Here's a link that might help:

Here is a link that might be useful: installation

I have never seen a prehung pocket door. You buy a door slab. Same as a hinged door. And you buy the pocket door hardware and you put them together.
You need to know if this door is going into a load bearing wall, because the header will need to be twice as big as a swinging door. You can buy a kit that has metal wrapped wood that will act as the wall, but it has alot of movement as it's only, basically, a series of 1x2's. You can use studs to frame it out, but the wall will be much thicker then the adjoining walls. You are also restricted as to where you can put switches and outlets.
Ron

I user 2x6 for the studs on the pocket on 16 inch centers, turned flat.
This gives enough depth to mount electric boxes (4x4 boxes with a plaster ring) in the pocket space if needed.

The 2x6 also adds enough stiffness that the wall are is not to flexible.

Some other 'tricks' include installing some aluminum angle in the bottom of the pocket, and grooving the bottom of the door to capture the angle.
This works much batter than the little plastic guides, and does not result n scratches on the face of the door.
The pocket edge of the door should also be extended (or the next size flat door used) so that it stays captive in the aluminum angle even when the door is closed.
This also helps with sight lines if the pocket door is on a bathroom.
Stops can also be added to the non-pocket side for additional privacy (and even felt seals for sound if needed).

but it has a lot of movement as it's only, basically, a series of 1x2's.

Last year we put three sets of pocket door into 2x6 walls, so we had ample room to stiffen them with sheets of OSB on either side.

It should have taken you to the install site. It shows rough opening/basic framing techniques and how to install the jamb kit. It doesn't show you some of the tricks of the trade mentioned by brickeye and worthy.

"sierraeast...I have visited johnson door website but they have a hundred links..and yours took me to their main page..."

There are only six links at the top, just click on pocket doors and you've got it.

worthy...we too want to put up the thicker wall so that we can make it stiffer as well...any photos of the wall during construction....?? again, when "they" say 2x6 turned flat, what does that mean...??

Thanks..and anyone about ready to build a wall like this or is currently building one...could you please take some photos? Thanks!

any photos of the wall during construction

Sorry.

Let's be clear. I was working with openings in a 2x6 wall to begin with. The pocket door kits (Johnson 2700 pre-fab frame) were designed for 2x4 walls. So we had to add something on each side to bring the finished wall in line with the 2x6 wall. By adding OSB and gyprock, we considerably stiffened the rather flimsy pocket door frames.

Whether you want to frame out your existing 2x4 wall to 2x6 is another matter. If you're using the room as a dojo (or for kindergarten daycare) and flying bodies may be impacting it, definitely yes. Otherwise, you might not want to bother.

2x6s flat means, I presume, having the long side parallel with the face of the wall. (I wouldn't do it that way because of possible warpage.)

Stops and some of the other "tricks" mentioned above may be necessary. I know my very meticulous trim carpenter did a lot of fiddling to get the doors working right; and he wasn't happy about the quality of the hardware nor the way the framing carpenters had installed the kits in the first place.

Keep in mind that when the door is OPEN it is IN the pocket.
When the door is CLOSED it is OUT of the pocket.

The 2x6 is turned 90 degrees so the wide face is exposed to the room, and they are used in pairs on EACH side of the pocket (both rooms). You could also just use 2x4s, but turned flat they still flex. The extra wood in the 2x6 helps stiffen the wall back to nearly normal.
It also provides the extra depth required to mount any electrical boxes in the wall compared to the metal wrapped 1x in the pre-framed kits.

If you use the angle trick to capture the bottom of the door, when a regular width door is closed it will be pretty much OUT of the pocket.
This means it is NOT caught on the angle but is free to swing.
By extending the door (or using the next LARGER width door, some of the door will remain in the pocket when it is closed.
This allows it to stay captured on the track.
The pocket needs to be deeper to allow the door to open all the way.

The track should also NEVER be attached to a header in a weight bearing wall.
A secondary header should be installed with about a 1/2 inch clearance below the structural header.
If the header bows (and they all do to some extent) it can cause problems with the track.
If the wall is NOT weight bearing the header will not be loaded and you CAN omit the second header.

If you go the 2x on edge or "flat", substituting metal studding rather than wood will solve any chance of warping.

I like the stiffening w/ sheathing route, as stated, pocket frames are flimsy to say the least. Trimming out the casing alone is a major effort that would be made easier w/ the sheathing alone allowing a better fastening and thicker surface. Fastening casing to the jamb is fine similar to any door jamb, but fastening to the 1x ribs of the pocket frame is a joke w/ concern not to go w/ too long a fastener that will scartch the door skin.

My handyman installed pocketdoors into 2x4 walls. 2x6 seems like a waste of valuable square footage.

Glad I saw this thread.

WE are in the process of demoing the Master Bedroom, and will 'eventually' be redoing the Master Bath also. I'd like to replace the current swinging door (which blocks in towels and robes hanging on outside wall- resulting in mildew problems- so I'd like to install a towel warmer- but then door would hit it..) with a pocket door, but of course we have the light switches and wall sockets right there.

So, if we made wall 6" deep, and used the 2 X6" flat as suggested, we'd have enough room to keep switches and wall plugs there? How neat! Now, I just have to decide which small room (bath or bedroom) loses 2"! :>) I'm excited!

Thanks brickeyee!

I bet composite studs would be perfect for this since they are engineered to stay straight. Of course, they're $$$.
I like the 2x6 wall approach because it permits wiring in the cavity space. The kit versions for 2x4 walls do not have this capacity, unless one were to use a pancake box (only suitable for a sconce, not a switch).
Casey