
Regular cleaning and, depending on the door type, lubricating with silicone spray, reduces the risk of problems. This is even more likely if you have young kids who might be rough on the door. They can start to stick, screech or fall off their tracks entirely and become next to impossible to use until repaired. Pocket doors have a bad habit of developing problems that make them hard to use. If you’re a light sleeper, think twice before installing a pocket door anywhere near your bedroom. Aluminum tracks with nylon rollers minimize the noise, but don’t eliminate it. A pocket door, no matter how carefully you roll it, will make some noise as it moves along the tracks. NoiseĪ conventional door can be swung open or closed silently. They can let odors and steam escape from the bathroom and fail to keep household noises out of your home office. Minimal SealĬlosed pocket doors don’t always form a tight seal, so light, noise, and odors travel through them more easily than through a conventional door. These doors require precision installation to operate correctly, so they’re not great DIY projects. Notoriously temperamental, pocket doors are more likely to malfunction than conventional doors, and when they do, they’re harder to repair.
#Pocket doors install
Cons: Noisy and Tricky to Install © Colby / Adobe Stock In a Victorian-era or mid-century home, modern pocket doors lend an authentic feel without the danger. To avoid this problem, today’s pocket doors use ceiling tracks or recessed floor tracks. They fell out of popularity not for stylistic reasons, but because older models used raised tracks on the threshold, posing a tripping hazard. Pocket doors were fashionable in the late 1800s and enjoyed a short period of revival in the 1950s. Paint the living room door lime green, and if you decide you don’t like it, you can push it out of sight until you have time to repaint. Their disappearing act makes pocket doors good places to experiment with daring colors and design elements. Pocket doors disappear completely when open, creating an elegant, streamlined look that works especially well with Japanese- and Scandinavian-inspired interiors. Minimalist AppearanceĪn open interior door breaks up the line of the wall and can look a little clunky. Want to set up a home office off the living room? A pocket door lets you separate the space when you want privacy or open it up without cutting into the living room. If your home has two guest bedrooms, installing a pocket door between them lets you offer your guests a choice of separate rooms or a two-bedroom suite. By installing one between the living room and the family room or the kitchen and the dining room, you can open up the space for parties or keep the door closed for more intimate gatherings. Pocket doors are perfect for connecting two spaces you might want to join without a door getting in the way. A frosted glass pocket door is perfect for a small bathroom because it not only saves spaces but also lets in light. You’ll have room to arrange cabinets, seating, and other furniture exactly how you want them. In a small bathroom, laundry room or closet, that can be a considerable loss of space that could be used for something else. To use the door, you’ll need to keep around 10 sq. The average full-swing door opens to a radius of between 2 1/2 to 3 feet. In turn-of-the century homes, they’re a convenient and authentic feature.


Pocket doors are best known as space-savers, but they also bring an element of minimalist style to a room.

Pros: Space Saving and Elegant © Dave / Adobe Stock

They’re not the most reliable doors around, though, and the noise some models make can be an annoyance. These doors are mounted on tracks and roll in and out of a “pocket,” or hollow compartment in the wall, so they don’t take up space in the room. With a sliding pocket door, you’ll save space and give your room a more streamlined look. When space is at a premium, a conventional full-swing door can be a real inconvenience.
