Pocket doors were popular in the late 1800s, especially in Victorian houses. They had a resurgence of popularity in the 1950s. But because pocket doors from the past ran along raised tracks on the floor, the tracks were a tripping hazard, so builders and homeowners avoided pocket doors when possible.
Pocket doors are not a common door type found in homes today but have actually been around for centuries. In the past, the door type was actually considered a standard feature in an upscale home but this gradually went out of style. Swinging doors became the new 'It' feature and homes continue to use such doors today.
Now, thanks to hardware improvements and modern designs, pocket doors are seeing a resurgence in popularity, especially as people look for ways to maximize space in their homes. Pocket doors hang from rollers suspended from an overhead track. The door slides into a compartment build into the adjacent wall when opened.
Advantages of Pocket Doors
Pocket doors save valuable floor space by eliminating the room you need for traditional doors to swing open. Because a pocket door slides into the wall, you need to have enough clearance in the wall framing for the door(s) to accommodate the door when it's pushed into the wall pocket.
If you are building a new house or just remodeling an existing one, pocket doors are an option definitely worth considering. The pros of pocket doors are that they add space otherwise wasted by swinging doors, they look great, and they add authenticity to historic homes.
There are some drawbacks to pocket doors. For example, they are space savers in the bathroom, but they way they sit on tracks within the wall means that they don't seal as tightly as traditional doors and this can be a problem for some people. They also do not create any acoustic privacy.
Pocket doors are notorious for problems with functionality. They often fall off their tracks, move with difficulty, are problematic to lock, and screech when rolled. Accessibility. Sliding pocket doors are hard to manage for anyone with limited use of their hands, such as arthritis sufferers.
Pocket doors are a good option for smaller rooms that may not have space for a full-swing door. They're perfect for closets, connecting two spaces (for example between an en suite and a walk-in closet, and small bedrooms where floor space counts.
Pocket doors are more expensive to install because they usually require construction to a home's structure. Both doors have a nominal cost of $400 for an average 30-inch solid wood door. However, the installation cost of a new barn door is anywhere from $100 to $300 per existing wall.
Pocket doors are usually found between walls and contain no protruding into the pocket when the door is closed, which is one of the major reasons for the noise problem seen in pocket doors.
Glass pocket doors can open your home and modernize the appearance of your living space. This type of glass sliding door has a lot of other potential benefits, too.
Replacing a Pocket Door
If you simply want to replace a pocket door or remove it in order to repair it, you don't have to tear into the drywall! That's great news. All you have to do is lift the door off the sliding track. In order to do that, you have to remove the trim around the door.
Many of its doors are available in a pocket door application. The company offers a wide variety of door styles, from traditional to craftsman. Exterior glass pocket doors are not usually considered the same as the interior pocket door by homeowners, though.
As long as the measurement is correct for the pocket opening, the door is the right thickness, and the door hasn't been pre-drilled for a standard door lockset or hinges, you can use any kind of door for a pocket door.
Barn doors are easy to install and customize, and they can really free up floor space that would otherwise be needed for conventional doors. This makes a rolling barn door a great option for small spaces like bathrooms or hallways that can be easily blocked by a door that swings open.
At the very least, pocket doors do require thicker walls. This means an offset of more than 4 inches (100mm) to accommodate doors that have a usual thickness of 2 inches, with a bigger gap required for thicker door choices.
Yes, you can lock pocket doors to secure specific places in your house. Pocket doors can have a lock on one or both sides. If you want to secure your property, you can choose a pocket door lock with a key. The locks may either be a round or square lock.
Double the width of the desired door, or pair of doors, to determine the wall space that's needed to install the pocket door frame. For example, 48 inches is needed to install the frame for a 24-inch pocket door, and 64 inches is need to install the frame for a 32-inch pocket door.
Soundproofing Pocket Doors – Do Pocket Doors Block Sound? The short answer is no – pocket doors do not block very much sound. Whether or not you chose to have pocket doors or the house came that way when you bought it, pocket doors aren't very soundproof.
During a new construction, pocket doors will cost between $500 and $1,000. As part of a remodeling project, their cost will be in the $1,000 to $3,500 range. These prices reflect both parts and labor. These doors hide inside a wall cavity instead of swinging out from a hinge.
Installing the door into the pocket is also fairly easy to do. As with many home improvement jobs, much of the trick is having the proper attitude, taking the time to do the job right and reading the instructions before you get started.
You can make your laundry room look nicer and reduce noise by installing a pocket door system into an existing wall. Pantry: A single pocket door is the most popular choice when it comes to improving your home's pantry.
The rough opening for one of their pocket door frames is two times the door width plus an inch (2 * door width + 1 inch) for the width and 5 inches plus the door height for the header height. Each manufacturer is slightly different so it's best to look up the specification or buy the frame before you frame the wall.
Slide the door until it is sticking out about 3 to 4 inches and release the clip; you might need to use a screwdriver for this. Some doors require that the clips stay open until the door is removed from the hanger. To remove the door from the track, lift it up slightly until the rollers come off.