OT? need help casing a pocket door

[Tom Nie]

This is probably carpentry vs woodworking. Have a 4' double pocket door (2'+2') opening with one wall side normal drywall and the other has two layers of styrofoam insulation attached under the drywall. It's a 6" wall using a 4" pocket door assembly.

Have built this house from scratch but don't know the best way to layout and attach the casing. As flexible as the door's frame is I want to use the casing to stiffen it as much as possible. For the jamb I'm thinking a 1x screwed into the small openings in the steel frame along with construction cement. Then bring the casing to the jamb as normal but cement it as well - ?screw to the steel/mdf frame?

Maybe this is best done on ABPW since a picture's worth a ......... Anyway, thanks if someone can help, especially with pictures.

TomNie

[dadiOH]

The pocket door frames I am familiar with have a 3/4" wood "stud" attached to the steel. With them, one fastens the jamb/casing pieces to the wood "stud"....if one were to go through the steel, the screw point would interfere with the door itself. Scratch the hell out of it too. :)

Regardless of how your frame may be constructed, I wouldn't attach trim pieces in any manner that would not allow their simple removal should the necessity arise. I have two pocket doors; one we used to partially close at night and the dog learned to stick her nose in the 3-4" opening and push the door open more so she could come and go from that room. Her wracking pushing messed up one of the hangers and I had to replace same. To do so, you have to remove trim to get the door out. If I had it to do over, I would have *no* pocket doors.

The trim pieces will give the same rigidity just screwing them to the pocket frame. They will add considerable rigidity but not to the point of making the frame non-shakeable.

[GeeDubb]

I can't count the number of times I was on a customer service call for a pocket door that wouldn't work to find a picture hung on the wall pocket using a 6d or larger nail.........

or the cabinet installer had run a 3.5" screw into the pocket door.

Gary (glue & pin nailsbrads work nicely)

[abukosky]

Go to

and look for pocket doors. He has several articles on them. Not a lot of details, but will give you a lot of info. I found this by googleing "pocket doors".

[Mike O.]

You have the right idea. Normally we attach the 1x jamb material through the little slots. You can use trim screws or even nails if you're a good shot. Use an adhesive if you like but only if your steel stud is plumb. If not, you will have to pull the jamb away from the stud (at either the top or bottom) to get things plumb.

As far as casing goes attach it as normal but make sure the fasteners don't come through the inside of the metal stud. You probably have a

3/4" stud plus 1/2" rock plus the thickness of your casing. As far as gluing goes glue only one side unless you can get the door out without the removal of the casing. Some hardware will allow you to drop the door from the hangers and then (if you have wall and height clearance) slide it out of the opening. You can check this before installing the casing. If you can remove the door, go ahead and glue the casing.

Mike O.

[Tom Nie]

Mike, Thanks a ton. Obviously you're very familiar with the situation. Makes me feel better now about getting the thing done.

TomNie

"> You have the right idea. Normally we attach the 1x jamb material

[skeezics]

one more tidbit. if you attach the top casings to the jamb peice so as to allow the header to be slid in all as 1 piece [ it will make an "l_ " shaped peice ] its as simple as placing 2 screws through the top casing into the side casing to hold it in place. this way if you ever have to adjust the door it is accessable by removing the screws and slideing the whole thing out to get to the adjusting bolts. hope you get what i am trying to say here. this saves a whole lotta hassel later.

skeez

[Tom Nie]

"> through the little slots. You can use trim screws or even nails if

"trim screws" I'm assuming are drywall screws?

TomNie

[GeeDubb]

Not the same. Trim screws have very small heads that just fit the phillips or square drive. Usually a harder steel as well.