Pocket Doors

Want a door with a “now you see it, now you don’t” character while providing more space in your home? Then you’re looking for pocket doors. A pocket door disappears into an adjacent wall cavity, not needing any floor space to swing its doors open – conventional swing doors need about ten square-feet to open into. Pocket doors leave more room for access, furniture, and artwork as it slides into a wall, and literally gets out of the way.

Pocket doors generally move on rollers that are suspended from an overhead track; some pocket doors have tracks or guides alongside the floor. Double- and single-door versions are available, depending on the desired width of entry. A pocket door can add a standard floor space of ten feet square, and should be more considered by home owners in home planning.

These types of doors were especially widespread in Victorian homes for closing off areas like dens and sitting rooms; but with the change in architectural taste, a lot of pocket door hardware manufacturers stopped its operations. With the coming and popularity of town homes and condominiums, as well as improvement in its hardware, resurgence of pocket doors and its space-saving character has become rife once more.

Contemporary residential uses of pocket doors include utility rooms, closets, bathrooms, laundry rooms, and home offices. When in-wall pocket door installation is not practical, an “open pocket door” can be used; this type of pocket door is also suggested for disabled resident’s home because of the greater opening ease than that of conventional pull-open, hinged doors.

Installing pocket doors are easy; they should be bought in kits with box tracks and nylon rollers. Before starting any installation, make sure to seal and finish door edges to avoid warping. Furring strip or studs should be wrapped and sealed in metal to stop rubbing afterward. Insulation can also be added on top of the door to put off heat loss.

Pocket doors can be set up as a pair or singly, and are available in every door style including flush, French, panels, and divided light. Standard pocket door kits can take a door that weighs from 125 pounds to 150 pounds; specialty kits can take door weight of up to 200 pounds.

When installing a pocket door, keep in mind that the rough opening is the foundation of one’s pocket door system, so it should be done correctly through exactingly following one’s pocket door installation instructions that come with the hardware. The rough opening should also be level and plumb not twisted. The tracks assembly should be installed following individual instructions as every track is a little different, and make sure that it is level prior to proceeding with anything.

When attaching the door trim casing, avoid nailing into finished jamb material as this will get in the way with removing the jambs later. Finish jambs are also hard to fabricate on one’s own as it needs table saw, as well as sanding the rough edges; some manufacturers sell them in cut size and sanded and these are more advantageous to use.

Pocket door installation is not as hard as it may look, especially with quality pocket door hardware sets. Remember that the solution to trouble-free installation depends on the appropriate rough opening; if one gets the rough opening correctly, the rest of the installation process will flow smoothly.

Pocket doors are not only easy to install, but they are also a fast and efficient solution to accessibility and space savings to every home. They make modern-day convenience possible, as well as enhance the home’s ultimate potential when it comes to space value.