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How possible/feisable is it to add a pocket door to an already finished house? We have an open doorway in our main hall that leads to the basement, and would really like to be able to close it off. A traditional door is not desirable because of the narrow nature of the hallway.
What would a (trustworthy) contractor charge me for the job? What would be the process to install it?
Thanks, if possible, please cc: your responses to my email address, [email protected]
-james
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Replies
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How much ya got? It's not enough. Actually it could be done, but things that will effect the cost will be: Is it a bearing wall? Is there ductwork to deal with? How about electric plugs and switches in the way? Even if there are none, there may be wire running through the wall that will have to be moved. Is your basement finished? If not, this would be a good place for you to start to see if you can find answers to the above questions. If for instance the floor joists for the first floor are perpendicular to the wall you are looking to operate on it is an almost certain (99.99%) that the wall is bearing. Locate the wall and approximate opening and see if there is plumbing, ductwork or lots of electrical wires heading up through the wall. (remember that if the side you thought the door could open to has these maybe you can go the other way. Next I would look for plugs or switches in the wall around the door you want to change. This will give you a rough idea if there is electric in the wall, but not necessarily a certainty.
Having said all this, it is feasible that a pocket door can be added, these are just some of the things that make a job more costly.
Looking for these things will make you more aware of what a contractor needs to look for and allow you to make sure he has considered these items and won't come in cheap and hit you with extras after you have a giant hole in your house.
If this is a straight forward job, no obstructions, I won't venture a price, I would just say that you will need time for drywall work, some framing, removal of some trim, removal of the existing door and jamb,. Most likely all new trim and door jamb material and I would probably use a new door (maybe, depends on quality and cost). I would install and you want a pocket door kit, runners on both sides of a "C" channel, (Johnson is the manufacture I use) not a single track if wheels that run on one side.
I didn't intend to scare you from this, just let you know what you might face. It doesn't cost to get a guy or two in to give you a price.
*J.D. - how did it go? - yb
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Just to give you a little perspective on some of the costs, I added a pocket door (as a DIY project) in my house. I used as 2'10" X 7'0" solid-core birch door, medium-priced extruded aluminum track hardware, some framing lumber, drywall, paint and trim. Materials added up to somewhere around $350.
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YB,
Great, I got an offer I would have written when I started looking, except for the tie part, but nothings perfect. I'm going with one of the largest commercial interior contractors in our region. I have evolved towards that field and really have done that almost exclusively for the last 4 years. The company is first class and I start tomarrow if I didn't have to wrap things up. The biggest part of the descion was in coming to grips with giving up my baby, I've been on my own 7 years. I figure I could always go back to my own business. In the mean time I might learn alot about the business side and as a friend told me, it can only help my credibility in the future, that I worked for a top firm in the field.
Anyway, thanks for your interest, it was good to have some peers to bounce the idea off. I think my wife is really excited, after all day in a tie, I'll be dying to do anything tool related around the house. She may rue the day she thought this was a good idea as I fire up the sawzall and start removing walls.
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J.D.-Huh?
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JRS: JD and YB jumped topic... JD's post above covered all the salient, Bill filled in the parts cost, and the labor is dependant upon the construction of the wall in question and therefore is a exponent of the parts cost. $350 to the what factor? Square, cube, what? Only kidding, this should be less than 122 thousand dollars.
As to the aside comments, we need to catch up from time to time. Good luck JD, keep your hand in.
*Good luck, J.D. See you at the Adirondacks this fall.
*Most of the points semm to have been covered. Two more: 1) if it is a bearing wall there will need to be enough ceiling height to install a header to cary the span (door width x2) 2) install a removable head jamb/case on one side so that the door can come out if needed w/out making more work.
*... as usual, I look for the shortcut. Think of a solid core bifold door; Johnson sells hardware that allows the doors to fold flat against the wall, allowing full access to the doorway (haven't tried it yet but plan to soon). 2% of the hassle of a pocket door and, unless you DIY (increasing the hassle!) about 10% the cost (depending on your taste in doors).Pocket doors sure do break a lot, too. Or get off track and score the door.If it is a nonbearing wall without "hard" utilities (e.g., plumbing, HVAC ... wires are often easy to move) a pocket door should not be at all difficult to install. Does the open doorway dump right into a stairway (that is, is it dangerous?) Do you just want to stop kids and pets ... use a gate? You could also use offset hinges & flush hardware to get the door to swing away behind the jamb.
*Maybe French style doors. I can get double doors as narrow as 30" maybe skinnier. Johnson pocket door hardware is top notch, won't fall off track.
*While I have seen many of the two wheel carriages fall off the track, I have not seen any of the four wheel carriages fall off. They are a vast improvement over the old stuff and highly recommended. I believe Johnson, Stanley, and Acme make a version of the same thing.
*Just curious - is this the way the pocket doors of yore were installed? The ones in old houses never seem to "go off track" - do they eveni havea track? This sounds a lot like those sliding closet doors.Patty
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How possible/feisable is it to add a pocket door to an already finished house? We have an open doorway in our main hall that leads to the basement, and would really like to be able to close it off. A traditional door is not desirable because of the narrow nature of the hallway.
What would a (trustworthy) contractor charge me for the job? What would be the process to install it?
Thanks, if possible, please cc: your responses to my email address, [email protected]
-james