Secret door

[Ernie Hobbs]

Has anyone build a secret door in their home? In my new house in Carmel, IN, in order to get to my office, you have to go through the master bathroom and closet. I was thinking that it would be cool to make the closet look like a closet only and make the door to my office a secret door, maybe behind a shoe rack or some shelves.

Does anyone have pictures of some like this that they have done? Are there pitfalls or concerns that I need to be aware of? I am planning to do this project in about a year so, I've got plenty of time to plan.

Thanks.

[Mike Heidrick]

Would be weird to have guests into the office. "Come with me please..." as you walk through the bathroom, then to your clostet where slide your clothes over, you ask your guest to flush and the door slides open. Something out of James Bond or Batman.

We used to buy illegal fireworks from a lady in Danville who had the entrance to her basement/firework shop in a hidden wall panel. Kinda weird but awesome fireworks! The Lady was about 70ysld!!!

[Per Swenson]

Ernie,

I have what you might want right here.....

http://www.garymkatz.com/ChartsDrawi..._bookcase.html

Per

[Toney Robertson]

I know that this is not going to help you but it was interesting.

My wife, some friends and and I were going through a house not to far from you over in the Geist area. Just a typical open house.

We were looking through the second floor when I open the closet door in a bedroom. There was a door in the back of this strip closet. So I ducked under the closet bar and opened the door. It opened into a room above the garage that had three skylights in it and MANY outlets lining the walls. The room was good sized, probably 14 x 24 or so and it was totally finished out with drywall, trim and carpeting.

On the other side of that room was another door that opened into the attic and right there was the pull down stairs.

I ask the real estate lady what that room was for and she just smiled and shook her head. I have got to think that it was for something illegal, immoral or both. With all the outlets on the walls my bet was illegal gambling or porn movies.

Very weird.

Toney

[alex grams]

Not that i have any suggestions on construction, but i do have an anecdote.

My wife and I when we were house shopping, went to this 1 story home that was pretty nice, nothing large or extravagent, but just a normal house. We were about to leave and as we walked out the front door my wife decided to take a look in the coat closet by the door. When she opened it all she saw were stairs going up, and it was dark. After going up in the dark (and finding out that the ceilings were only about 5' high, i found a light switch. They had completely closed in a chunk of the attic, carpeted and added a full bathroom up stairs. It wasn't all that hidden, but completely unexpected.

[Mitchell Andrus]

Yes. There is a small storage room (12 x 14 over the den) behind a built-in bookcase in my son's room. We call it "Ann's Room" for obvious reason's.

[Mike Cutler]

With all the outlets on the walls my bet was illegal gambling or porn movies.

Very weird.

Toney

Outlets=lights=special gro-lux lights+ skylights for correct wave spectrum =equal agricultural endeavors,and indoor horticulture activities.

Maybe they were growing Bonsai stock....... Not

[William OConnell]

Ernie,

I have what you might want right here.....

http://www.garymkatz.com/ChartsDrawi..._bookcase.html

Per

Per thank you much for that link I dont know if you helped Ernie but I have ajob that needs exactly that. Thanks again

[Greg Stanford]

Friend of mine bought a house here in Gulfport that was built in the early 1800's. We were in the back yard when he said "that's too many windows." I asked him what he was talking about & he said "I've got more windows than rooms up there." talking about the 2nd floor. We went up & poked around & found a room that you had to reach by a small access panel in one of the closets. We eventually found 2 more rooms, entered in odd ways - one you had to climb up into the attic & drop down into. We did some research & found that the ships captian who built the house was an abolitionist & active in the underground railway.

g

[Ben Rafael]

While house shopping 10 years ago I saw 2 houses with secret doors. Both were doors that doubled as built in bookcases. You would never know that they were doors leading to a room. In both instances the doors were in a part of a hallway and led to an interior room with no windows. Both homes were built in the 1920's so I assume that they were built with liquor in mind.
Simple to make, normal built in bookcase with the hinges hidden by a face frame. The door runs from the floor to the ceiling, ceiling height is about8 feet. I live around the block from one of the homes.

[Bill Edwards(2)]

Would be weird to have guests into the office. "Come with me please..." as you walk through the bathroom, then to your clostet where slide your clothes over, you ask your guest to flush and the door slides open. Something out of James Bond or Batman.

We used to buy illegal fireworks from a lady in Danville who had the entrance to her basement/firework shop in a hidden wall panel. Kinda weird but awesome fireworks! The Lady was about 70ysld!!!

I was thinking more like "Get Smart"

[Greg Hines, MD]

I think if you are going to do that, do it right. You need the statue with the secret button, the slide away panel, the fire pole to reach the bat cave, etc.

Doc

[Doug Shepard]

I siezed by a vision of the Desperado movie (w/ Antonio Banderas) where the drug dealer walks his customer through a filthy bathroom stall to a secret door that leads to the back room.

[Brian Kerley]

I think if you are going to do that, do it right. You need the statue with the secret button, the slide away panel, the fire pole to reach the bat cave, etc.

Doc

Here's the shakespeare bust to go with it :-)

http://www.thegreenhead.com/2004/09/...-life-size.php

[Alex Yeilding]

Check out http://www.hideadoor.com/index.html and
http://www.hiddenpassageway.com/gallery/album0.html
Second link seems to include some installations of products from the first, as well as some other ideas (some modeled, not real).

Should give you some ideas. I've heard of using urethane inline skate wheels to support the weight of a bookcase "door", and you will want to have a hard surface for it to roll on.

No affiliation or experience with either of the above; just found them interesting.