Porche Tips & Tricks: How to Install a Pocket Door in your Home🚪🏡

When we decided to turn the room over our garage into the Porche & Co. Design Studio, I knew I wanted to entry to this space to be just as special as what was inside. I wanted it to set the tone for what was to come WITHIN THE STUDIO. Previously before our home renovation, this was an old closet door from the 1970s. When we completed our home renovation, we demoed this closet and added a breezeway connecting to the new garage we built (the design studio is on top of the garage). I knew that Rustica Hardware would have the PERFECT door for this. You can read all about the door we chose here on our blog. To read more about the Design Studio, head to this post on our blog!

I fell in love with pocket doors when we did our home renovation. They save so much space and add SUCH a unique FEEL TO THE ROOM. Combine their functionality with the gorgeous metal and glass materials of Rustica Hardware’s pocket doors and I was SOLD. In order to use a pocket door, you need to have a sufficient amount of wall space for the track and door to fully slide into. This means that the header wall space on either side of the door will be right around the size of the door you are using (so the entire space the pocket door will use will be roughly double the size of the door ITSELF). Another thing to consider is what LIES within the wall that the pocket door will be on. if there is plumbing, electrical wires, AC vents etc you’ll need to prepare to deal with this/re-route to make room for the pocket door.

My husband is handy, but I’ll be the first to admit that I was NERVOUS for the install. The door is very high quality and the price reflects that. I did not want him to mess it up, but hiring a handyman for install is never a question in our house. the entire install process took about 3-5 days working a few hours a day. I am going to outline the install steps below. **If you do not have a handy person in your household, I would highly recommend hiring a handyman for the install**

STEP 1:: Remove existing door casing, jams and baseboards from impacted areas.

STEP 2:: Cut away the sheetrock (by a hand saw or a DREMEL multi-tool) and be prepared for what you will find. Electrical wires? Plumbing? AC vents? If you run into any of these you’ll need TO re-route them to make space for the pocket door. Pro-tip:: hang onto the sheetrock piece you took out in hopes that you can re-install this piece when patching the wall

STEP 3:: Remove studs in previous header within the demoed wall space.

STEP 4:: Re-frame a new header CREATING a stud at the end of the new pocket door track.

STEP 5:: Follow the instructions on the pocket door from Rustica Hardware to install the track and support hardware in the new framed header space. 

STEP 6::  Continue to follow the instructions to hang the pocket door on the installed track. Congrats, your door is now hung! Pro-tip:: Once the door is hung, tape plastic wrap around it to protect it and prevent a ton of cleaning from the next few steps

STEP 7:: Redo the sheet rock within demoed wall space. This will include using joint compound and sanding. **Pro-tip:: try to use the piece of sheetrock that you cut out to demo. This may or may not work.** 

STEP 8::  Re-install the baseboard, door casing and door jams. If these were damaged when you removed them with the wall demo, you may need to replace these with new trim pieces for a fresh and clean look.

STEP 9:: Caulk and paint the wall and trim work.

…and that’s all there is too it!! If this seems like a daunting process, definitely leave it up to A professional for install. If you’re ready to take this on, you can do it! There are a lot of video tutorials online (this one is great) that can guide you throughout the process too. We are already dreaming up where the next one will go. Be careful, Rustica Hardware doors are addicting- I warned you!! ;)

Remember to use the code PORCHE15 for 15% off any Rustica Hardware doors on their website. 

XOXO, Emily