Two quick questions. First, is it possible to change out a standard swing door for a pocket door w/o tearing out the drywall? I'm guessing not but I thought I'd better ask. Second, does anyone know about carpenter bees? Will a simple treatment be enough to eradicate them? How often does a treatment need to be reapplied?
Two quick questions. First, is it possible to change out a standard swing door for a pocket door w/o tearing out the drywall? I'm guessing not but I thought I'd better ask. TIA!
No. You have to remove the studs in the wall where the pocket door will hide and replace them with the framework that supports the header.
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Originally posted by Monkeyman:
Second, does anyone know about carpenter bees? Will a simple treatment be enough to eradicate them? How often does a treatment need to be reapplied?
Train the carpenter bees to go into the wall and chew out the studs. Problem solved. Duh!
Not so fast there Bubba. Such training would have to be approved by the Carpenter's Trades Union. There will be additional fees required for unauthorized and unapproved work by those worker bees....... Importing foreign bees from down south might work but be sure to check for green cards. Any not on work Visas might kill the project and the construction superintendent. You might consider termites.
Reference installation of the pocket doors, it's been several years since I did this but as I remember, those videos were right on.
Rams
[This message has been edited by blackrams (edited 05-07-2018).]
Originally posted by blackrams: Not so fast there Bubba. Such training would have to be approved by the Carpenter's Trades Union. There will be additional fees required for unauthorized and unapproved work by those worker bees ... You might consider termites.
Not so fast there Bubba. We need EPA approval, work permits from the City, and to be sure we have licensed bonded contractors. We might need an engineer. Somebody call 84Fiero123.
I wonder how Steve is doing. Long time no see. Gosh. I have no contact info.
Thanks, guys. The house I'm thinking about buying is small. I mean, it's tiny. Little. Like about 400sq ft small. It has a tiny bathroom next to an equally tiny kitchen (and I use that term loosely). There's a door between the kitchen and bathroom (thank God). I'm trying to save a little bit of space by replacing the swing door w/a pocket door. I have room in the wall (I think) but the counters/sink is against the wall on the kitchen side and the toilet is about 6" away from the wall on the bathroom side. The shower is on the other side of the doorway so I'm sure the plumbing would be completely in the way.
The carpenter bees are another issue. They've successfully bored into a bit of the wood siding. Nothing structural (just had an inspection today) but I obviously want them gone. The seller has already agreed to treat for them (including patching their holes). I've read about carpenter bee traps (I plan on getting about a dozen) but I don't really know much else about them. I saw a few today. They're some BIG suckers! Kind of lazy flying and the inspector said they're not aggressive but still......
Thanks, guys. The house I'm thinking about buying is small. I mean, it's tiny. Little. Like about 400sq ft small. It has a tiny bathroom next to an equally tiny kitchen (and I use that term loosely). There's a door between the kitchen and bathroom (thank God). I'm trying to save a little bit of space by replacing the swing door w/a pocket door. I have room in the wall (I think) but the counters/sink is against the wall on the kitchen side and the toilet is about 6" away from the wall on the bathroom side. The shower is on the other side of the doorway so I'm sure the plumbing would be completely in the way.
......
If you need advice during your house search post it here or PM me if you want details private. I am more than willing to help.
Why not just go with an exposed sliding barn style door? No cutting into the wall...you just give up a little exposed wall space.
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Originally posted by Monkeyman:
Thanks, guys. The house I'm thinking about buying is small. I mean, it's tiny. Little. Like about 400sq ft small. It has a tiny bathroom next to an equally tiny kitchen (and I use that term loosely). There's a door between the kitchen and bathroom (thank God). I'm trying to save a little bit of space by replacing the swing door w/a pocket door. I have room in the wall (I think) but the counters/sink is against the wall on the kitchen side and the toilet is about 6" away from the wall on the bathroom side. The shower is on the other side of the doorway so I'm sure the plumbing would be completely in the way.
The carpenter bees are another issue. They've successfully bored into a bit of the wood siding. Nothing structural (just had an inspection today) but I obviously want them gone. The seller has already agreed to treat for them (including patching their holes). I've read about carpenter bee traps (I plan on getting about a dozen) but I don't really know much else about them. I saw a few today. They're some BIG suckers! Kind of lazy flying and the inspector said they're not aggressive but still......
Why not just go with an exposed sliding barn style door? No cutting into the wall...you just give up a little exposed wall space.
No exposed wall space. 6" between one wall and the toilet, shower against the wall on the other side of the doorway. Kitchen counter/sink on one side and laundry area on the other. That's why I was trying to get rid of the swinging door. Good idea and one I would probably go w/if I had the room. Like I said, this thing is TINY. It works for me as I don't need much more than a shack but a couple would be hard pressed to live in it. Let's put it this way, I can sit on the can, brush my teeth at the sink and wash my feet in the shower all at once. Or, do laundry, get in the fridge and wash dishes w/o moving more than a couple steps.
Maybe you could use a folding door? There are many different types available, like bifold doors, accordion doors, etc. Although they'e typically used in closets. So finding one with a lock might be a challenge.
I feel like you're always trying to half ass everything on a budget. Put the pocket door and then fix the sheetrock. The door install will be a hell of a lot harder than fixing sheetrock.
Note: Exact wall type matters... Like a "load(ed) wall" is a wall that holds up something and have rules to mod them safely, to meet building codes, etc. Any wall may have wiring and/or plumbing close to old door that will affect installing a pocket door. Moving wiring can be problems as is. Plumbing changes can be a nightmare or impossible.
------------------ Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should. (Jurassic Park)
I feel like you're always trying to half ass everything on a budget. Put the pocket door and then fix the sheetrock. The door install will be a hell of a lot harder than fixing sheetrock.
I don't know about "always". I had an idea and wanted some input. If it can't be done without tearing into a wall, so be it.
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Originally posted by theogre:
Note: Exact wall type matters... Like a "load(ed) wall" is a wall that holds up something and have rules to mod them safely, to meet building codes, etc. Any wall may have wiring and/or plumbing close to old door that will affect installing a pocket door. Moving wiring can be problems as is. Plumbing changes can be a nightmare or impossible.
It's not a load bearing wall. I don't think anything is in the wall. It's an interior wall so there wouldn't even be any insulation. No wiring or plumbing. The only possible issue is the close proximity to the toilet. It really is only about 6" away from the wall.
Having a swing door there isn't the end of the world. It just makes much better use of the space w/a pocket door, especially with the tiny size of the place.
Maybe you could use a folding door? There are many different types available, like bifold doors, accordion doors, etc. Although they'e typically used in closets. So finding one with a lock might be a challenge.
I don't care about a lock. I'll be the only one living there. Bifold doors might be an alternative although I was hoping for a door to take up zero space. Still.....food for thought.
Thanks, guys. The house I'm thinking about buying is small. I mean, it's tiny. Little. Like about 400sq ft small. It has a tiny bathroom next to an equally tiny kitchen (and I use that term loosely). There's a door between the kitchen and bathroom (thank God). I'm trying to save a little bit of space by replacing the swing door w/a pocket door. I have room in the wall (I think) but the counters/sink is against the wall on the kitchen side and the toilet is about 6" away from the wall on the bathroom side. The shower is on the other side of the doorway so I'm sure the plumbing would be completely in the way.
The carpenter bees are another issue. They've successfully bored into a bit of the wood siding. Nothing structural (just had an inspection today) but I obviously want them gone. The seller has already agreed to treat for them (including patching their holes). I've read about carpenter bee traps (I plan on getting about a dozen) but I don't really know much else about them. I saw a few today. They're some BIG suckers! Kind of lazy flying and the inspector said they're not aggressive but still......
Not sure what the interior looks like, but if swapping out an inswing with an outswing (or vice-versa) would solve your problem, you could always do that too.
A pocket door is decent, but consider that you can't have any plumbing or electrical on the wall where the pocket door will slide into.
Carpenter ants isn't a big deal... just need to "solve the problem" with a bug guy... then just cut out the affected wood, and replace.
Originally posted by 82-T/A [At Work]: A pocket door is decent, but consider that you can't have any plumbing or electrical on the wall where the pocket door will slide into.
I used a cheapo $25 dollar accordian door in a place where I was renting a long time ago. Cheap, easy to install, n it worked. I hate pocket doors, I get calls to adjust n patch where "handymen" put nails too long into the trim n it scrapes the door lol. Dorr jammed n the owner or kid kicked it till it opened, or broke lol. Always something w those pocket doors
Not sure what the interior looks like, but if swapping out an inswing with an outswing (or vice-versa) would solve your problem, you could always do that too.
Carpenter ants isn't a big deal...
The door currently swings into a TINY kitchen. Swinging the door the other way would allow it to swing into an equally small bathroom. It wouldn't help but thanks for the suggestion.
Not carpenter ANTS but carpenter BEES. The seller is obligated to fix that issue. I just didn't know if anyone had any suggestions about long term fixes.
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Originally posted by shemdogg:
I used a cheapo $25 dollar accordian door in a place where I was renting a long time ago. Cheap, easy to install, n it worked. I hate pocket doors, I get calls to adjust n patch where "handymen" put nails too long into the trim n it scrapes the door lol. Dorr jammed n the owner or kid kicked it till it opened, or broke lol. Always something w those pocket doors
shem
Thanks, shem but I want something more than an accordian door. A bifold door "might" work if I can't find someone to remove enough wall to install a pocket door. I'm not worried about long nails. I'd check and double check someones work. If they do something that scratches the door, they get the do the entire job again.....for free. Nobody else will be in the house so I'm not worried about a kid kicking the door.
If you are planning on living alone take the door off. You're talking about spending potentially a good bit of money for a house smaller than my en suite. We had 3 nuisance doors in there. I took all of them off but the closet. I would've pulled it to, but sometimes company uses our bathroom and my wife doesn't "clean" the closet. That and my safes are behind that door. We made that one a security door since it is central to the house, it doubles as a shelter for my animals in inclement weather.
My father's parents lived their entire lives in Bismarck in the same house where he was born. The house had no interior doors, only curtains. Actually, it was nothing more than a basement with a roof on it. They were very poor.
One last idea...what about two half doors on double swing hinges.
That's a pretty good idea. If I get the house, I'll have to look into that!
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Originally posted by ls3mach:
If you are planning on living alone take the door off. You're talking about spending potentially a good bit of money for a house smaller than my en suite.
Living alone, yes, but I still want a private bathroom. You never know when I might have company, either my folks or someone else. I am definitely talking about a small house but I'm also talking about a place I'll live for the next 15-20 years. It's not worth putting $100000 into but it IS worth putting something into. For example, I hate carpet so I'll rip up the carpet and install some sort of wood (ish) flooring. It might be laminate, it might be something better. If I'm living in it, there's no reason to compromise (for the most part).
Or, do laundry, get in the fridge and wash dishes w/o moving more than a couple steps. 
