Typically, pocket doors have an upper track only, but if you plan ahead you can have a bottom track. This gives the sliding door a robust fixing and makes it less likely to flap about when in the open position. It involves fixing the track into the floor — one way to do this is with a router in a timber floor.
A bottom track is not necessary to install interior sliding doors. However, it is essential for exterior sliding doors, and all kits for exterior sliding doors will include a bottom track. The upper track is all that is needed to bear the weight of the interior sliding doors so they can be suspended.
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.
Depending on the style of pocket door hardware, the rollers will adjust with a screw driver or a 3/8-inch open end wrench. If you cannot access the adjustment screw or bolt at the top of the door, you must remove the top door casing and the trim.
Removing a pocket door without removing the trim may seem hard to do but it's not that difficult if you follow these simple options: The first option is to open the door all the way and tilt it off the track. You can then remove the roller and the door might slide out. Or cut the door in half and lift it off the track.
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.
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.
Pocket doors are a good option for smaller rooms that may not have space for a full-swing door. They're perfect for closets, connecting two spaces (for example between an en suite and a walk-in closet, and small bedrooms where floor space counts.
Sill. The door sill is the very bottom part of the door frame that rests on the floor.
Do bi-fold doors need a bottom track? Technically, no—installing bi-fold doors without a bottom track is possible, and it's often done with doors made from wood or plastic, or internal bi-fold doors.
Sliding doors come with all the tracks and gear you need to install them, but there is more to the whole process. Before installing a sliding door, it is essential to measure the space, cut the tracks and screw them in place. Read this article to learn all about how to fit a sliding door.
During a new construction, pocket doors will cost between $500 and $1,000. As part of a remodeling project, their cost will be in the $1,000 to $3,500 range. These prices reflect both parts and labor. These doors hide inside a wall cavity instead of swinging out from a hinge.
If you have simple tools, you can install the pocket door frame and hardware with little difficulty. Installing the door into the pocket is also fairly easy to do.
Since pocket doors hang on a track and slide into the recess of a wall, the doors themselves are typically thin, lightweight, and don't prevent all sound from traveling between rooms. Though you can hire a handyperson, installing sliding pocket doors is a fairly simple DIY project!
The heat and humidity of summer make it quite difficult to keep sliding glass doors in good condition. Dirt, moisture, and normal wear and tear may damage the door and its tracks, making it hard to open or close the door.
Make sure the rollers at the top are aligned first, then “walk” the bottom of the door into place, pushing the top of the screen door up into the track. You may need to rotate the adjustment screws at the top slightly to allow for movement. When the door is back in place, make sure to re-adjust the screws.
Lubricating Sliding Door Tracks
Use a vacuum cleaner to remove dirt, dust and other debris. Then apply WD-40 Specialist Long-Lasting Grease Spray along the sliding door track, wheels and rollers, as the dense, fast-acting formula allows long-lasting lubrication.
Shave the bottom of the pocket door so it clears the tile. You have about an inch and a half of plug inside the hollow core door to trim. Don't shave more than 3/4" off the bottom. If you can, trim equal amounts off the top and bottom.
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. In order to do that, you have to remove the trim around the door.
Homeowners may need to detach pocket doors to repair them, or they may want to replace them with another kind of door. Fortunately, removing these doors is fairly straightforward.