Expert: Dan Griffin - 11/27/2010

Question
QUESTION: I would like to replace the existing sliding glass patio doors with pocket french doors. The patio is now enclosed and under air so interior doors would be acceptable. The finished opening is 117", so I thinking four 30" doors. Four? Yes I would like to use one set of doors as a wall extension on each side allowing the moving door to slide in behind the other without blocking the view. My concern is the moving doors kicking out at the bottom. Can I use a thin U-channel placed into a wooden threshold with a guide pin installed on the bottom of the doors? Any ideas on this project

ANSWER: Stan, I'm not sure that we are both using the same words or I am not understanding your descriiption.

I assume you have the old aluminum framed sliding glass patio doors.  These are typically 6' wide.  There is a header over the door to carry the loads above like roof or second story.  I haven't ever seen any that would have an opening at 117" which would have the existing doors almost 5' wide each.

A pocket door goes into an opening that has finish materials on both sides so the door disappears leaving just an opening.  The header over one 3' door is over 6' long.

YOu may be describing sliding doors.  Even then the track and doors would need to be on one side of the wall or the other.  To house them in the wall line would require a header a bit over 16' long which will require LVL or steel to make the span and serious wall work on both sides.

As to hardwasre, look at any commercial sliding door set.  Here is one I use:   http://johnsonhardware.com/
Look at their multi pass door hardware which comes closest to what you describe.  You might also look at some of their inatalls on the outside of the wall to avoid major header issues.

Hope this helps and answers your question.


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Yes, It is as I described, a 117" finished opening with two 5' aluminum glass doors I know I just lifted them out by myself last night. The house is a 1967 Florida split design with a finished off patio now under air. I'm thinking, after I remove the plaster/drywall I will find a rough opening around 120".where I would place a 30" french door on both sides and screw in permanently, then adding 2 pocket french doors that would operate on 2 pocket door tracks allowing them to move in behind the screwed in doors on either side so as not to obscure the view of the back yard. The problem would be with the bottoms wanting to kick out when the doors are pulled closed and there is no guild to hold them back from not doing so. I know this is a little outside the norm but this is what I do, sometimes it works while others, well you know.

Answer
Stan, sliding hardware usually has control of the door bottoms at the pocket throat.  This bracket  has always been sufficient to control the door bottoms in an interior installation for me.  These brackets are set to still be touching the door bottom when the doors are in the closed position.  

Again, look at the hardware and installation details at Johnson for more information.