Pocket Door Now Works!

One of the longest-running projects I've had in the JayBee is the pocket door and its wall leading into the bathroom. I built the door starting in 2012. I built the wall for it in 2015. I hung the door in 2016. I replaced the door stop for the wall with a removable one in 2020. (Hmm... This might be another entry in the "you know you're taking too long..." series.)

For years now, I've had the door tied to the door stop because the wall was not plumb so the door did not hang exactly in the middle and, because it hangs free from the top, it could easily swing from side to side and scrape the half-studs or even slam into them. Even when I warned visitors not to move the door, it was too tempting; everyone who sees it wants to operate it. So--I tied it down, to keep it from moving and getting damaged.

Most pocket doors are hung in a wall that is built with 2x6s. Every inch counts in a tiny house, so I purchased this kit that allowed me to install the door in a wall only 3.5" deep. It has half-studs reinforced with metal to accomplish this.

In the photo below, you can see that the door was hanging unevenly in the wall. This edge was too close to the righthand half-stud; the other edge was too close to the half-stud on the other side.

Now that the house is level, I could finally plumb up this wall. I removed the screws holding the base of the studs to the floor, moved the studs until they were plumb, and reattached them to the floor.

Then, I decided to make use of these occasional holes in the metal reinforcing on the sides of the studs.

I cut boards to length and put pocket-screw holes in the ends of them.

I used the boards to span between the two half-studs on each side of the wall.

Now the door slides back and forth in the wall without scraping and crashing.

For a little extra insurance, I wrapped each of the new boards with leftover strips of sill insulation.

Voilá! A functioning pocket door. Now the door can be moved in whatever direction makes it easiest for the plumber to do his work.

That's the great news! The plumber is back in touch, and he will be doing the rest of the plumbing work in about a week.

Also see:

Pocket Door 1
Pocket Door 2
Pocket Door 3
Pocket Door 4
Pocket Door 5
Pocket Door 6
Wall for Pocket Door
Pocket Door Wall Done!
Dubbing Around the Edges (includes new door stop for pocket door)

Interior Walls 15

I felt like I made good progress over the weekend. Two more rows of boards installed in the bathroom...

...and, then, two more rows.

Long boards for the south wall--almost ready to install.

South wall--started! (I will have to come up with a baseboard work-around to cover the exposed wheel well.)

I was feeling so good about my progress--until I realized that I'd completely forgotten about the west wall above the bathroom and the west loft. Shoot! Another whole gable peak to do.

Also see:
Interior Walls 1
Interior Walls 2
Interior Walls 3
Interior Walls 4
Interior Walls 5
Interior Walls 6
Interior Walls 7
Interior Walls 8
Interior Walls 9
Interior Walls 10
Interior Walls 11
Interior Walls 12
Interior Walls 13
Interior Walls 14


George, on one of his many visits to the JayBee.

And sleeping, of course.

Interior Walls 14

For awhile now while working on the interior walls of the JayBee, I've been pondering about what to do about my wonky electrical boxes. Typically, the boxes for switches, outlets, and light fixtures should be flush or recessed from the wall boards once they're installed--like the one in this photo below.

Unfortunately, though, I have a number of boxes that were installed so that they protrude from the wall due to the framing in these areas--like these in the bathroom (below).

Back before I insulated the walls, I should have yanked out these boxes and replaced them with specialty boxes that were shallow enough to fit correctly. I didn't do that then, and now it's too late to do it. So I had to come up with a solution.

My solution was to create some custom trim to install around the protruding electrical boxes.

When I created the custom trim piece for the bathroom, I also created one for the living room. I painted this one barn red because it will be installed inside my entry/office cupboard, which is painted barn red on the inside back. (It's not installed in the photo below, just temporarily propped in place in order to take the photo.)

While waiting for the various layers of finish to dry on those trim pieces, I cleaned and rearranged everything inside the JayBee in order to open up access to the south wall--so I can begin installing wall boards here.

My biggest challenge with this wall will be working around the jutting-out wheel well that will interfere with the first two rows of boards. I had a similar problem on the north wall but, since the wheel well did not stick out as far on that side, I was able to carve out the back sides of the boards on that first north row to fit around the wheel well.

I still have the closet half on its side as a paint stand for the longer boards...

... and I set up my other painting area inside the bed alcove.

Ready to roll!

Also see:
Interior Walls 1
Interior Walls 2
Interior Walls 3
Interior Walls 4
Interior Walls 5
Interior Walls 6
Interior Walls 7
Interior Walls 8
Interior Walls 9
Interior Walls 10
Interior Walls 11
Interior Walls 12
Interior Walls 13
Interior Walls 15

Turkeys wandered through the yard the other day. Hard to imagine that Maine was once so devoid of turkeys that they had to be reintroduced starting back in the 1940s, given how many I now see on a regular basis.

Interior Walls 13

Finished up two walls!

The north wall (with the exception of the small bathroom piece I'm still working on). I'm especially happy with the trim piece I installed around the vent for the air exchanger.

The east wall.

More progress in the bathroom.

Also see:
Interior Walls 1
Interior Walls 2
Interior Walls 3
Interior Walls 4
Interior Walls 5
Interior Walls 6
Interior Walls 7
Interior Walls 8
Interior Walls 9
Interior Walls 10
Interior Walls 11
Interior Walls 12
Interior Walls 14
Interior Walls 15


Georgie sound asleep...

...and only sort of asleep.

Interior Walls 12

That row of boards at the top of the side walls was incredibly hard to cut and install. So difficult, apparently, that I neglected to take any in-progress shots. Not only did each top edge have to be cut at an angle, I also had to carve out spots on the back side of each board so it would lay flat over the hurricane ties that come down off the rafters and onto the walls. Glad they're done! I immediately moved on to installing boards in the north and east gable peaks.

All of the pieces of tape show me where the studs are underneath. I thought I would have a permanent map of them in my brain but, it turns out, as soon as I install the wall boards, I immediately forget what the framing underneath looks like.

Here are some of the odd shapes I cut for the north and east gables.

Once I finish up those gables, I will move onto the south kitchen wall. Ugh--I guess I need to do another huge reorganization project before that can happen!

Also see:
Interior Walls 1
Interior Walls 2
Interior Walls 3
Interior Walls 4
Interior Walls 5
Interior Walls 6
Interior Walls 7
Interior Walls 8
Interior Walls 9
Interior Walls 10
Interior Walls 11
Interior Walls 13
Interior Walls 14
Interior Walls 15


I took a photo of this mushroom I found sitting on my deck because it puzzles me. How did it end up on top of the deck? I didn't put it there. George didn't put it there. What creature would bother to do this?

I was so absorbed in my thoughts about the mushroom that I did not see George under the edge of the deck. Amazing that I did not step on his tail! Did my stumbling around wake him up? Nope, not a bit.

I glanced out the window over my desk at work last Thursday and saw this cutie! She's not a baby any more but she's young enough to still have her spots. No sign of momma.

I snuck out of the building to take some more shots.