Pocket doors in home renovations - when is the best time to install one?

Pocket doors can deliver multiple benefits to a home and they have become a go-to solution for home renovations for this reason. At a time when many people are facing economic struggles, we look to maximise space wherever possible, and this means getting the most benefit from our home and avoiding the expense of extensions, a conservatory or a cellar or loft conversion. Innovative use of space is an efficient and cost-effective way to live and home renovations are a project we can largely manage ourselves with a view to utilising every spare inch of the home we call our own.  

The pocket door is a perfect solution for creating extra space because it opens horizontally into a wall pocket, rather than in an arc into a room like a traditional hinged door. The pocket door is therefore never an obstacle when open or closed. It also helps to create flexible space that you can use in different ways according to your needs, lifestyle and the time of day.

How pocket doors suit a home renovation project

A home renovation project often includes the use of pocket doors, because they are ideal for:

• Creating a flexible layout for an open-plan ground floor space
• Creating two small rooms in one larger room
• Making a room multi-purpose
• Creating a new use for an existing room

The ability of the pocket door to open and close-off space means you can effectively create temporary walls in an open plan space and therefore add a communal flow to the home at times when lots of people are around, and then close these spaces off when you want a smaller, more intimate space in the evenings, or when working or studying during the day. Elsewhere the pocket door is ideal for creating new bedrooms when your family is expanding, or creating an en-suite, a kitchen utility room or a downstairs toilet. Or maybe a pocket door is a solution for combining a guest bedroom or a kids’ playroom with a home office?

Pocket doors also have a great aesthetic quality. Because they disappear from view and have clean lines and uncluttered features, they are ideal for contemporary homes with minimalist décor. Double pocket doors also have a grand effect for linking dining rooms, kitchens and living rooms. So pocket doors are ideal for use in tight spaces where a hinged door would be impractical, they divide spaces, create space, they can act as a temporary wall and they look fantastic too. So it is no surprise that the are a popular feature of many home renovations.  

The best time to install a pocket door in a home renovation

Installing a pocket door system is a more involved process because you need to consider the pocket door frame. This is the steel framework that accommodates the door in both the open and closed position. It therefore also accommodates the overhead track. Because the pocket door opens into the wall pocket, the pocket door frame has to be built within the wall, and therefore there are lots of considerations to be made in terms of timing when installing this system.

Key installation considerations include:

• Exposed stud wall – The best time to install a pocket door system is when the stud wall structure is exposed, ie. the wooden uprights and crossbeams of a stud wall construction, and therefore before any plasterboard or drywall has been installed. Ideally you would do this during the home construction phase, but for home renovations of course this is different. However, where your project involves creating new walls, you should fit the pocket door frame when you are able to easily manoeuvre the framework and be precise over adjustments and fittings, and so you don’t damage any finished wall decor.
• Plumbing and electricals – This is the same stage in which you will be fitting any new pipework and electrical wiring for your new space. So installing the pocket door at this stage with the stud wall exposed means you don’t have to re-route any of these utilities and can work around them easily and safely.
• Plasterboard/drywall – Having the pocket door system in place with the stud wall exposed means you have more space to work and also means the major part of the work is complete BEFORE you install the plasterboard or drywall. This will completely box in the pocket door system and means you can’t then access it for any small adjustments. So install the pocket door before your plasterboard and make sure it is running smoothly and effectively and you don’t have to make any further adjustments.
• Flooring – You may be changing your flooring as part of your home renovation, so if this is the case make sure you allow for any extra thickness in your new carpet when installing the door system. Flooring is usually the final stage of a home renovation project so you need to make allowances for this at an earlier stage.
• Final trim – The pocket door furniture and hardware can be installed after the renovation is completed, ie. when you have had the wall plasterboarded, plastered and finished (painted or wallpapered).

The pocket door is a great solution for home renovations, but it is important that you plan ahead and time the installation correctly. This will make your project easier and means you can make all the operational adjustments before finishing the renovation.