inches in width.

What is the smallest width for pocket door?

Calculating the dimensions of a sliding pocket door It typically measures 30" or 36" in width and 80" in height. It is also possible to build customized solutions having very large or very small passage sizes. The dimensions for single-leaf doors start from a width of 24" up to 48", and from a height of 80" up to 120".

Is a pocket door OK for a bathroom?

Pocket doors are a great solution for smaller spaces that lack the wall space for a full swing door. This makes them perfect for small bathrooms, closets and connecting those two areas, for example between a master bath and the walk-in closet.

How do you frame a wall with a pocket door?

5:467:01How to Place a Pocket Door Part 1: Framing - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipHere inside the pocket. That's a spacer that I put in because this section of the floor is way lowMoreHere inside the pocket. That's a spacer that I put in because this section of the floor is way low which actually makes our studs a little bit too short for this. Application.

Can you put a pocket door anywhere?

You can really have a pocket door installed anywhere you like but normally, such doors are placed in areas where they will be of benefit. If the space provided for a door swing is not optimal, a pocket door will free up space in the home.

How much does it cost to install a pocket door in an existing wall?

between $1,000 and $3,500It will cost you between $1,000 and $3,500 to have a pocket door installed in an existing wall. The rate charged by a professional to hang a standard model is $150 to $200.

How much room do you need for a 24 pocket door?

Double the width of the desired door, or pair of doors, to determine the wall space that's needed to install the pocket door frame. For example, 48 inches is needed to install the frame for a 24-inch pocket door, and 64 inches is need to install the frame for a 32-inch pocket door.

How much room do you need for a 30 pocket door?

Interior doors provide privacy and soundproofing—but they do take up room. A 30-inch interior door requires more than 6 square feet of unoccupied swing area.

What is the difference between pocket door and sliding door?

What is the difference between internal pocket and sliding doors? While a pocket door slides into a hidden compartment or recess within the adjacent wall, a sliding door, although similar in its mechanism, doesn't. A sliding door glides parallel to the interior wall.

How wide is a pocket door frame?

Standard Pocket Door Sizes The standard size for a pocket door is the same as that of a hinged door, with a width of 30 or 36 inches or 76 to 91 centimeters and a height of 80 inches or 203 centimeters.

Can you install a 2x6 door in a 2x4 wall?

You can install 2x6 units into a 2x4 wall.

Does a pocket door need a header?

Pocket doors that are 4 feet wide would require a header that spans the opening of 8 feet, plus another 4 feet on each side where the doors tuck away. It's 16 feet long, heavy, unwieldy and often constructed of two 2-by-10s or more depending on the load above.

Can you convert a regular door to a pocket door?

To hang a pocket door, you need a rough opening that is twice as wide as the door itself. This means taking down the old swinging door, removing the jamb and disassembling the wall framing. You'll also need to remove drywall and relocate any electrical wires that are in the way.

How much room do you need for a 24 pocket door?

Double the width of the desired door, or pair of doors, to determine the wall space that's needed to install the pocket door frame. For example, 48 inches is needed to install the frame for a 24-inch pocket door, and 64 inches is need to install the frame for a 32-inch pocket door.

What Are the Standard Pocket Door Sizes?

If you buy a standard pocket door, you’ll have standard pocket door sizes to choose from. These premade systems typically come with the panels, rails, and the extra wall necessary for installation.

What Is The Rough Opening for Pocket Doors?

The rough opening for a pocket door is the entire space necessary between the studs to install the pocket door system. Typically, the rule of thumb is to take the pocket door panel size and multiply it by two.

How to Measure for Pocket Doors

To determine the necessary pocket door width, measure from your wood framing on the closed side to the pocket side. Take this number and subtract one inch then divide it by two to get the door width.

How Thick Are Pocket Doors?

Most pocket doors are either 1 ⅜ inches or 1 ¾ inches thick. You can get doors that are solid core or hollow core.

Tips for Choosing the Right Size Pocket Door

Make sure to measure the total available wall space for your pocket doors. Then, go with a standard system to fit this space.

Summarizing Pocket Door Sizes

On average, standard pocket door sizes are 80 inches tall and between 24 and 40 inches wide. The most common are the same sizes as regular hinged doors, measuring 30 or 36 inches wide. When determining the size door you need, take your rough opening, subtract one, and divide by two.

What is pocket door?

Here's your ultimate size and dimension guide to single and double pocket doors. Detailed charts, illustrations and tables. Pocket doors serve as good interior doors because they are a space-saving door design. They are commonly used for powder rooms but also doorways into adjacent rooms like a kitchen into a dining room.

Can a pocket door be a stud wall?

A stud wall also has to be appropriately designed to hold a pocket door. The door itself can be whatever width and height it needs to be for the doorway, the adjoining wall has to be able to hold the door meaning it’s going to take up more floor space than a typical stud wall.

Can pocket doors be installed in a solid wall?

Pocket doors can potentially be difficult to install, a solid wall is going to need to be planned ahead with a cosmetic side wall attached to accommodate the space for the pocket door to slide into when open.

Can pocket doors be single doors?

They can be a single door or double doors. They are great space-saving door options for interiors and ideal if you prefer an entry between rooms remain open but once in a while like to close it off. Check out our pocket door charts below.

Can you add a pocket door to a home?

Although it can be done, it usually isn’t recommended to add a pocket door which wasn’t part of the original home design , as it requires more building materials and labor than would typically be expected to replace a door.

Is a pocket door the same as a double door?

Single door pocket doors are the same as double doors, other than they only need one side of the door opening to be built according to the needs of the door sliding inside the wall.

How wide does a stud wall need to be for a pocket door?

The idea is to build the pocket to the same thickness as the studwork – 75mm (3″) or 100mm (4″) which are the two standard studwork sizes generally in use – so that you can directly continue the standard 12.5mm plasterboard over the pocket providing the finished wall thickness of either 100mm (4″) or 125mm (5″).

Can you put a pocket door in any wall?

To install a pocket door in an existing wall, you have to remove drywall, and it’s easier to uncover the entire wall instead of trying to work in a limited opening. That way, you can remove entire studs instead of cutting them and reroute wires as needed.

What is the rough opening for a pocket door?

The open doorframe should be twice the width of the intended door slab, plus 1 inch. So, the rough opening for a 30-inch door slab should be 61 inches. Height should be the vertical length of the door slab, plus the thickness of the door track and desired clearance (about 1 inch, though product dimensions vary).

How do you build a stud wall for a pocket door?

Quote from the video: And start that framing first. So then we can set the header as you can see on this side I've already put in my king stud.

What sizes do pocket doors come in?

A standard sliding pocket door has the same sizes as a corresponding hinged door. It typically measures 30″ or 36″ in width and 80″ in height. It is also possible to build customized solutions having very large or very small passage sizes.

How do you install a pocket bathroom door?

Quote from the video: I made sure that I only used one inch screws around the door. So that the screws don't poke through and scratch the door anyway. So it is moving along but in order for us to be able to finish.

How do you make a pocket door frame from scratch?

Quote from the video: So in this application when I'm making my popular frames in a home I'm cutting a two by six that's going to go on the floor. And then the stud is going to be interlocked within this base piece.

How much space does a pocket door take up?

Replacing a swinging door with a pocket door recovers at least 10 square feet of floor space around the door and frees up real estate on the walls for fixtures or artwork that would otherwise be hidden behind a traditional door when opened. Moreover, as a pocket door withdraws into the wall, it’s more inconspicuous than its trendy cousin, the sliding barn door.

How tall is a Dutch pocket door?

A Dutch pocket door, for example, extends only half the height of a standard 80-inch-tall door and pulls out from one side or both, making it a great alternative to those unsightly or rickety safety gates that protect pets or children.

How do pocket doors work?

Most pocket doors hang from recessed tracks, with the top of the door attached to a trolley system and glides that keep the door centered as it moves. But some are mounted from the ground—or the ground and ceiling—if the door is broader than usual. A ground-mounted system can present a tripping hazard and limit accessibility, but you can find recessed tracks that eliminate this problem. Expect to spend more on this setup.

What to expect when installing sliding pocket doors?

Here are a few things that you should expect to encounter as you install your sliding pocket doors: Assuming you’re not fortunate enough to be installing a pocket door in a home that’s under construction, expect to remove the drywall on both sides of the wall where the pocket door will go.

What is pocket door?

A pocket door is a sliding door that neatly tucks into a wall or divider. It glides on a track, so you can close off a room for more privacy or open it up to connect spaces. A pocket door is ideal for small rooms or areas where a standard swinging door would not operate correctly or would take up too much space.

How much space does a door need to jut out?

Weigh the pros and cons to having it jut out some—remember, a couple of inches your door eats into your walkway may give you wiggle room by requiring less than the standard 66 inches of linear wall space to house it when retracted.

When is it time to install pocket doors?

Once you have measured and checked for dangers behind your walls, it’s time to install your pocket door system!

How thick should a pocket door be?

If you make a wise choice and select Johnson Hardware’s version of hardware for installing a pocket door - the minimum wall thickness is 4–1/2″ assuming 1/2″ drywall on both sides of the wall.

What is the advantage of a pocket door?

A pocket door has the advantage of not taking up any floor space. When you open a hinged door it it sweeps through space that would available for other uses if a pocket door were used.

How big is a 2x4 stud wall?

The hardware, tracks and steel studs will occupy 3–1/2″, just like a 2x4 stud wall without any drywall attached.

Why are thick walls better for heat?

Thicker walls keep the heat bearable by being a heat reducing factor due to the fact it takes longer to heat them through, and just as they start to get hot enough to allow transfer of heat from the exterior to penetrate the interior, the day is coming to its close, and the heat transfer reverses as the ambient temperature at night drops.

What is a sliding door?

It’s a door that slides into a “pocket” in the wall, rather than swing open like a standard door. It is useful in situations where a regular swinging door would be in the way of other doors, cabinets, etc. But you have to a wall to slide into on one side of the door or the other.

How many inches are without load bearing columns?

Without load bearing column 14 inches for outer walls and 9 inches in partitions

How thick is a cavity wall?

A cavity wall consisting of 2 x 2 sheets of drywall, each on its own frame has a minimum thickness of 150 mm; wider air gap will increase sound insulation, in particular in the lower frequencies. I cannot stress sufficiently that "soundproof" is a nasty term.

Can you install a pocket door without removing the wall?

If you simply want to replace a pocket door or remove it in order to repair it, you don't have to tear into the drywall! That's great news. All you have to do is lift the door off the sliding track.

Can you install a pocket door anywhere?

You can really have a pocket door installed anywhere you like but normally, such doors are placed in areas where they will be of benefit. If the space provided for a door swing is not optimal, a pocket door will free up space in the home.

Can a pocket door go in any wall?

A pocket door requires a “sleeve” inside the wall to retract into. For a traditional 32-inch-wide interior door, you'll need at least 66 inches of linear wall space: 32 inches for the door and the rest for the housing.

Can a regular door be converted to a pocket door?

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.

How hard is it to add a pocket door?

Installing the door into the pocket is also fairly easy to do. As with many home improvement jobs, much of the trick is having the proper attitude, taking the time to do the job right and reading the instructions before you get started.

Can you install pocket door after drywall?

To install a pocket door in an existing wall, you have to remove drywall, and it's easier to uncover the entire wall instead of trying to work in a limited opening. That way, you can remove entire studs instead of cutting them and reroute wires as needed.

Can you install a pocket door in an existing doorway?

To hang a pocket door, you need a rough opening that is twice as wide as the door itself. This means taking down the old swinging door, removing the jamb and disassembling the wall framing. You'll also need to remove drywall and relocate any electrical wires that are in the way.

How long does it take to install a pocket door?

Pocket door installation is very easy if you have a great rough opening. Just read the instructions and the task will be over in one hour or less.

How high is a 2 foot 8 inch door?

For example, a 2-foot 8-inch door (32 inches ) the rough opening needs to be 65 inches. The height of the rough opening off the rough floor surface is usually 84.5 inches. Be sure you measure from the highest point of the subfloor if your floor is out of level.

What is The Pocket Door Rough Opening?

The rough opening for the pocket door is the rectangle created by the wall studs. It's a very specific height and width both called out in the written pocket door installation instructions.

How Level Must the Top of the Door Be?

The top of the rough opening really needs to be level. This is where the track is attached.

How Do You Install the Pocket Door Track?

The Johnson pocket door track is the first thing to install. Two L-shaped brackets, one at each end, make this a simple task.

How do you Finish the Wall?

If you installed the frame correctly, you can now add your drywall or plaster. Be sure your nails do not go through the thin side split jambs! If they do, they will scratch the door.

How Do You Install the Finish Pocket Door Jambs?

You can now install the finish side jambs. Always install the top jambs last. Be sure to install these with finish screws, NOT nails. To remove the door at a later date, you will need to remove at least one top jamb.

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1.Wall ‘Width’ for Pocket Door... - Houzz

Url:https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5780758/wall-width-for-pocket-door

10 hours ago A 30" pocket door assembly is about 60" wide and must be placed in a 60" wide wall opening with a 60" header above it. The half of the assembly that will be hidden has vertical or horizontal …

2.Standard Pocket Door Sizes & Dimensions (with Drawings)

Url:https://upgradedhome.com/standard-pocket-door-sizes/

10 hours ago 6 rows · The minimum wall thickness for a pocket door is 4 ½”. This assumes that you have ½” thick ...

3.How thick should a wall be for a pocket door? – …

Url:https://anablandiana.eu/en/questions/how-thick-should-a-wall-be-for-a-pocket-door/

19 hours ago  · How wide does a stud wall need to be for a pocket door? The idea is to build the pocket to the same thickness as the studwork – 75mm (3″) or 100mm (4″) which are the two …

4.Installing a Pocket Door - Bob Vila

Url:https://www.bobvila.com/articles/installing-a-pocket-door/

25 hours ago You double the width and add 1” more for the width, 36” + 36” = 72” + 1” = 73” . So for a 36” wide Single Pocket Door your width opening would be 73” wide. DOUBLE POCKET DOORS. Example …

5.What is the wall thickness for a pocket door? - Quora

Url:https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-wall-thickness-for-a-pocket-door

25 hours ago How wide does a stud wall need to be for a pocket door? The idea is to build the pocket to the same thickness as the studwork – 75mm (3″) or 100mm (4″) which are the two standard …

6.Can you install a pocket door in an existing wall?

Url:https://greenyplace.com/can-you-install-a-pocket-door-in-an-existing-wall

31 hours ago  · Build the wall with a 2x6 top plate and 2x6's on either side of the door header.... header is of 2x6's.... But the studs on either side of the door frame are only "2x" thickness The …

7.Pocket Door Installation Tips - Ask the Builder

Url:https://www.askthebuilder.com/pocket-door-installation-tips/

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