Closing off the arch way with door. What's involved?

17 years ago

Hi everyone.

My first post on this forum. We will be moving into our first house this coming summer. The houses we saw so far that are our price range and the layout that we want have separate formal living rooms. These rooms are typically off of entry halway and have arch ways with partial walls sticking out on both sides (don't know how deep) and may or may not have columng framing the arch as well.

We would like to close of this potential living room and turn it into an office. I am thinking either pocket doors or french double doors. French doors though would have to swing out completely to get out of the way. We would like for this room to be able to function as a formal living room once we move on and need to sell later.

Would would be involved in doing this kind of work. What is a potential budget that this will require. We will be buying in the suburbs of Orlando if that helps. House will be 4/2, around 2,000 sq. ft., around $350K.

Is this something that may be attempted as a DIY? We are not handy, but my dad is. But he is 1200miles away.

Thanks in advance,

Skrepka

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (2)

oruboris
17 years ago
I hate getting [and giving] responses like this, but:

It depends.

If the opening is large enough to contain the french doors [and if you can find ones that swing 180 degrees, which may be tough], the install would be pretty straight forward.

But then you have to arrange the furniture in a way that doesn't interfere with the arch of swing.

Pocket doors require pockets to slide into. That's a lot tougher. Either the wall is taken down and re-built, or a whole new wall is built paralel to the existing, leaving the gap for the door between them. Eats up a bit of floorspace, may require some electric outlets to be moved or abandoned. It's a bigger, tougher job, eats more floorspace, but ultimately works better and gives you a free hand with furniture placement.

If I were buying the house from you, I'd much rather see the pockets...

As to handiness: any reasonably intelligent person can become handy enough to do this sort of work IF they have the time and inclination. But time is a pretty precious comodity these days, and this is the sort of project that can eat a lot of it.
Jon1270
17 years ago
"As to handiness: any reasonably intelligent person can become handy enough to do this sort of work IF they have the time and inclination."

Despite the caveat, I think this statement may be overly generous. If you think of yourself as 'not handy' and have no tools or experience working with them, the chances it would be worth learning enough to DIY this are next to nil.

I wish I could offer concrete information on the likely cost, but I can't. You may have to take some pictures of the existing archways and have a chat or two with local contractors to get a sense of what you're facing.
Related Professionals
El Sobrante Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Hammond Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Springfield Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Lincoln Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Mesquite Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Phillipsburg Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Queens Interior Designers & Decorators · Abington General Contractors · Bay Shore General Contractors · Bowling Green General Contractors · Bryn Mawr-Skyway General Contractors · Fitchburg General Contractors · Haysville General Contractors · Jackson General Contractors · Norristown General Contractors