Replacing A Swing Door With A Sliding Door

Make sure the opening is plumb and level.

Replacing a swing door with a sliding door.

Use a flat pry bar to remove the casing nails securing the door jambs to the wall. Then attach the bottom door guides track so that the door doesn t wildly sway to and fro when being slid open and closed. Cut the existing door out of frame. In any case for homes with a theme where it makes sense french doors can be a great alternative to a standard sliding door.

Use a pry bar and a hammer to gently remove the interior door trim. 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. Carefully cut drywall and pocket door frame to allow a 2x4 stiffener on hinge side of the new door. Save the trim to be used elsewhere.

If necessary cut through stubborn nails with a reciprocating saw. To hang a pocket door you need a rough opening that is twice as wide as the door itself. 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. Remove strike side jamb cut out steel track above.

If you are not too keen on replacing your sliding glass doors with double french doors you have the option of choosing patio doors. Chisel out a space in the door jamb for each door hinge. Replacing a regular swing door with a sliding or pocket door is an efficient way to take full advantage of more room area. The new door should be 3 4 inch narrower than the opening and 1 2 inch shorter.

Remove molding from around existing pocket door. You can easily increase your home s energy efficiency by replacing an old glass slider with new insulated hinged doors. To check for plumb run a beam from a laser level. Next install the hardware.

Start by removing the old slider. Cut away any old caulk between the door frame and the wall. We get so many questions asking us how to replace an existing door with a sliding door so we are covering just that. 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.

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. Hold a hinge flat against the door jamb surface and trace around it with a pencil. This means taking down the old swinging door removing the jamb and disassembling the wall framing. You ll need a set of sliding door hardware as well as a door that s large enough to cover your opening.

While this transformation is not an easy or quick job it can be accomplished with sufficient carpentry skills and experience.