new hardward for pocket doors
We have some old doors that we want to make into pocket doors so we need to get track hardware. Where would I find track hardware for pocket doors. Should I look for period hardware (bottom wheels) or modern (hung from the top track, preferred) versions? If the latter, is there any issue with weight…
We have some old doors that we want to make into pocket doors so we need to get track hardware. Where would I find track hardware for pocket doors.
Should I look for period hardware (bottom wheels) or modern (hung from the top track, preferred) versions? If the latter, is there any issue with weight as we also want to redo the Parlor flr doors (incl glass ==> heavy)? In refitting, is there any space issue with putting in the tracks?
I successfully used replacement patio door wheels on a pair of heavy pocket doors which had all the hardware missing.
Hafele is the best quality but can be a pain to get hold of as they only sell to the trade and is very expensive. I used Johnson’s which I purchased from their website directly-very smooth action-a bit less pretty than Hafele They have some at HD but the heavier duty stuff is only online or at Simon’s and the like.
i’ve taken the rollers off old window sashes and they work great,(one of the wheels was broken, so it needed to be replaced). it’s a pretty easy fix. for a runner, i got a flat piece of steel from home depot and a rod, tack welded them to each other and they roll smooth as new. my doors were both 9′ and heavy oak, so i let gravity do the work. that amount of weight being suspended, i’d be nervous that they would tend to sag at some point.
When we renovated 5 years ago, we moved a set of pocket doors from the rear parlor (where we took out the wall separating the small butler’s pantry from the rest of what then became our kitchen-dining room). We relocated the pocket doors upstairs in our master bedroom, reconfiguring the pass-through/closet area. The re-install was tricky but our carpenter did a great job. The doors are hung from above which we love. The movement is so light and smooth (especially compared to the set of pocket doors that remain downstairs which move very stiffly on their original floor track). Also, since we did wall-to-wall carpet in the bedroom, a floor track would have been very unattractive. I don’t know the manufacturer of the track we used but, to echo the post above, I know our carpenter spent a lot of time researching it and bought the highest quality system he could find. Try Simon’s on 3rd Ave in Manhattan. They stock a huge depth of high-end hardware and can special order much more besides.
I just did this with two doors…. it is very very difficult to find period bottom wheels – I did find them in one place (I think in PA) but they did not fit. I talked to many many people about this and they all recommended the hanging track – mostly because our floor slopes and that would have made it difficult for the floor track. Also, the hanging/sliding track is MUCH smoother and if you get the correct one can be opened and closed with one finger. That said, DO NOT buy the Stanley track they sell at home depot. It says it can hold much more weight than it really can and it does not roll smoothly. I did that with our first door and am very disappointed with it. The best tracks I found (after a lot of research and asking the pros) is from Johnson. Their website is http://www.johnsonhardware.com/ Dykes stocks some of them. We are very happy with our Johnson track – it is so smooth that it makes me want to rip out the wall we just finished and replace the other one. Good luck! email me if you have any questions.