7 Steps to Installing a Double Pocket Door

Pocket Doors
  • 96-120 hours
  • Advanced
  • 500-800
What You'll Need
Metal saw
Tape measure
Reciprocating saw
Wall stud
Double pocket door kit
Metal plate
Floor brackets
Drywall
Screws
Adhesive
Automatic door closing weights kit
Door hardware
Wire and pipe locator
What You'll Need
Metal saw
Tape measure
Reciprocating saw
Wall stud
Double pocket door kit
Metal plate
Floor brackets
Drywall
Screws
Adhesive
Automatic door closing weights kit
Door hardware
Wire and pipe locator

A pocket door is a special type of sliding door which disappears into a pocket in the wall. Fitting double pocket doors is a fantastic way to improve the look of your home, and it's a great space saving door design which opens without obstructing the passageway at all.

You will need to remove a section from your wall in order to allow the door to disappear in the pocket.

Step 1: Checking the Wall

Inspect the wall where you're installing the pocket door. Make sure that the wall is not structural or load bearing. This is important, because you're cutting a slot in the wall. If it is load bearing, you will need to install a lintel over the two gaps in the wall.

Check the position where the slots are located to ensure that there is no plumbing or wiring behind them. If there is plumbing or wiring, it will instantly make the project much more complicated.

Step 2: Cutting the Wall

Use the reciprocating saw to cut through the drywall in between the studs in the wall. Remove the partition header and cut the studs. This will create a pocket which is large enough for your pocket door to fit inside.

Step 3: Installing Stud

Check the measurements of the door and then install a new stud. You will then be able to use this stud to secure the header in the right place. Cut the bottom plate to size and install this on the floor.

Step 4: Working on the Channel

Cut the channel runners to size by using a hacksaw and then fix it to the floor. It is very important that the channel is perfectly level, as this will help the door to open and close smoothly. If there are any problems with the level, it will stop the door from running smoothly.

The floor brackets then need to be fixed into the metal plate and the door can be mounted in the tracks. The wheeled part of the door can be mounted inside the tracks.

Step 5: Second Door

The second door now needs to be repeated in the same way so that they are both mounted and able to shut flush with one another. Minor adjustments should be possible if the doors don't quite meet level.

Step 6: Weights

If you are fitting a set of pocket doors which can close themselves, you will need to fit the weights into the channel and also link the doors together so that they both open together at the same time.

Step 7: Finishing Touches

Finish the wall by attaching the drywall to the wall using screws and adhesive. Once the drywall is fixed onto the wall, skim the wall using some plaster and finish the wall using whatever wall covering that you intend to use.