Build Interior Door Frame

Cut the header to fit between the king studs.

Build interior door frame.

This yields a stronger more stable door frame which has less tendency to warp or distort over time. Place the head jamb over the top ends of the side jambs. You will need to add 1 2 of plywood between the 2x4 s to get the right wall thickness of 3 1 2. Next use a circular saw to cut out the plywood and sand the wood so the faces and edges are smooth and level.

Build the wall with a bottom plate running across the doorway. Most interior doors today are made from a material called masonite which is a kind of wood fiberboard that is steam cooked and pressure molded onto a thin wood frame to create a slab door that has an appearance of a door with rails stiles and panels. The builder s choice wood pocket door frame is the builder s choice wood pocket door frame is constructed from solid hemlock and is conveniently pre assembled for easy installation. Then you can cut the bottom plate out after the wall is installed.

This domestically produced pocket door frame includes the track installation hardware and instructions. To make it easier to remove the bottom plate under the door cut most of the way through it in the correct places with a circular saw. Install the door inside the jamb frame by assembling the hinges. I build mine by laminating two pieces of 3 4 thick stock.

Make a header by fitting two 2 x 8s around a 1 2 inch piece of plywood. This is the actual thickness of a 2x4. Install a cripple stud between the header and the top plate halfway between the king studs. Use two or three 1 1 2 inch screws to fasten the head jamb to each side jamb depending on how wide the jamb material is.

Then measure the height and width of the doorway you ll be installing the door in and mark the dimensions on the plywood. When complete you should have a door frame without a bottom piece. The benefit of these doors is that they are cheap stable and easy to paint. Cut the door header.

This keeps the entire wall in one plane as you install it. But they can be done with regular clamps too provided you have enough. The unfinished natural wood frame can be installed to either side of the door opening. I usually do these lamination clamp ups in a vacuum press.