If you are wondering what is a pocket door, first familiarize yourself with the concept of sliding doors. To give your home a sophisticated look, use the mentioned type of doors. They are attached to a rail that allows them to move from left to right. It follows that these products are good for saving space, and this can come in handy in small spaces, such as toilets. What does it give to you? First, a laconic appearance. Secondly, the safety, simplicity, and durability of the design. In addition, they are available in single and double door styles and in an almost endless variety of materials, including wood, metal, and composite.
With these fixtures, it is possible to free up more space on the wall and floor – they do not need a gap to be opened. They simply need to be inserted into the space between two walls. This makes them suitable for residential properties with a limited space.
Pocket doors are a construction item that has a pocket. They are ideal for creating additional space in a room, because the door slides easily into the pocket (cassette), which is built into the wall. As a result, you get extra space.
The large clearance provided by the doorway makes these products a good solution to meet universal design standards. They also guarantee a more “open” feeling and a cleaner design.
You can open and close them without an annoying sound if you equip them with a soft-closing mechanism. It prevents slamming, injury and damage. You do not have to worry about hurting your fingers with the door. The elegant and original look of the pocket doors will not leave anyone indifferent.
Specifics of use
Pocket doors are used throughout the home. They have become so popular because of their compact design. Unlike sliding models, pocket doors actually slide into the wall rather than along its side.
These products are ideal for use in the following rooms:
- bathroom;
- toilet;
- clothes room;
- music room.
Pocket doors are a suitable option for rooms where doors are rarely closed.
What is a pocket door system – many consumers who want this design in their homes ask this. Pocket doors work in the same way as sliding doors. However, it is essentially a single piece of construction that is attached to a movable hanging rail and slides into a space or “pocket” installed in the wall. The “pocket” of plasterboard allows the door to slide in and out of it.
The composition of the frame of the pocket design consists of:
- side jamb, divided to install the door;
- top jamb with a built-in guide rail;
- the top of the door is equipped with rollers, which allows it to slide on the rail.
Nowadays, there are several variants of pocket models, which allow stowing double doors on either side of the wall or doorway.
Two-leaved interior doors
Along with pocket doors, double pocket doors are in great demand. What is a double pocket door? It is a leaf, which is structurally similar to a single pocket door. Sometimes one leaf is fixed, and the second performs the working function. The fixed part can open if it is necessary to bring in furniture. The width of the narrow part is a third of the total size of the doorway. Three main types are classified, depending on the opening method:
- swing;
- sliding;
- double-acting swing doors.
When the door opens, it literally folds down into two parts, projecting outward. This system is ideal for closets and can be used in rooms with limited space.
Installation
Before installing a pocket door, the first aspect to know is what is the rough opening for a pocket door. It is not difficult to determine this. Fixtures manufacturers describe the width and height of the rough doorway in the instructions. The first parameter is twice the width of the door plus one inch, and the second parameter is seven feet and one inch.
When choosing what is a pocket door frame, it is necessary to consider that it should be twice as wide as the intended door leaf plus 1 inch.
The installation process of the door leaf:
- Buy a pocket door kit at a construction store.
- Examine the wall.
- If possible, remove the existing door.
- Remove the plasterboard on one side of the wall.
- Carefully trim the stud-bolts.
If necessary, it is needed to create a new header, then install the slider rail, place the hardware and the door into the slider rail. The plasterboard that was removed at the beginning of the project should be replaced with new plasterboard. Install the fixture, then finish installing the plasterboard, paint or otherwise decorate the wall as you see fit, install the door trim.
To adjust the header, it will be needed to use a scroll saw to remove the section header that is in place at the time of installation. It will be then needed to cut the posts to make room for the frame.
It will be necessary to trim the nails that are between the spikes and the sole, then determine the height of the desired header before trimming the tops of the spikes to the desired length. Otherwise, you may get a frame of inappropriate size.
