This is a general guide for installing pocket doors. See the link at the bottom of this page to visit the Johnson Hardware installation page.

What you’ll need:

• Door
• Tape measure
• Level
• Pocket door hardware (kit)
• Casing lumber
• Framing lumber
• Hammer
• Hacksaw
• Paint and paintbrush
• Drywall, drywall tape, joint compound
• Construction adhesive

Frame the Opening
The first installation step is taking care of the framing. For a pocket door, the rough opening will seem very large, because you’re actually framing for the width of two doors (it’s the same door, but your framing needs to accommodate it in both the open and closed positions). Frame your opening to the width the manufacturer of your pocket door kit suggests - usually twice the width of your door, plus 1″ - so if you’re installing a 32″ door the rough opening will be 65″ wide.

Also, frame the top of the door opening to the manufacturer’s recommended height. This is usually about 85″. Be sure the rough opening is plumb and the header is level. If they’re not, your pocket door is going to give you trouble all its life.

Install Pocket Door Hardware

Once you’re sure your framing is right, use a hacksaw to cut the pocket door header and track assembly from the kit to length, and install it using the brackets and fasteners supplied with the door.

Reinforce the pocket structure by installing two sets of pocket door “stiffeners” (thin metal supports supplied with the kit). One set, called jamb stiffeners, is first attached to the header, plumbed up and then fastened to the floor. Another pair of stiffeners is positioned and attached in the middle of the pocket framing. The instructions that come with your pocket door kit will explain precisely where these stiffeners, called side-split jambs, need to be installed.

Finally, install the door bumper on the stud at the back of the pocket.

Prepare the Door

Pocket door kits are usually designed to accommodate 1 3/8″ thick hollow core doors weighing less than 75 pounds. However, any kind of door can be mounted on the proper pocket door hardware. You can even get hardware that will support doors that weigh well over 150 pounds.

Whatever type of door you choose, it’s important that you finish or paint the door on both sides as well as the edges before you install the hardware. Remember that the door is going into a wall, so it will be very hard to finish it once it’s installed. Plus, finishing the door all around means it won’t absorb any moisture and possibly warp after installation.

Mount the doorplates on the top of the door and put the hangers onto the track. Hang the door and adjust it for height and plumb using the built-in adjusting nuts.

Put Up the Drywall

Install the drywall over the framed opening, using construction adhesive to attach it to the framing members. You don’t want any nails or screws protruding into the pocket and scratching the door. Tape any joints and finish the seams.

Finishing Up

Only a few things left to do. First, install the adjustable door guides at the mouth of the pocket - these will center the door in the pocket and keep it sliding smoothly.

Now install the side jambs and finally the head jambs. Use screws to install the head jambs last, just in case, so it can be removed if your ever have to take out your pocket door sometime in the future.

Finally, install the door casings. Use finishing nails and put some glue on the miters and construction adhesive on the backside of the casing to hold it firmly.