10/09/2026
Pull up a chair. Today we're talking pocket doors, and a mistake we see more often than we'd like.
๐ง๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐ฎ ๐ด๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ ๐น๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ฝ๐ต๐ผ๐๐ผ.
See that light-colored strip running across the top and down the side of the door? That's raw wood. No stain. No sealer. No finish.
Once that unfinished door disappears into the wall, you've placed raw wood into a cavity surrounded by construction materials that are still releasing moisture.
Framing lumber can contain significantly more moisture than the door. Drywall joint compound releases moisture into the surrounding air as it dries.
And unfinished wood? It's essentially a sponge.
Wood naturally gains and loses moisture as the environment around it changes. When one portion of a door is sealed and another is left exposed, you're giving moisture an open invitation into the wood, creating an imbalance in how that door responds.
And what happens when that door starts absorbing moisture? It can swell, bow, or warp. Suddenly, that beautiful pocket door doesn't slide quite so smoothly. And fixing a door that's tucked inside a wall? Not exactly anyone's idea of a good time.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐๐น๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ: ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐๐ถ๐
๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐. ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐ถ๐ป๐๐๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ผ๐ฟ. ๐
