Common misconceptions about pocket doors

The pocket door is one of the most popular interior design innovations of the 21^st century, creating valuable space for home and business owners and enabling flexible layouts to add versatility and practical benefits, and at the same time with a cool and elegant sense of style. But some are still to be won over with regards the many benefits of the pocket door. There are still people who see the pocket door as a quirky feature that died out with Queen Victoria and who wouldn’t have it on their radar when considering home improvements and stylish design.

Here we have gathered together the most common misconceptions we hear about pocket doors and have attempted to debunk these myths with some basic truths. This presents the clearest picture yet of what the pocket door actually is; a clever, innovative and stylish design feature that can truly transform your home or workplace.

• They are old-fashioned – The pocket door may have originated in the Victorian design era, but it has evolved massively since then and is perfect for the minimalist simplicity of modern design trends. With clean lines, smooth operation and seamless integration, the pocket door is the contemporary solution to your practical needs. You can even opt for a Syntesis design which has no architrave and which sits flush to your walls with an unfussy refinement. The pocket door is the smart design solution which can be used to open and close spaces to provide versatility and efficiency, so that no space is wasted.
• They are hard to install – It is true that retro-fitting a pocket door can be a challenge, but in technical terms it is a task that any experienced DIYer can accomplish, and there are no specialist skills involved. And installing pocket door systems in a new-build property couldn’t be simpler. The frame fits inside a stud wall construction with ease and the wall is plastered and painted around it. When installing, just make sure you have the right size of pocket door system and you should have no problems.
• You can’t install a pocket door in a solid wall – While most internal walls are now stud walls, you do sometimes come across one that is solid brick, usually where there has been an extension added or the room layout has been significantly changed. Of course you don’t want to be chiselling out a pocket cavity in your wall for a pocket door system, but you can create a new stud wall alongside this existing solid wall. This is where you install your pocket door frame, and this can then be plasterboarded in and covered up, and nobody will notice it is actually a completely new wall construction.
• They are unreliable – An outdated image of the pocket door is a door that sticks and is awkward to operate, and you have to shove it to find the right groove for it to run. This couldn’t be further from the truth in terms of how today’s pocket door systems work. Using quality materials, superior design skills and technical innovation, pocket doors now run seamlessly on overhead tracks that are precise, smooth and reliable. Modern pocket door systems are designed to run without any problems over thousands of cycles, and with very minimal maintenance.
• They are no good for sound and thermal insulation – Many people think pocket doors let sound through and create a draught in a room, when the reality is they are no different to any other door in this regard. Expert manufacture alongside a quality install should result in no gaps around the door edges and as long as you have chosen the right size pocket door, no gaps along the floor either. And pocket doors are made from solid timber with the same sound and thermal properties as a traditional hinged door.
• They are no good for security – Pocket doors are very rarely used for external doors, this is true, but you can use them for internal doors where privacy is required, such as an office, a bathroom or a separate toilet. Using pocket door furniture such as a thumb and turn lock, you can install a simple lock on an internal pocket door, which can only be operated from the inside.

Order your pocket door from the Pocket Door Shop

Hopefully this has settled these matters once and for all and raised your confidence in the robustness and clever innovation of the pocket door. You can speak to our expert sales team at Pocket Door Shop if you still have any doubts, otherwise you can browse our range of pocket doors and order online today.