# Pocket Door install in existing opening



## Dave928

i have a 2 door wide closet door opening (was 2 bi-folds) that i would like to install a pocket door into to regain some wall.

this is the existing opening (73 1/2" W x 80 3/4" H rough opening):






and this is what i want to do:





the problem is that according to the millwork guys at Lowes and Home Depot, the pocket door frame requires a 85" H rough opening.

since i don't want to open the wall above the door and raise the header (1 2x4, non-load bearing) is there any reason why i can't just remove 4" from the bottom of the frame and door to make it fit the existing opening?

also, this is a slab foundation, how to i attach the pocket frame to the slab?  liquid nails or some other adhesive?  small L-brackets screwed to the frame and concrete?


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## inspectorD

You can do what you want with it, but you need to remove the trim and tie in the sheetrock to the new opening.
Other than that the door will just get shorter. 
Concrete anchor screws and the correct masonary bit through the brackets that hold the studs....they are included in the door kit. You only need a couple of short ones. Pl 400 glue may work but if it does give out, you will have to take things apart to do it right.

Good luck and take some pics. we like pics.


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## Dave928

thanks.

yep, the trim and jambs are already gone, that's just an old pic.

basically i just wanted a confirmation that the pocket door would still work ok if it was shorter...


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## Dave928

removed the carpet down to the concrete.
reinstalled the side jambs to get the spacing i needed.

here's the progress so far:






not too far off from the photoshop above.  :banana:  

don't let anyone tell you that a 36" door won't fit in a 73.5" opening.  i actually had to reinstall the side jambs (.75" each side, 1.5" total) to get the right spacing, otherwise you'd see behind the door into the pocket when the door is closed.  now it should be about a 1" overlap.  and with the bumper in the back of the pocket, the door should only stick out about 1" when open.  so with 35" i'm still ahead of the 32" opening i would have had if i'd listened to the HD guy telling me i needed a 32" door.

just remember to measure 5 times and cut 3...  

had to do some mods on the fly, so i'll add more pics later.


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## Dave928

so here's the steps i did for installing this:

had to cut the carpet out down to the slab.  the new carpet and pad was installed over the original carpet, which was glued to the concrete.










then i leveled and hung the header/track assembly


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## Dave928

since the pocket frame was about 4" taller than the opening, i had to cut it down.  i left the rear frame about .5" long so that it would lock into the header rails










i had to put the original side jambs back in to get spacing i needed to not see around the door and into the pocket






then i tied the frame to the concrete so the wall wouldn't flex


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## Dave928

hung the drywall and mudded the screws.  then hung the door on the track and tacked up the door header.






now it's just waiting for mud and texture.  all the other drywall in the room has about 1/8" of mud on it, then the knockdown on top of that.  that will come later...


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