Can Pocket Doors Be Locked For Privacy?

While the pocket door has many different uses in the home, it isn’t suitable for an external door, and hence, if you put a lock on a pocket door it tends not to be for security reasons, it is predominately for privacy reasons. So in answer to the question ‘can pocket doors be locked for privacy?’ the answer is YES. And because security locks are often large and complex in terms of installation, because this is a privacy lock it is much more simple and easy to install.

Pocket doors are ideal for re-configuring a house and creating a new room from existing space. This is because the pocket door creates roughly an extra 10 square feet of space in a room compared to a traditional hinged door. This extra space can be used for several purposes, and popular home improvement projects include creating a kids playroom, combining a guest bedroom with a home office or creating a downstairs utility or storage room. But there are also new rooms a pocket door can create which require some privacy, and popular rooms which have been created in the home include en-suite bathrooms, bathrooms and downstairs toilets. All of these are rooms in which you can incorporate a simple locking system on the leading edge of the pocket door, to enable privacy to be assured.

What kind of lock can be fitted to a pocket door?

The most popular style of privacy lock to attach to a pocket door that requires privacy, is a rounded style finger pull style lock.

• This is contemporary and stylish in its design
• A universal locking system which can be fitted on all pocket door systems
• Has a handle and integral thumb-turn action mechanism
• Simply twist the thumb-turn to lock it
• Can be operated from both sides – internally and externally. So it has an internal thumb-turn but an external emergency release. This means that if a small child locked the door and couldn’t un-lock it, they could be released from outside.
• Stylish finishes are available in polished chrome, satin chrome, polished brass or antique brass
• Usually available for either 35mm or 44mm thick doors
• Supplied with all components and screws required

Our Eclisse pocket door kits are supplied with an adjustable stop within the track, allowing you to determine how far the door protrudes out of the pocket. The manufacturer’s default is set at around 70mm, meaning your door will protrude out of the pocket by 70mm, preventing any finger-trapping issues. However, as the stop is adjustable some customers prefer the maximise their door opening width by setting the door fully back into the pocket, allowing the door to fully disappear into the wall. If this is desired you can have a couple of options on how to pull the door out of the pocket. You could use our touch latch accessory and ‘eject’ the door out of the pocket by pressing the leading edge of the door activating the touch latch and popping the door out of the pocket. Or the other solution would be using our door furniture sets which in most cases are supplied with a leading-edge finger pull, allowing you to insert your finger or thumb into the pull and easily pull the door out of the pocket.     

Another slightly different style of privacy lock for a pocket door is a larger design which is oblong in shape rather than rounded. This measures 210mm in length and may suit an interior design that features more lines and sharper edges rather than rounded designs. However, in every other way this privacy lock is identical to the rounded design, ie. it has an integral thumb-turn lock and can be retro-fitted. This style of privacy lock comes in three different finishing styles – polished stainless steel, satin stainless steel and black.

What are the benefits of installing a privacy lock on a pocket door?

Installing a pocket door can be a major home improvement project and can deliver a whole new dimension to your home. The practical benefits of the pocket door are well known, but adding pocket door accessories post-installation also mean you maximise these benefits and complete the installation to suit you. Therefore, the benefits of installing a privacy lock on a pocket door include:

• A nice finishing touch to a pocket door installation
• Stylish and contemporary design
• Simple and practical to operate
• Makes family members and guests more comfortable in your home
• A relatively cheap addition to the pocket door
• A privacy lock is easy to install
• Can be retro-fitted to the door after installation
• The range of finishes mean that this kind of pocket door furniture can be installed to match your existing interior features, such as door handles and light switches.