The Pantry Project: Designing and Installing a Bypass Door System

As we continue with our pantry project, one of the key components that we need to address is the door system. Our current pantry has an opening that was originally a laundry room, and we've never found a solution that works well for closing it off. We want to provide guests with a sense of security and keep all the ingredients organized, but we also need to ensure that the doors are functional and easy to use.

After discussing our options, we decided to install a bypass door system, which would allow us to slide the doors outwards when opening them. This design feature is perfect for our pantry, as it provides access to all the ingredients while keeping the contents secure. We also considered installing traditional hinge doors or bi-fold doors with tracks, but we knew that these options wouldn't work well due to the presence of a spice rack and other obstructions.

To solve this problem, we opted for a bypass door system, which consists of two doors that can be moved together or apart as needed. This design allows us to maintain access to all the ingredients while keeping the pantry organized. We also wanted to upgrade our existing luan doors with new panel doors that would match the aesthetic of the rest of the kitchen.

We headed to the hardware store to gather materials, including two six-panel raised hollow core doors and a bypass door kit in a six-foot length. Upon measuring the opening, we noticed that it was slightly irregular, with a two-inch gap on one end. This presented a challenge, as we needed to ensure that the track overlapped by about one inch to maintain privacy. To solve this issue, we added five-quarter-inch shims to either side of the jamb, which brought the total width down to two inches.

We then installed the track, using a notch at the top of the jam to conceal it from view. We marked the holes for the rollers and screws, making sure they were aligned properly with the door height. To ensure that the doors were evenly spaced, we measured from the floor to the slight bend in the door frame and subtracted half an inch for clearance underneath.

As we worked on the bypass door system, we added a few extra features to enhance its functionality. We installed a floor guide that would keep the doors separated and guide them along as they opened. This feature ensured that the doors stayed plumb with the jam and prevented them from rubbing against each other. To make the doors easier to open, we drilled a hole in the door frame using a forstner bit and added a finger pull.

Once all the components were installed, we put on the final touches by adding trim to conceal the track and rollers. We applied a coat of primer to the doors, ready for painting when we're finished with this project. With our bypass door system complete, we can now enjoy a pantry that is both functional and secure.

The Importance of Measuring and Planning

As we measured the opening for our bypass door system, it became clear that even small details could make or break the design. The two-inch gap on one end presented an issue that required some creative problem-solving. By adding shims to either side of the jamb, we were able to bring the total width down to two inches, ensuring a smooth and even track.

It's essential to take the time to measure carefully and plan ahead when designing any home improvement project. This will help you avoid costly mistakes and ensure that your final product meets all your expectations. In this case, taking the extra step to add shims brought our bypass door system from mediocre to excellent.

The Role of Materials in Home Improvement

When it comes to home improvement projects, the materials you choose can make or break the outcome. We opted for raised hollow core doors and a bypass door kit, both of which provided us with a range of options for customization and flexibility.

The quality of the materials we chose had a significant impact on our project's success. By selecting doors that were designed specifically for this type of application, we ensured that our bypass door system would be functional and durable. The addition of shims and trim also helped to complete the design, adding a finishing touch to our pantry.

The Importance of Attention to Detail

As with any home improvement project, attention to detail is crucial. We took the time to ensure that every component was properly installed and aligned, from the rollers to the floor guide.

By focusing on these small details, we were able to create a bypass door system that was both functional and aesthetically pleasing. The addition of a forstner bit and finger pull made the doors easier to open, while the primer application prepared them for painting when we're finished with this project.

The Benefits of Customization in Home Improvement

One of the most significant advantages of home improvement projects is the ability to customize your space to suit your needs and preferences. Our pantry project showcased the benefits of customization, as we were able to design a bypass door system that met our specific requirements.

By choosing materials and features that worked well with our existing kitchen aesthetic, we created a cohesive look that enhanced the overall functionality of our home. The result is a pantry that is both functional and secure, providing us with peace of mind when it comes to storing food and other essentials.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enbut what we haven't gotten to yet is the pantry okay this used to be a laundry room and we converted to pantry and we've never really gotten a good way to close it off we have guests yeah you definitely want to do that you want to close these those ingredients off or something not seeing everything you're cooking with but with an opening like this you have a few different options so the first option we could do a traditional hinge door that swings out we could do a set of bi-fold doors that would have a track and they would slide out but i see you have a spice rack here and i know that you won't be able to open those all the way right so maybe a bypass board work great there's a track mounted two doors coming together you can move them both to the left or the right you have good access to all your ingredients that sounds like a good idea one thing i noticed is you have luanne doors and if you want to upgrade i notice you have you have panel doors in the kitchen would you like to do luan or maybe a raised panel for your sliding doors well we've never really gotten to the doors yet we do want to update those so if we're putting something new in i would like to match what we got here all right i'll get some materials and get started all right these are the materials i picked up for you i have two six panel raised hollow core doors they look great they're nice doors and i also have a bypass door kit bought in a six foot length but when i was measuring your opening i noticed one thing what's that you have a little bit of an irregular size opening here this is a six foot track when i go back back and forth you can see you have two inches on one end but why is a two inch gap matter when we install bypass doors we'd like to have about one inch of overlayment that way when you can't see through the doors if i install the track as is when you push the doors left and right you would have a two inch gap right down the middle so how do we solve that to solve it i'm going to add some five quarter stalk to either side of the jamb and that'll pat it down to two inches we need are we ready for the track we're ready for it now that we have our gems padded out i actually added a little notch up here to receive a piece of trim and that trim is going to hide the track and also the top of the doors off of that notch i have a line seven eighths back on either end and that'll be the front of our track why don't you hold it up on that end and we'll mark the holes on your line yep all right let's mark the holes do you want to drill these holes out yeah all right now that we have that tightened up let's throw a level on it see how it looks all right so we're a little bit out i think it's enough that we should loosen that right screw up and shim it a little bit good all right i'm gonna slide these cedar shims in and then we'll tighten it back up and check it all right that's good all right let's put a few more shims in the center let's put a screw in there and check it again all right joel take a look at this these are the rollers that come in the kit this one's for the front this one's for the rear they'll screw right to the back of the door and they'll hang up inside we need to get a door height first so the best way to do that just take your front roller tuck it up inside and i'll measure from the floor to that slight bend all right 79 and a half now subtract a half inch for clearance underneath we'll cut our door 79. these are going to get mounted on an inch and a quarter in from either side all right hope those on the rear fin you in all right this is the floor guide that comes in the kit it's pretty simple what it's going to do is get mounted on the floor the doors are going to go in between and it's going to keep the doors separated so they don't rub on each other but also guide them along and help them stay plumb with the jam now i'm going to drill a hole with the forstner bit and then i'll put in a finger pull and that will make it much easier to open up the door last but not least let's put in the trim all right joel give it a try all right that's great that's exactly what we were looking for i'm glad you like it but a little bit of homework okay these come with a coat of primer so if you putty the holes and add a fresh coat of paint be good to go well thank you this is exactly what we wanted nathan thanks for coming to missouri thanks for having me thanks for watching this whole house has got a video for just about every home improvement project so be sure to check out the others and if you like what you see click on the subscribe button make sure that you get our newest videos right in your feed\n"