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Has anyone on here ever made a sliding closet door? We have an area that a swinging door won't work in and I thought about a sliding door like goes into a wall. This one would have to set on the outside of the wall but I can inclose it. I would like to know what kind of hardware that is needed mainly the rollers on the door. Thanks Ivan

sawmill wrote:Has anyone on here ever made a sliding closet door? We have an area that a swinging door won't work in and I thought about a sliding door like goes into a wall. This one would have to set on the outside of the wall but I can inclose it. I would like to know what kind of hardware that is needed mainly the rollers on the door. Thanks Ivan

Google sliding door rail systems and I think you will find enough different choices to make your head spin.

This is known as a Pocket door. Most big boxes and lumber companies stock the hardward with the pocket frame already manufactured.

You supply the actual door and in some cases the handle/latch hardware. Here again Big Boxes and lumber yards handle the recessed finger pulls and latch/lock hardware.

Pocket doors are easy to install and save so much room. In most cases you can use a regular door as the actual door.

The premanufactured pocket the part that set in wall that door slides into is usually constructed of wood and metal and while it might not seem sturdy once the dry wall and trim is on the whole door way is quite sturdy.

I have pocket doors installed through out my home. Excellent for closet doors.

Can't wait until powered ones are common and then we can move through our houses like on Star Trek.

I'm not asure what you mean by set outside the wall? Do you mean you don't want to cut into the existing wall to install a pocket door? They come pre-made as noted and typically you would reframe the wall to include the pocket door frame and then replace the sheetrock (or whatever wall covering you have). I suppose you could do this adjacent to an existing wall as well if you wanted but it would look a bit weird IMO.

Installations are still subject to the rules of bearing walls and other structural issues such as plumbing and wiring.
I have wanted to install one in one of the bathrooms at our daughter's house. Unfortunately it is in a two story bearing wall. I am chicken that my skills and equipment are not up to the task, both for support and strength to put in a proper header. Of course the tile on the inside wall has nothing to do with that fear.

jimthej wrote:Installations are still subject to the rules of bearing walls and other structural issues such as plumbing and wiring.
I have wanted to install one in one of the bathrooms at our daughter's house. Unfortunately it is in a two story bearing wall. I am chicken that my skills and equipment are not up to the task, both for support and strength to put in a proper header. Of course the tile on the inside wall has nothing to do with that fear.

Yes you are right the rules of load bearing walls and other issues must be considered. However the fix is often not as complicated as we imagine.

I had a beam running in my kitchen ceiling and I wanted it removed. I decided how to do it and then let myself talk myself into chickening out.

I called in a contractor and you know what he removed the beam the exact same way I was going to do it. The beam is now gone and it only cost me about $1000 more to watch him do it than to do it myself. Oh the job I figured would take me about 4 hours. He did it with his helper in about 2. Good figure.

I might add if I had done it there would be more nails, more strapping and more wood used. I over engineer and I would have on this too.