# Options for interior door mid-staircase



## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

What is at the bottom of the stairs, is there space to add what would be a hall way or a cubicle with door or doors, it should give you 3ft from the bottom treat to the wall.


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## Boogityman (Oct 17, 2017)

Thanks for the reply 

At the bottom it really just opens into the main basement. (See pic)

But I mean you raise an interesting point, is it possible to put the door 'on' the bottom step...?









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## Boogityman (Oct 17, 2017)

Also just to add another pic of how the stairs going to the second floor really limit the options regarding having a door opening into the staircase. The pic is from the stairwell looking up from the turn in the basement portion of the steps 

It's even more limited than I had in my mind and so eliminates the possibility of doing a French door type of thing









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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

I was going to suggest reversing the door frame and have it swing into the stairwell as a right hand door, but you may not have enough space and it will be inconvenient. I think Neal's idea of a door at the bottom of the stairs or on the landing at the bottom (pictures would help) would work.

A track (barn) door won't work, because you don't have the header room. With the exception of the wiring for the light switch, that wall MAY certainly hold a pocket door as the stringers are offset, hopefully. Exploratory surgery would tell and it may be an even better idea.


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## Boogityman (Oct 17, 2017)

Yeah a pocket door would be ideal...this is a couple pics of the wall that would have to hold a pocket door...you think there would be potential to fit a pocket door in there?









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## HenryMac (Sep 12, 2018)

How about here?


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## Boogityman (Oct 17, 2017)

HenryMac said:


> How about here?


Hm interesting suggestion but would require closing off what is a nice 'open' look now. I took a better pic zoomed out to show what the ceilings look like now ...

Keep the suggestions coming though, going to crack this riddle haha









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## Gregsoldtruck79 (Dec 21, 2017)

Boogityman said:


> Thanks for the reply
> 
> At the bottom it really just opens into the main basement. (See pic)
> 
> ...


Not on the step because it would be raised 7.5 inches while siting on the step. Plus head room issues. So it would have to be set away from the bottom step at least 36 in for walking room. 

What about just putting a door in the media room wall ? I suppose the pic is the media room with the white switches on the wall with the thermostat above them . Where the noise starts and ends.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

Boogityman said:


> Thanks for the reply
> 
> At the bottom it really just opens into the main basement. (See pic)
> 
> ...


You need a 3 ft landing at the bottom of stairs so a hallway there would work but take up space.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

A pocket door is not much for soundproofing and this is a bearing wall with the stairs the so another wall to hide a pocket would work but a swing out door would be the easiest.


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## carpdad (Oct 11, 2010)

Gregsoldtruck79, post 9. Double doors on that wide opening. That seems to be the best idea instead of trying to do something around the staircases. What is beyond that opening? How about closing off part of the wall for one solid core 36"?


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## Boogityman (Oct 17, 2017)

Hi all,

More than a year (and a baby!) later, now circling back to this project.

Decision was to put a small hallway and door in the basement (not done yet, part of a basement overhaul project that is just getting going), and so contrary to finding a way to put in a door in the previously discussed spot, decided to rip out the frame and see if opening could be widened/hopefully even to be made flush with the back wall/door to garage that is in the previous (and new) photos.

Ok! All this to say, there is a double stud against that back wall. The second one was just put in to frame the door--it sits on the floor and only serves to support the top plate 2x4 (for sure not right name) that the top portion of the door frame was attached to.

What I'm not sure about is the one closest to the wall. My understanding is that it is load bearing--it rests on top of the foundation (confirmed by the 'windows' cut out of the boxes portion on the right hand side of the pictures in the staircase), up beyond where the door frame was, is slightly notched out, and then ostensibly is there to support landing in staircase going up to the second floor 

The only thing that makes me question it is:

I can slip a putty knife in there... Is it really load bearing if the framing above isn't resting on it?
the cross member (not sure what it is) that the vertical 2x4 is notched out for is also not resting on the notch. Nailed into the wall behind it and 'floating' in the notch.

So...why go to all the trouble to bring that 2x4 all the way up there, only to not have anything actually resting on it?

So in short, would love to rip both out but very curious to hear your opinions.

Thanks in advance,
B






























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