Pocket Door - Buying and installing advice

storminmike

Our kitchen is quite small, in fact square.

With the door midway on one side and the units opposite in a C shape. Opening the door into the kitchen results in it banging on a worktop to the right and swiping the fridge door to the left if the fridge door is open. The walls either side of the door are stud framed and built in yr2000. The side to the left is part lounge through a doorway and the side to the right hallway/kitchen.

Luckily the side to the right is a door width (just) and I reckon dismantling this will allow the installation of a pocket door. I do it right the inner kitchen wall should end up as it is now. The outer wall, which is the hallway may end up thicker but no one would notice.

The kit I have i mind is this one, I would be re-hanging one of those standard size white panelled doors
http://www.pchenderson.com/sdg_individual_product.php?config=Straight+Sliding&id=334&part_id=272&accessory_id=

Plan:
Remove Door
Remove architrave
Remove Skirting
Ease plasterboard away first where (on hallway side) a thermostat sits
Ease plasterboard away (on kitchen side) where (small bore) radiator sits.
Disconnect radiator and move pipes out of way.
Rebuild opening as per instructions which will probably mean a new header
Align kit to be flush inside kitchen
Fit kit etc

This is where the issues may start

Thermostat: How would this be included, it's wall mounted so I guess it's just a case of making sure the wires don't get trapped?

Radiator opposite side: If I could get away with it I would do without it. It robs what little cupboard space I have and is side mounted under the work top. Can I just cap the tails without ripping the upstairs up?

After the above plasterboard kitchen side to be flush.
Hallway. Kit may make the striker side of the door wider but the bit I'd have to pack out would be above the door. The bit to the left is in another room (lounge)

Comments please?

• Kit Value
• Kit Fitting
• Thermostat moving
• Radiator moving/capping
• Anything else I may have forgot

Thanks...Mike

phill99

I question whether you need a door there at all. I have a small kitchen and decided that I didn't need a door so removed the door, frame etc and had a plasterer friend create an archway. Now it looks much bigger and is all open plan.

storminmike

phill99 wrote: »

I question whether you need a door there at all. I have a small kitchen and decided that I didn't need a door so removed the door, frame etc and had a plasterer friend create an archway. Now it looks much bigger and is all open plan.

That is that option...but cooking sets off the mains powered smoke alarm just outside the door in the hallway. This was fitted at house build time. I could move it perhaps but it's mains powered so I don't know how I'd do that? They're interlinked I think and don't you think the insurance company would have something to say?

Nice idea though but what about that alarm!

pimento

Our kitchen door open outwards. Is there room to do that?

storminmike

pimento wrote: »

Our kitchen door open outwards. Is there room to do that?

Not without swinging into the small hallway:(

It's either door off or pocket..or leave it...or bi-fold that rarely look good IMHO

On the smoke alarm thing....I read that the ionization alarms are more susceptable to cooking false alarms.

I think this is ours
http://www.propertysupplies.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=652_665&products_id=214&osCsid=bcf7f8333f1343f6e4f1076cb00ae011

I also read that optical versions may be less prone to toast alarms

storminmike

bump

Has anyone experience of fitting pocket doors?

phill99

Just looking at the various websites for pocket doors, the only thing that maybe a problem is the stud work in your existing walls. The vertical studs are normally at 600mm centres. This means that unless you change the stud work you are limited to a door that is no wider than 600mm.

Have a look here for diagrams http://www.doorstuff.co.uk/slidingdoor/hideaway-pocket-door.htm

And better is here http://www.homeconstructionimprovement.com/how-to-install-pocket-doors/

where they specifically say "The first step in selecting a pocket door is making sure you have sufficient room to install the pocket door. A pocket door needs a cavity in the wall large enough to store the door when it’s open"

storminmike

phill99 wrote: »

Just looking at the various websites for pocket doors, the only thing that maybe a problem is the stud work in your existing walls. The vertical studs are normally at 600mm centres. This means that unless you change the stud work you are limited to a door that is no wider than 600mm.

Have a look here for diagrams http://www.doorstuff.co.uk/slidingdoor/hideaway-pocket-door.htm

And better is here http://www.homeconstructionimprovement.com/how-to-install-pocket-doors/

where they specifically say "The first step in selecting a pocket door is making sure you have sufficient room to install the pocket door. A pocket door needs a cavity in the wall large enough to store the door when it’s open"

The opening available to break into is at least 2 door widths so that's ok. 2'6" door plus 2'6" ( and a bit) plasterboard to the right housing th radiator pipes and the cable to the thermostat. I'll re-stud it to suit

The pocket door I agree will be thicker. I've accounted for that I think. One side will be flush with the kitchen interior wall so boarding back will be invisible..I hope.

The other side is the hallway and if it end up thicker I can cope with that. The wall I'm breaking in to is 2 doors wide (conveniently) so a few mm intrusion into the hall will not be noticed

Thanks for the links though. I just need to be brave and do it I suppose.