In a previous article, “Installing a Pocket Door” (May/23), I described the installation of one of Johnson Hardware’s commercial-grade pocket-door kits, which are assembled on site. For a recent project, I chose to use a prefabricated pocket-door assembly—also from Johnson Hardware—for a couple of reasons, which I’ll describe in a bit more detail below. But when it came time to pick up the door and the pocket-door assembly, it turned out the lumberyard didn’t stock the assembly in a size that matched the door.
Solid-core door. I was replacing a standard hinged door with a 2-foot 2-inch solid-core birch door, the maximum size that would fit in the tight space available for it. Solid-core doors are heavy, which is why I like to use them with pocket-door hardware; the weight helps them to roll more smoothly on their track.
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