Hidden Door

Yankee1423

I have a framed out media closet that needs a door. What I’d like to do is make a thin complete overlay door that I will texturize and paint to match the drywall. Since the door will have to swing out and there isn’t a jam for this door, I was thinking of attaching a 1x piece of wood that would be maybe ¾” deeper then the current closet so that it overhangs the front ¾”. I would then attach some soss hidden hinges to this overhang on the inside edge. In theory this would allow me to have a hidden hinge for the overlayed door. Am I missing something that may cause this to not work? The 1x would be thick enough to take the hinge screws.

TheDoorGuy

Hi there,
Just to get a better feel for the project,
what is the height and width of the proposed door?

I have used Soss hinges a couple of times many years ago.
Depending on the size of the hinge, they require a bit of depth
that seems too deep for your 3/4" material.

I remember that they are fairly unforgiving as far as placement
and adjustment go.

Have you considered using those concealed cabinet hinges?
They surface mount to your jamb or side stock area and only
require a shallow flat bottom hole in the door panel.

They are usually adjustable 3 ways. Easy to do with a philips
head screw driver.

TheDoorGuy

Ron6519

As TheDoorGuy referenced, the weight of the door would need to be compensated for. You will probably need something to keep it closed. Add a ball and catch or magnets or...
The hinges, even the self closing ones, might not be enough for your use.
Ron

Yankee1423

The door would be roughly 7' tall x 2' wide x 1" deep maybe. I started leaning towards using several of those cabinet style hinges. One of my concerns was if the hinge would push too much on the 1x overhang since that part hangs out there vs. a typical door jamb that is backed by a 2x4.

Ron6519

You will need a mechanical latch for that weight. Probably 2 or three slide bolts.
If the 1 x 6 is securely fastened to framing material the hinges you install will not be an issue. All you need are regular door type hinges. Maybe 4 sets of 2 1/2". Cabinet hinges have no advantage and might even be a liability.
Ron

TheDoorGuy

On door that height your should probably put a vertical angle metal
stiffener on the inside to firm things up and keep door from twisting.

You could use a touch latch to keep door closed so you don't see hardware.

Yankee1423

The goal of this door would be that it would blend into the area and look more like a wall instead of a door. Hence the hidden hinges/latch. The framing of the closet is about 7' x 2'.

Rather then using a 1" deep door, what if I used 1/2" plywood that was about 3" wide and frame just the perimeter of a door. Then attach a flat 7'x2' panel to the front and back. I may have to put a piece of plywood in the center to stiffen it up but was not sure if this would work. This would significantly cut down the weight of a door. I could then prime and texture the front panel of the door to resemble a wall.

TheDoorGuy

Would there be a way to bring door height down to 80"?
You could use a 2'0 or a 1'10 hollow core door with your original
soss hinge idea or install a full length piano hinge...I know that it
would be visible but it might not be obtrusive in the grand scheme of things.

The hollow core door would weigh the same or maybe less than plywood.

Still could use magnetic touch latch to hold door closed. Make sure that
you allow enough room for the door to push into closet to activate the latch.

mrgins

As I've always understood, a Soss hinge fits into the EDGE of the door and the EDGE of the face frame, and is invisible from inside or outside until it's opened. What you've drawn is a Eurostyle hinge. Am I right in thinking this?

TheDoorGuy

Hi Mrgins,
You are absolutely correct sir!
What he drew looks more like a euro hinge or perhaps an unknown
combination of the two! I hadn't picked up on that.

I think he's just trying to come up with a concealed hinge that will work
in his situation.

Yankee1423

I wasn't trying to show any particular type of hinge. I'm just looking for a way to create this "false wall" door. I want to hide everything behind this door and make it look like a wall. I got the idea from the picture below. The main difference is that mine would be as wide as the column and I would not have any molding. I would have the blank wall look which is why it has to go up almost all the way to the ceiling and down to the base trim in my situation. The guy that made this closet used some 1 1/4" x 1 1/2" finger jointed pine for the frame. The top and bottom were 3" wide rather then 1 1/2". I was thinking of doing this with wall paneling for the facing. Problem might be too flimsy.

TheDoorGuy

I still think you should do something with a door....
If you have to have full 7' then I would suggest buying
an 8' hollow core door and cutting it down and restick bottom.
7'0 doors might be a standard but non-stock height.

mrgins

I can see that the chair rail is cut at an angle, but the door edge looks square. Surely the door and latch jamb are cut at an sharpish angle to facilitate a tight match when closed