In the January edition of Professional Builder we showed you how to assemble and install an Eclisse Classic Pocket Door frame. Typically, the pocket door frame is installed and plaster boarded at first fix and then the door and jambs installed at second fix, although it is possible to install your door before plaster boarding before fitting the jambs.
Glass or Timber Door?
Eclisse UK sell a variety of pocket door frames that suit a wide range of standard UK door sizes, so you have the flexibility to use your own choice of door panel to match other doors in the property. The company doesn’t supply timber doors but does supply Glass Pocket Doors with a vast choice of beautiful plain and patterned and even hand painted glass doors. The pocket door frame is the same whether you are installing a timber door or a glass door. What is different is the hanging gear for attaching the rollers to the door, the shape of the door guide and the jamb kit.
This guide will focus on installing a timber door for a Classic Single Pocket Door System
A pocket door frame allows the door to be top hung and to slide back and disappear into a pocket in the wall. The frame and kit box comes in one box and the jambs come in a second box.
Top Tip: The kit box containing all the parts for hanging the door, and the anti-warp under door profile that sits in a routed channel underneath the door, all come with the frame in the same box. So, if there is going to be a time delay between fitting the frame and then fitting the door it is worthwhile storing the kit box with the hanging gear and the under-door profile inside the pocket until you are ready to hang the door.
Hanging the door couldn’t be simpler
The runners are assembled with the bolts and washers as shown and slot into the overhead track. The door brackets are attached to the doors with the screws supplied, either 120mm from the leading and trailing edge of the door for a single door or 120mm from the trailing edge and 140mm from the leading edge for double doors. You can then hook the door brackets onto the bolts suspended from the runners. There is around 10mm adjustment available to allow your door panel to be adjusted to the right height and therefore run smoothly.
Top Tip: If you have forgotten to install your frame at finished floor level using packers to estimate the correct height you may be able to use the adjustment available or a combination of planing the bottom of the door and the adjustment available to make your door fit.
Smooth running even if the door warps
Top Tip: Don’t forget to install the metal anti-warp under door profile. The anti-warp under door profile runs on the spigot on the door guide at the entrance of the pocket. Whilst you can route out a channel to use the system without the anti-warp profile it is better to install it as this will ensure the Eclisse pocket door continues to slide perfectly even if the door does warp.
A channel needs to be routed in the underside of the door for the under door profile. Cut the under door profile to 10mm longer than the door width. Route a channel 10 x 17mm into the bottom of the door from the rear of the door to the 5mm from the front edge of the door. Using a small amount of silicon insert the under door profile into the channel. It should protude 15mm at the rear of the door. The combination of the anti-warp under door profile and the self-centering door guide ensures a smooth sliding action of the pocket door. Because the door is top hung there is no threshold strip or runner on the floor and, therefore, no need to interrupt the flooring from one room to another.
Feeling Flush?
The rear door stop is set so that your door will protrude 80mm from the pocket. However, it is possible to adjust the rear door stop by simply unscrewing it and sliding it back to adjust how far your door protrudes or even to make it flush with your jamb kit. This can be done before you install the track, once the track is installed before you have plasterboarded the frame or even after the pocket door has been fully installed because Eclisse has a patented extractable track that allows you to extract the track without ever having to break into the wall.
Top Tip: When fitting recessed flush pull handles Eclisse recommend the stop be regulated so the door protrudes from the pocket to avoid risk to fingers. It is possible, however, to have a finger pull in the leading edge of the door or a touch latch where you simply push the leading edge of the door and it is released from the pocket.
The specially designed jamb is the key to a professional finish
A good quality, well designed jamb kit can make all the difference. Eclisse jambs kits are made from timber that is Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified. The design of the jamb kit with the brushes means you will not see the top of the door nor into the pocket and the recessed door with rubber bumpers means the door will close fully. To install the jamb kit place the wooden door post into position and drill four pairs of holes equidistant along its length through the recess for the rubber bumpers and through the metal door post. Countersink these holes and screw the wooden doorpost into place.
Detach the rubber bumpers and insert each length into the recesses. Trim the lower position of the vertical pocket jamb to accommodate the door guide and attach to both sides of the pocket entrance using 4 or 5 blobs of silicon. The top horizontal jamb will need to be cut to size. Note the rebate on both ends is used to match the top of each of the vertical pocket jambs. Fix into place using silicon. It’s as simple as that. You can then finish off the pocket door by installing the architrave. This is not supplied with the jamb kit because you will want to match the architrave around the pocket door to the architrave used in the rest of the property.
Top Tip: Attach the top architrave with silicone. This is because if you would like to remove the door, or access the extractable track in the future, it is easier to remove the archtrave without damaging it if it has been attached with silicone rather than pinned in place.
