Can You Use Old Doors In Pocket Door Systems?

At a time when people are putting home improvement projects on hold because of rising inflation and the cost of living crisis, many businesses and homeowners are getting creative in terms of saving costs and re-using or upscaling materials where they can. Sometimes you can save critical costs by re-using elements that still have robustness and longevity built into them and which under normal circumstances you might just throw away without consideration.

This definitely applies to pocket doors, and at the Pocket Door Shop we are here to ensure you get a workable, practical and attractive solution, and for the best value for money available. The concept of the pocket door ensures that it saves you critical space in a room, compared to a traditional hinged door, this is the primary concept and the reason why most people opt for the pocket door. So it is the design principle that appeals, ie. the system and the framework, as much as it is the door itself. So increasingly, people are asking us if they can keep using their existing doors, and just install the pocket door system framework around it. After all, there may be nothing wrong with the door itself, and your principal motivation is just to create more space in a room in a cost-effective way.

Using old doors in a pocket door system

So the answer is YES, you can use an old door in a pocket door system, as long as it is the correct door size for the pocket door kit you intend to buy or have already bought. By this we mean that if you have an old 726mm x 1981mm door and you wish to re-use it, you would simply purchase a 726mm pocket door kit. You don’t necessarily need a specialist pocket door blank to install with the pocket door system, as this is just a standard timber door.

Our range of door sizes includes five imperial and metric sizes, at 1981mm and 2040mm high respectively. These range from 610mm to 914mm and 626mm to 1026mm in width. So if your existing door falls within this range then you can re-use it, but note also that the door thickness needs to be 35-44mm for timber doors, and if you are using a fire door kit then your existing door would need to be an appropriate FD30-rated fire door.

Contact Pocket Door Shop for guidance on re-using old doors in new systems

Of course if your motivation for choosing pocket doors is a practical one, but you also wish to freshen up the aesthetic appeal of a room, then you can opt for a new timber door from our range as part of your installation. But you DO have the option of saving vital costs and re-using your existing door as long as it is the right size. On our pocket door system pages we have all the dimension information you will need, but you can contact our sales team any time if you are unsure about what size pocket door system you need to use alongside your existing door.

Also, if you have a non-standard-sized door or have any bespoke pocket door requirements, we may still have options to help you. If you contact us directly we will be happy to discuss your requirements. We do produce bespoke systems and it is possible we can use your existing door to fit a bespoke pocket door frame. So whatever your pocket door requirements, we are here to make sure you can do it cost-effectively, while still receiving the benefits you expect from a pocket door, so get in touch today.