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What are Pocket Interior Doors?
Pocket interior doors are sliding doors used on the inside of the house. When the pocket door is open, the entire door appears to vanish into the wall. Pocket interior doors require special door installation. A compartment is built into the wall that holds the door when it is open.
There are two main reasons that pocket interior doors are used. The first is aesthetics. A pocket door is an attractive architectural choice. Without drawing attention to the door, it gives the home a custom appearance. Another reason that pocket doors are used is because of the space-saving benefit of having them. On average, a room that has a pocket door will have ten additional square feet of space inside. For a small home, this can be a tremendous amount of space available for utilization.
Because pocket interior doors create open space in confined areas, they are commonly used in bathrooms, utility rooms and closets. Pocket doors do require a different sort of installation than traditional doors, but the installation process is not complicated.
Pocket doors are suspended from rollers that are above the door, in the frame. A less common method of installation is through rollers that are set into the floor, below the door. There are disadvantages to this method, as many people do not like to step over the track when entering a room and the track and rollers can collect dirt.
If you are building a new home, consider the addition of pocket interior doors in areas where you could benefit from additional room. If you live in an older home, with a cramped floor plan, a remodeling project that adds a pocket door will make it much easier to navigate in small spaces and through narrow hallways. You will be surprised at how much room you add by getting rid of doors that open into a room, or into a hallway.
If you want to add a pocket door to your home, you should know that this is not a simple do it yourself process. Installing pocket doors is a straightforward process, but it is important that the floor, door frame and pocket door are all perfectly level and square. Pocket doors are remarkably trouble free when properly designed and installed. If the door is not installed perfectly level and square, the door will not slide properly on its rollers and the pocket door will be difficult to lock. The advantages of a pocket door make the investment in a professional contractor a worthwhile investment.
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Discussion Comments
@rundocuri- I grew up in a home that had pocket interior doors, and they were really neat to have. They provided a lot of privacy, yet they were easily put out of the way when they weren't in use.
The walls of my old home were very wide and thick, so it was easy to see how pocket doors were able to be installed inside of them. However, I don't know if they were put in when the house was built or installed at a later time.
The bottom line is that though you may be able to get a good idea by looking at your walls if pocket doors can be installed, only an expert building contractor can tell for sure.
@rundocturi- You should be able to get a free estimate from a contractor who can tell you after looking at your walls if interior pocket doors can be installed.
I am thinking about having pocket interior doors installed in my home, but I don't know if my walls will accommodate them. I would rather not spend a lot of money on a contractor if this can't be done. How can I be sure that my walls are suited for pocket interior doors?
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