DIY or No? Hidden Door Installation Tips

The purchase of a hidden door usually comes after much consideration. It’s not something that is done on a whim. It requires measurement, thought and planning. And the same can be said for installation. 

Whether a homeowner orders a bookcase, a mirror or a shoe rack hidden door, its impending arrival begs the question, “Should I install it myself or hire a contractor to do it?” It’s one of the most common questions we get at the Hidden Door Store.

As with anything, there are pros and cons to both. If we weigh the options and opportunities, it might help with the decision-making process for homeowners anticipating the arrival of their secret door.

Our doors are designed with easy installation in mind. At the Hidden Door Store, we aren’t fans of overcomplicating things. Secret doors are exciting and different, and we think installation shouldn’t be an excruciating experience. Before every door leaves our shop, we test it and hang it to the installation specifications, ensuring fit and performance. In addition, our doors are prehung, which means homeowners or contractors won’t have to fumble with hinges. 

Our doors don’t require touch-ups. Other secret door manufacturers require the use of a brad nailer for trim installation, which isn’t a tool most homeowners have at the ready. In addition, once the trim is on, and with the nails sub-flush, the holes need to be filled and the stain needs to be touched up. The installation process for doors from Hidden Door Store doesn’t require any of that extra work, whether a homeowner or a contractor handles the work. 

Our doors are different, by design. At the Hidden Door Store, we exclusively sell directly to consumers rather than through third-party retailers, and the reason we do that is to manage quality control. Ours doors can open without a tremendous amount of force (which we like to call the “one finger test”), their seams are no wider than a penny (which we call the “penny test”), and they aren’t shipped with dozens of bags containing dozens of parts (which we call “the toolbox test”). In fact, about half of our customers at the Hidden Door Store are coming to us to replace an existing secret door that isn’t functioning properly due to its deficient quality or a botched installation from a non-specialist contractor.

Our doors are familiar to contractors. Even if the secret door installation process is a foreign one to a homeowner, it may not be to a specialty contractor in any given area. Our secret doors are hanging in homes and businesses all over the world, which means there may be a contractor in a homeowner’s area who knows how to install the door with ease. Ask us, we may have a referral.

Our team is here to offer support. Whether a homeowner decides to install a secret door themselves or with the help of a local contractor, our experienced, U.S.-based team is here to offer unlimited support. We often work with contractors directly who are installing the door on behalf of clients and we’ve talked homeowners through any challenges they come upon along the way. Either way, we’re here by phone or video, to make sure a secret door is installed properly and functioning the way it was designed to. Contact us
Hidden Door Store, a Gilbert, Arizona-based company, designs and manufactures a variety of premium secret doors disguised as bookcases, wine racks and hutches, among other options. An offshoot of Creative Home Engineering, which has been an innovative leader in the field of hidden passageway design for more than 20 years, Hidden Door Store allows homeowners to install a “hidden gem” inside their home. Learn more at www.hiddendoorstore.com.