How to Replace Pocket Door Hardware for Smooth Opening and Closing

RON HAZELTON:
Now this is called a pocket door. It's actually a sliding door that goes up inside the wall, and these have some real advantages. For one thing, they don't require room to swing, and when they're completely open, they're completely out of sight.

This window has a few problems. Some missing hardware right here -- a track that doesn't work that well and is kind of noisy and when the door is closed, there are some alignment problems.

The solution to some of these problems is to install a new track and sliding door hardware. Step one is to take out the door and remove the existing hardware. I use a utility knife to cut through the paint and caulk at the base of the stop -- a strip of wood that runs along the jamb.

Next, I use putty knives and pry bars to lift off the stops. These come away in good shape and I should be able to reuse them later. With the stops gone, I swing the door out at the bottom and lift it off the track. Next, I remove the top casing on the other side, along with a small piece of the doorframe.

You know, a pocket door is aptly named because the door actually does slide into a pocket in the wall. There are no studs in here, no conventional framing. This is actually a wooden box. It's hollow inside. Come here, take a look. Now the first thing I'm gonna do on my pocket door makeover, is take out and replace this track up here.

Now here in the door opening, I get up here, no problem and undo the screws. But over here, they're concealed inside the wall. So I'm gonna cut an opening. An electronic stud sensor will help me locate the pocket door frame.

I'll mark the top first, and then drop down enough to give myself clearance for a drill and draw the bottom line. Finally, I mark the sides. The idea here is to avoid cutting into the wooden framework.

Now this is the section that I'm going to cut out. It's large enough to allow me to get my tools in there, but no larger than it really has to be. And I'm gonna cut this out now using a drywall saw. By twisting and pushing the saw, I can pierce the wallboard. Then I begin cutting, using smooth, even strokes. I always try to use a sharp saw. It's easier to control, and makes the work go quickly.

With the wall open, it's easy to remove the rest of the screw holding the track. Well, this is the old track that we took out. As you can see, it's made of sheet metal and it can be distorted fairly easily, and this is the carrier.

These wheels are plastic, no bearings or anything here and of course, it would slip right in like this. Now here is the new track that we're putting up. This is extruded aluminum, very rigid, and a new carrier -- has three wheels instead of two and these are ball bearings, so it's gonna give us a nice smooth ride here.

Ah, now that's just about what I expected. Now remember, there was a gap between the door and the jamb right down here? Well, part of that is being caused by this top of the frame up here, which is not level. It's out by about a quarter of an inch.

So before I put that track up, I'm gonna put a shim or spacer over on this side. This short strip of four inch wood should do the trick. In effect, it will lower the track just slightly on this end. I'll tack it in place, and then install the track on top of it. I do one more check for leveling.  Then install the remaining screws.

Now it's time to remove the old hardware from the top of the door and replace it with these plates that will, in turn, attach to the new hangers already installed on the track. To reinstall the door, I set the top in position first, then move the bottom into place, until the door is vertical in the opening.

Next, I raise the door slightly, using shims. Since I'm working alone, a pry bar comes in handy as a lever. I can raise the door with one hand and insert the shims with the other. When everything's at the correct height, all I have to do is roll the hangers onto the brackets and flip the locking lever.

Well, the track's in and it works beautifully. But I've still got one problem. Back in the beginning, remember, when the door would close, it would touch up here, but there would be a gap at the bottom? Well, the bad news is, I've still got that problem.

But the good news is, the hangers or carriers in this system are easily adjustable. So if I bring this one up, and this one down, I can close that gap pretty much completely.
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Since I was careful to remove the trim without damaging it, I can reuse each piece and avoid having to worry about finding new molding that will match. Speaking of reusing things, there's really no reason I can't put back the same piece of wallboard that I cut out.

I'm attaching these strips around the opening tag as backers. They'll support the repair section and give me something to screw into. A wall repair made this way is actually stronger than the original. In fact, the joint is so stable; I'm not even going to use tape. Instead, I'm going to fill the gap with a setting type compound. When it's dry, I'll sand it flush.

Try as I might, I could not find a door pull the same size as the missing one. So I'm simply going to fill the hole. This catalyzed wood filler will allow me to make this fix in no time. It has two parts: a resin and a hardener.

After blending the two together, I apply the filler -- wait a few minutes until it becomes firm and rubbery, then just cut off the excess with a utility knife. A quick sanding and I've got a new surface to work with.

One of the simplest ways to cut a recess or mortise for latches is to first bore a series of overlapping holes. I like to use a Forstner bit for this. Because of their shape, these bits are less likely to slip into the adjacent hole and they leave a clean, flat bottom.

For the next step, I'll need my chisels. Now I've got a really nice set of these, but I'll only need one or two to cut out the wood between the holes. Next, I slip the latch in place, screw it temporarily into position and use a utility knife to scribe the outline.

The trickiest part of cutting the mortise is making the shallow recess into which the plate sets. By placing the edge of the chisel in the groove left by the utility knife, I can get a well defined sharp edge. Once the outline is cut, I carefully remove the inside material.

And notice for this, I'm using a chisel with a bevel facing downward. Because I used the latch as a template for the mortise, the fit is nearly perfect.

Well, this door has some new hardware. It rolls so quietly, you'd think it was on ball bearings, which actually it is. But best of all, there's no gap over here. I guess we can pronounce this project, a success.