Replacing A Swing Door With A Sliding Door

Carefully cut drywall and pocket door frame to allow a 2x4 stiffener on hinge side of the new door.

Replacing a swing door with a sliding door.

Chisel out a space in the door jamb for each door hinge. Use a pry bar and a hammer to gently remove the interior door trim. Cut away any old caulk between the door frame and the wall. You can easily increase your home s energy efficiency by replacing an old glass slider with new insulated hinged doors.

Putting the door in the wall frees up the usual swing path area of the standard door and allows the wall usually hidden by a swing door to be used as a part of the rest of the room. To hang a pocket door you need a rough opening that is twice as wide as the door itself. Then attach the bottom door guides track so that the door doesn t wildly sway to and fro when being slid open and closed. Use a template to mark the holes for your door hardware then drill the holes making sure to hold the drill perpendicular to the floor.

Cut the existing door out of frame. We wanted to give her a sliding barn door for the pantry doors because they are visible from so many rooms in the house and giving this space a custom look would not only serve a function it would look beautiful on the wall. Remove molding from around existing pocket door. While this transformation is not an easy or quick job it can be accomplished with sufficient carpentry skills and experience.

We get so many questions asking us how to replace an existing door with a sliding door so we are covering just that. If you are not too keen on replacing your sliding glass doors with double french doors you have the option of choosing patio doors. Then attach the hinges with screws. You ll need a set of sliding door hardware as well as a door that s large enough to cover your opening.

Remove strike side jamb cut out steel track above. Use a flat pry bar to remove the casing nails securing the door jambs to the wall. The new door should be 3 4 inch narrower than the opening and 1 2 inch shorter. In any case for homes with a theme where it makes sense french doors can be a great alternative to a standard sliding door.

Next install the hardware. To check for plumb run a beam from a laser level. Hold a hinge flat against the door jamb surface and trace around it with a pencil. If necessary cut through stubborn nails with a reciprocating saw.

Center swing patio doors. Replacing a regular swing door with a sliding or pocket door is an efficient way to take full advantage of more room area. Start by removing the old slider. With the hinges attached to the door hold the door into place against the jamb with the hinges in place in the space you chiseled out.

Once the railing is up and the door is cut to form if need be the next step is to screw in the door rollers and brackets to the upper end of the door according to the hardware kit sspecific install instructions.