Common Pocket Door Questions:
Can you put a pocket door on a block wall?
Yes, you can build a pocket door into a block wall. When you are building the wall, you can either purchase a pocket door kit made for the correct wall thickness, 6”, or fir out a kit 1/2” for a kit kit made for 2 x 6 walls. An easier way to add a pocket door to an already existing wall, is to make an add on wall attached to the block wall, which keeps you from tearing a block wall apart.
Can any slab door be used for a pocket door?
Any type of door can be used for a pocket door. You can hollow core doors, solid core doors, wood raised panel doors, wood flat panel doors, french doors with glass. You do not even have to have new doors. You can use doors already cut out for hinges, and put that side of the door back in the wall. On doors already
drilled for locks, with a standard 2 1/8” bore, you can use pocket door locks made for that opening that fit in the same hole.
How thick are standard walls for pocket doors?
Standard wall thicknesses are the thickness of 2 x 4 ( 3 1/2”) OR 2 x 6 (5 1/2”) , and less common is a 6” wall for concrete block. On top of this two common thickness of drywall are used , 1/2” and 5/8” drywall. Drywall is applied to both sides of the pocket door frame kits. Our company can also make custom widths pocket door frame kits for odd sized walls.
Where can you not put a pocket door?
You can actually put a pocket door almost anywhere. The most common place where you don't install a pocket door is in a load bearing wall. In order to install a pocket door in a load bearing wall., you would have to install a load bearing beam overhead to eliminate the load bearing wall, but that would be very costly for one door. It can be done, but would very expensive. An alternative to that would be to install an extra wall attached to the load bearing wall, in which the pocket door would go. You also install pocket doors mainly in an interior wall.
Can I install a pocket door without removing drywall?
In a wall that is already made, you would have to tear out the part of the wall needed to accommodate the pocket door. In a new wall, you would need to frame the door with the rough opening in mind for the pocket door kit. The pocket door will need 2 x the width of your door plus one inch. For the height of the door, you will need the height of your door, plus 4 1/2” . For double doors, you will the total of the two doors doubled. For instance 2-3 foot doors, will need twelve feet for the rough opening. After the door is completely framed, you can add the drywall on both sides. Since the doors pivot on the wheels, you can leave off one side of your door casing, until after the door is installed.
How much space do you lose or gain from installing pocket doors in a house?
On average, you gain about 15 square feet of usable floor space in a house for each pocket door. In a house where you would have 10 pocket doors, you would gain about 150 square feet of floor space. You don't have to worry about the door swinging into a small bathroom, or the door swinging into another opening, etc. In a small house, you would notice the savings in space more.
Why is my pocket door sticking?
A pocket door can stick for a number of reasons. Make sure your plates at the top of the door are centered where the screws are mounted, There is only so much room available on each side of the door. On lower cost frame kits where there are steel wrapped wood studs, the wall can be bent in a slight amount, from pressure or a hit on your wall, since they will bend. You would then have to pry the wall out
slightly by bending the wall. Remove the door, and then insert a long bar to push the wall out slightly, if you see a slight inward bend. The house may have settled, also, since the house was built. You can also adjust the rollers up or down slightly, if one end is high or lower. Make sure the door is the right thickness for the pocket door kit. Our pocket door frame kits will accommodate both 1 3/8” thick doors
and 1 3/4” thick doors. Some lower priced kits for 2 x 4 walls will only use 1 3/4” thick doors if special door adapters are used.
What do I look for when installing a pocket door?
Things to look for would include the following:
Door Size
Door Thickness
Rough Opening Size
Wall Thickness
Soft Close/ Soft Open
EZ Closers
Door Height
What do I do to keep my rollers lubricated in a pocket door system?
From time to time, you may want to lubricate your rollers with a silicone spray. They have ball bearing rollers, and will continue to glide easily this way.
What type of handle or locks do pocket doors use?
Pocket doors can use a variety of locks, and pulls. First there are the traditional type of locks, in square or rectangular locks, in both passage, and privacy functions.. Next there are round pocket door locks, with passage and privacy functions. These fit in a standard 2 1/8” bore. You can use flush plates with a
combination of pocket door pulls. On the higher end, there are mortise locks, in a combination of functions.
Do pocket doors work well for handicapped users?
Pocket doors work very well for handicapped users. In order to accommodate wheel chairs, doors have to be 32” or more under current ADA laws. The bulk of doors are 36” or more in width, which makes it much easier for wheel chairs and walkers. Also the maximum height , for any floor threshold is 1/2” high,
with a slope up to each side, under current ADA laws.
What size opening do I need in my wall to fit a pocket door?
When using one of our Pocket Door Frame Kits, you need to accommodate for the following dimensions:
The rough opening width is two times your door width plus an inch (i.e., a 30" door would require a rough opening of 30x2 plus 1, which would be 61")
The rough opening height is the door height plus 4 1/2" (i.e., a door of 80" height would require a rough opening height of 84 1/2")
To see the full layout of the installation instructions for our kits, you can find them here.