pocket door install in new wall?

[atgcpaul]

The Johnson kits are pretty stout. I doubt you'll notice a difference. Just make sure everything is dead plum and square.

The thin "studs" are basically 1x3's wrapped in steel. The pair near the door opening typically gets a 1x2 jamb and casing attached; not super ridgid, but I wouldn't call it flimsy. If your time is worth anything, spending $ for a kit is more economical than piecing together the frame and buying just the track and trolleys. Exception: Extraordinarily large and/or heavy doors need appropriately heavy duty track and trolleys. The wall needs to be thicker than 3-1/2"  too. I stitch a steel stud in a track for each stud and a track ripped in half for the plate and shoe. (2x4's on the flat won't stay flat enough for a door frame.) Then I rip strips of 1/2" plywood scraps to 1-1/2" to build out both sides of the remaining wall framing. Now you can understand why I think the kit is well worth the money.

Thanks for the info!

[WoodCzech]

This may seem like a dumb little detail, but it would bug me forever if I didn't do it


I installed the Johnson kit twice.  There are two plastic guides that keep the bottom of the door from swinging.  I think they look ugly when the instructions are followed.  This can be seen in video below at around 5:20.  Instead, I cut a couple of short dados at the bottom of the jambs so the guides slide in those.  A hole for the screw is then drilled through the jamb to go through the slot on the guide.  That way they are flush with the jamb and not sticking out looking ugly and catching all kinds of dirt. 



Here is the result: