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Stealth/Hidden Doors

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IE2KS_KUSH

Hey guys, I am brainstorming and looking around a bit on building a hidden door. Basically, all the google shit is "Hidden Bookcase Doors" etc..and frankly, I am not that damn handy.
Also, this is going to be put into a wall that is in a laundry room. So I don't think a bookcase would look quite right, but anyway.

What I have thought of is this, and my reason for posting is so that maybe some of yous guys that have done this can help keep me from doing some stupid shit.

My idea, is simple, I think. I will describe it best I can, I will use dimensions, but not the exact ones, just something easy so you all can get a picture of this in your head.

So I have we'll say, a 5ftx5ft square cut into the wall, and on the inside, I would have some 2x4s or whatever size it would take, that are around that 5x5 square on the inside. I would then make a frame out of 2x4s that fit snugly into that 5x5 square, kind of like a puzzle piece. Then I would cut my sheetrock so that it was overlapping the 5x5 hole. So I would have a square piece of wall, w/ a frame on the back, that would rest into the hole that has a frame in the wall.

Does that make sense, it seems like it would work, and be very simple, but am I overlooking anything obvious here that would make this not so good?
Any thoughts would be welcome, and pics of your own secret doors would be excellent. Again, I am no Bob Villa, and have some basic tools, but in no way am a woodworking guy. It needs to be simple, and stealth. I want that wall to look like a normal wall that could be in that laundry room, and there will be a table and some shit there too. I will be framing this wall and putting it up shortly, but I know I need to take the door into account while doing that. So help a brotha out mang!:)
 
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Dovepistil

New member
Bookcases with a solid back are still the best hide for a door. Hardest to find are hidden hinges capable of carrying the weight of the shelf; you'll need a fixed caster wheel hidden on shelf bottom to carry the weight. One of the hardest problems to solve is the wear/dirt track on your floor which ends in a bookshelf! 'Sorry if this puts a damper on your idea, but a truly hidden door is actually pretty difficult to build. I've done it. I have a very large workshop and lots of experience working wood and metal. Making the large steel hidden hinges was the hardest. Finishing the concrete floor with heavy duty 2 part epoxy garage floor paint was a bunch of work too. And I still had to wet mop it regularly to hide the well used track showing my many trips into the grow. It's a great idea that is actually lots of work!
 
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IE2KS_KUSH

Re: Stealth/Hidden Doors

Dovepistil said:
Bookcases with a solid back are still the best hide for a door. Hardest to find are hidden hinges capable of carrying the weight of the shelf; you'll need a fixed caster wheel hidden on shelf bottom to carry the weight. One of the hardest problems to solve is the wear/dirt track on your floor which ends in a bookshelf! 'Sorry if this puts a damper on your idea, but a truly hidden door is actually pretty difficult to build. I've done it. I have a very large workshop and lots of experience working wood and metal. Making the large steel hidden hinges was the hardest. Finishing the concrete floor with heavy duty 2 part epoxy garage floor paint was a bunch of work too. And I still had to wet mop it regularly to hide the well used track showing my many trips into the grow. It's a great idea that is actually lots of work!
Click to expand...

Ya I think the bookcases are great. I guess I am trying to do a large hidden panel.
I thought about using some kind of wood paneling so the seam wouldn't be as obvious.
I would love to do a bookcase and all, but I just don't have the skills.
Surely others have done something like I am thinking. I appreciate the post, but that is way over what I am going to be able to do. I would think there are easier ways.
 
dunkydunk

dunkydunk

Member
What I did was to use a standard hollow core door and sheet rocked the outside of it so it camouflaged into the wall. The seems and hinges still showed, there was no door knob, but I installed a pull handle. If you were to look straight at it, it would be fairly obvious there was a door there. So...

I bought a couple of metro shelving racks with casters, and when you roll them in front of the door/wall it completely vanishes. I just load the shelves up with plenty of crap so you can't see through them. I've had several people look right at it and say, 'wow, your basement sure is organized.'
 
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IE2KS_KUSH

Re: Stealth/Hidden Doors

Excellent...^^
I should plan on some shelving/racks for stuff.
 
Sleepy

Sleepy

Active member
Veteran
how about a large wooden picture frame where the opening will be?

put a large movie poster or something like that in the frame.

shelving units in front is a nice idea.
 
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IE2KS_KUSH

Re: Stealth/Hidden Doors

Yes I have seen this and that's what I am thinking, very similar to that anyway. I like that alot.
 
clp

clp

Member
Yea wish he explained how he did it a bit more, Definetly a sleek design..

One of my favorites that I've seen which would be REALLY easy to do is cut a hole in the wall, cut the back off a fridge, put a lock on the fridge, then put fridge in front of hole. Step through to your secret grow room :)
 
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IE2KS_KUSH

Re: Stealth/Hidden Doors

That's the thing I have seen a few but nothing solely dedicated to the topic. It probably seems silly or simple to most but for me until I do it I really won't be realsure of what I am doing. Would love to see a guide for various secret door ideas and step by step instructions. Hell I may document my own struggling attempt when I start
 
dunkydunk

dunkydunk

Member
You can think of the shelving idea as sort of a bookcase on wheels. If you're really set on a truly hidden door, they are much easier to build if the door opens into the room, that way the hinges are hidden inside. But doors that open in to small rooms usually just get in the way, so if you want to the door to open out, you have to use 'invisible' hinges, which ups the skill level significantly. No matter which way the door opens, the door seems are hidden in one way or another with trim work. That's why the bookshelf idea is standard, you don't usually have trim work running up the middle of flat walls.

And that is why I like my rolling metro shelf. It cost 80 bucks at the home depot and the whole thing was done in twenty minutes with the added benefit of extra storage space for all the extra things that need storage when you're growing weed in your basement.

I'd post some pics, but oddly enough I don't own a camera. I really should get one of those.
 
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Pebbles

One way to do it is to build a normal, secure kickproof door slightly recessed then place a sheet of bead board over it just so, so that it blends in with the surrounding beadboarded wall. Recessed hotglued strong magnets help hold the sheet in place. Good luck!
 
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IE2KS_KUSH

Re: Stealth/Hidden Doors

I am pretty well decided on what I think I will do. In my mind I have the perfect wood paneling in mind but finding it may be another story. Haven't gone to the store yet but I am concerned. I want the good old dark wood paneling from the 70s. But I don't see that anywhere yet. I am going to cut the entry way out of the paneling about 12 inches high and put a shelving unit cluttered up with shit in front of it. I will make the panel slightly larger than the opening and put a frame on the back that will slide into the opening that will have a frame in the wall. I should only need 4 4x8 sheets. I can't wait to start and finish this. Once I do I can FINALLY get started mix soil and cracking some seeds yeeeee!
 
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noobs1988

Member
sorry to bump such an old thread but I am currently brainstorming ideas for a bookshelf door, unless i see something thatll cahnge my mind, and was wondering howd your door come out man? Any pictures?
 
supermanlives

supermanlives

Active member
Veteran
I had one in new England once. it was a root cellar off the main cellar. we built a door with vents and a frame and put that pegboard over it with some tools hanging. the main cellar became my machine shop area.... nobody ever knew
 
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overbudjet

Active member
Veteran
clp said:
Yea wish he explained how he did it a bit more, Definetly a sleek design..

One of my favorites that I've seen which would be REALLY easy to do is cut a hole in the wall, cut the back off a fridge, put a lock on the fridge, then put fridge in front of hole. Step through to your secret grow room :)
Click to expand...




:biggrin:
 
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