Adding a Pocket Door in the Kitchen

Separating areas in your home can be a challenge when spaces are tight. When it comes to sectioning off the kitchen from the rest of the house, adding a full-size door to the room can be impossible if there is not a lot of room on whether side of the door frame. Instead of fighting the lack of space, embrace it and setup a pocket door instead. Pocket doors can offer homeowners a opportunity to detach spaces without taking up essential floor space. If you are seeing for the exquisite way to make your kitchen an area that is all its own, use the tips for installing a pocket door to get you started.

What's Behind That Wall?
Before you start shopping for pocket doors and reasoning about the possibility of creating a separate, secluded kitchen area, take a look at what is behind the walls of the door frame where the pocket door could be potentially added. The wall should not be a load bearing wall, nor should it be one where a myriad of pipes and wires are located. If you know that your water pipes are placed in that wall, adding a pocket door will not be such a good idea. Ideally, there should be clear space in the middle of the door frame and down the length of the wall. This will ensure that the sliding, pocket door can fit in the space and remain well hidden, but can also be pulled out to shut off the area. If you have any concerns about what is behind the wall, ask a contractor to take a look. In many cases, contractors can identify where wires and pipes are placed by seeing in your basement or crawl space.

Replacement Kitchen Doors

The Door
Most home revising stores carry pocket doors and premise kits. You will normally have a choice of a standard flat panel door, a 6-panel door, or a door with a louvered look. agree the one that will work best for your decor. In some cases, you will be able to purchase the door unfinished and stain or paint it yourself. If you would like a more ornate door, shop online with specialty decor retailers.

The Logistics
Once you have determined that the wall is favorable for a pocket door and you have found the one you want, you will need to take off the trim on the side of the wall where the pocket door will be enclosed, as well as the overhead trim. Open up the wall and determined setup the track. Depending on the type of door, there will be a track that gets installed on the ceiling of the pocket to hold the door in place. The door will then slide along the track to open and close seamlessly. You will need a helper to make sure that the track is even and level. Once the track is installed, it is admittedly only a matter of hanging the door on the track. Be sure that the track is not bent or misshapen so that the door can open and close freely.

Adding a Pocket Door in the Kitchen