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If you are tired of being squeezed into walls and corners by your traditional inward or outward opening doors, look to pocket doors. A pocket door is a unique form of door that has been around for many years, but is still a safely guarded secret. Many historic homes will have a pocket door installed somewhere, since space was kept at a premium, especially in hallways and bathrooms, where the doors typically appear. Often, a pocket door doubled as a secret door, since no hinges or methods of opening or closing the door can be seen. By installing pocket doors in your home, you can save space while gaining privacy.
Pocket doors are installed between the walls in your home. For this reason, it is more difficult to install a pocket door than other types of doors that are typically installed after the face. If you are planning on installing a pocket door and do not have a wall built, you will need to do so. This may be the reason why most minor renovation projects avoid installing a pocket door and stick to the old fashioned options. However, the installation woes are well worth it when you consider that you gain at least ten square feet—the space required for a traditional inward or outward opening door. For this reason, it is no surprise that pocket doors have been used for hundreds of years. If you are in the market to purchase pocket doors, look to your local hardware store, lumber yard, millwork shop, or home improvement warehouse. Since a pocket door is a unique item, you may need to have it special ordered. Most stores that sell doors will be able to handle the ordering process for you, or you can take it into your own hands and order one yourself. Look to the World Wide Web to find a website of a manufacturer of pocket doors or turn to a reliable catalog of building projects to find a door that fits your needs. Once you have purchased your pocket doors, the next step is the installation process. Installing a pocket door is a bit more complicated than other types of doors, but it is certainly not impossible. A pocket door will come with a frame that should slide between the walls of your home. Typically, the wall will have to be demolished and rebuilt with the frame of the pocket door in place. Keep in mind that electrical wires, ductwork, and plumbing pipes run behind walls, so you should take great care in the demolition process. Also, for this same reason, not every wall in your home can house a pocket door due to the space needed for these necessities. Also, carefully measure the space available for all pocket doors you plan on installing in your home to make sure the door frames will fit. Pocket doors are great accents to any home. They work fantastic in bathrooms with a separate room for the toilet, since these spaces are typically cramped and claustrophobic. Additionally, pocket doors work well between a kitchen and dining room, since it can be completely stored when it comes time to serve food or clear the table. |
Interior Doors