Pocket Door

Pocket Door

These are not quite "before" pics, but the existing doorway from the kitchen to the family room is being moved to the right (as viewed from the current dining room, which will be the kitchen.)


We are putting in a pocket door so, the space has to be treated as a double door. This is a loadbearing wall as it is the end of the house. (The family room was once a garage.)


Mister Andy Pennock put in some invaluable hours on Saturday afternoon. Here, he is opening up the new doorway.


Here is the new opening. Note the big double plate of 2x12's over the existing door space. These are attached to the edge of the family room ceiling. They have to be removed and replaced with a double plate of 2x8 that spans the entire space. That proved the most challenging and potentially consequential job so far.


In the end, I escaped with a small cut on my finger and a shallow bruise on my shoulder BUT the family room ceiling did not come down (or crack) and the load bearing wall is adequately supported. (Actually, several more studs are still to go in with the pocket door.) The pocket door will be "hidden" to the left of this opening. (The stove will be newly placed in front of this hidden door.) To the right will be the new opening to the family.