Login or Register to download the PDF version of this article. (1.33 MB)
Frances HarrisTo install the other halves of the two split studs that faced the bathroom side of the pocket, we slipped the studs into the floor brackets, positioned them against the header, and drove two screws through each stud to anchor them in place.
Pocket doors can be challenging on any project, but when you’re retrofitting a pocket door in a remodel—with minimal disturbance to the existing walls—the challenge is even greater. On the job shown here, the pocket door replaced a swinging door connecting a master bedroom and master bath. Inside the bathroom, there was plenty of wall space for the pocket door, but on the opposite side, a perpendicular wall between the bedroom and the kitchen ended about 5 inches inside the proposed pocket. In addition, there were base and wall cabinets on the kitchen side, and between the cabinets—in the area where the pocket was planned—was a ceramic-tile backsplash. To top things off, an electrical outlet needed to be moved.
The kitchen had been upgraded recently and was in pristine condition. Any thoughts of tearing into that side of the wall were out of the question. The pocket door would need to be installed entirely from the bathroom side. Fortunately, I had done this a couple of times before, so I was confident it was possible.
