Concealed entryways are a fun security measure that works in any home. People might assume you have to add an extra room onto your house to make one work, but existing doorways are suitable options, too. Learn how to turn a regular door into a hidden door with help from the Creative Home Engineering experts so your house becomes the personalized, secure dwelling you deserve.
Hidden doors work by remaining concealed behind a threshold feature or an outer unit. The secretive entryway can hide a safe room, your most valuable belongings, or a private room for only a select few.
No one can tell where a hidden door is until the homeowner presses a button that slides a bookshelf back or opens a hanging mirror, revealing the doorway behind them. If you’re one of the 27% of people renovating their homes to feel safer, a secret door could be the best addition to your property.
It’s important to note that secret doors have hidden hardware so nothing is visible until you walk through. You won’t see the door’s outline or hinges. Whether you choose a predesigned option from Hidden Door Store or a custom design from Creative Home Engineering, you’ll get a high-quality doorway that’s impossible to distinguish as an entryway unless you decide to open it.
First, consider your wall’s thickness. If you don’t want to remove the existing door, you can conceal its presence by adding a secret door in front of it. Select a camouflage style that looks natural in front of the wall as opposed to recessed into the wall. For example, the secret door could look like a wardrobe, dresser, curio cabinet, office wall unit, or free-standing bookcase.
Any of these could open using a special type of hinge or by sliding to the side, but if you want to use a camouflage style that appears to be built into the wall, there is a way to do that too. Contractors can increase the thickness of 6-inch walls through a process called furring them out. They attach strips of wood to your existing wall and apply new drywall on top to pull it farther out. It’s a helpful option to consider if you want to keep your current door and add a secret passageway behind it.
If you have a thick wall — which could measure from 8-12 inches thick — you have more concealed door options. You can more easily install any model that’s partially or fully recessed without furring anything out.
You can measure for your hidden door at home in only a few minutes. Remove the trim around the doorway and measure the distance between the studs. Don’t worry about putting your secret door’s hinges in the same place as your existing door panel. Creative Home Engineering has several patented hinges that remain hidden using a card entry or another form of hardware. It guarantees they stay out of sight no matter which design you choose.
Having precise measurements isn’t critical during the initial bidding phase of the project, but as the project progresses to the design phase it will be very important to have accurate measurements of the opening. If you don’t feel comfortable supplying accurate measurements and you don’t have anyone to help you, that’s OK. Creative Home Engineering can come to the site to take field measurements for an additional fee, or they can do a video call with you to walk you through the process at no cost.
In some cases, Creative Home Engineering may recommend that you modify the opening to help with the camouflage. For example, a hidden bathroom mirror door might be positioned 7 or 8 inches above the ground to appear perfectly convincing, as a normal hanging mirror would. When it opens, the secret door within it will be spaced up by the same amount.
As you calculate how big your entryway will need to be to fit your hidden or flush door, you might worry about your home expanding and contracting with time. It’s a natural part of home ownership. Creative Home Engineering designs come with five-axis adjustability, so if your house’s framing shifts due to age or weathering, you can precisely adjust the door’s position in any direction and maintain perfect, smooth operation. You’ll prevent your door from rubbing against the floors, forming gaps for light to shine through, or sagging along the frame.
Make sure the opening at your house matches the measurements you supplied when you placed your order. Creative Home Engineering will provide you with detailed drawings that show the measurements of the perfect opening. You can use the measurements to install the door on your own or give them to a local contractor if you’d prefer an expert installation. In an hour or two, your home will have the hidden passageway you want.
There are a few mistakes people sometimes make while they’re preparing to measure and order their hidden doors. If you’re in the construction phase of a larger renovation, it’s best not to measure from the top of your entryway to the subfloor. The secret door will only go into place after the flooring is done.
Imagine that your subfloor is exposed because your finished floor has not yet been installed. Right now your opening could be 82” tall, but you plan on installing hardwood flooring that is 1” thick. In this example, you’ll need to order your secret door to fit an 81” opening, NOT 82”.
If you decide to place a secret door in front of an existing door, make sure to inform Creative Home Engineering of that. They’ll ask for photos and measurements of the existing door so they can digitally model the existing door and make sure the door knobs and other hardware won’t collide.
Well-made secret doors have their own handle and built-in hardware. If you install an electric model and your power goes out, you’ll need a manual handle to prevent anyone from getting locked in or out.
Modeling can prevent some of these mistakes. Creative Home Engineering uses your exact door measurements and model number to create digital replicas and ensure accuracy. The model tests what happens when both doors open and close. You’ll know if there’s enough clearance for a conventional door to open through it.
Measuring your existing door to turn it into a secret entrance is only the first step in a concealed door installation. Modeling and working with an experienced design team are equally important.
The Creative Home Engineering team is available to set up your consultation call, so reach out through our contact page or phone number. You’ll get a detailed quote for your unique project so your secret door installation experience is easier to picture.