Standard pocket door sizes are typically 80 inches tall and between 24 and 40 inches wide, with the most common being the same sizes as regular hinged doors. When choosing a pocket door, consider both the overall dimensions of the door (including the wall) and the “passage size”, which will tell you how much of an opening you will have. Single-leaf doors have a 51 ¾ x 86 ¼ footprint, with a 23 5/8 x 78 ¾ passage. Center pocket doors range from 24 inches to 28 inches.
Pocket doors come in various standard sizes to accommodate different openings, with the most common widths being 24 inches, 28 inches, and 28 inches. They provide privacy and soundproofing but also slide inside the wall. There are various pocket door systems available, including single and double pocket doors, with varying passage sizes and heights. Solid flush pocket doors are available in a range of widths, with a typical height of 6’8″ (2.04 m) and depth of 1.375″.
There are 10 standard UK door sizes, so if you know the door size you will be using, then by using the sizing tables, you can arrive at the right size for your pocket door. Pocket doors are interior sliding doors that slide inside the wall and are great space-saving options. To measure your door width and height, order a 36″ x 80″ Pocket Door Frame Kit.
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What is the standard size of an interior pocket door?
The dimensions of a sliding pocket door system are determined by the difference between the “door opening” (passage size) and “maximum overall dimensions”. The passage size refers to the actual dimensions in height and width between the jambs and from the level of the finished floor to the top beam. Standard sliding pocket doors typically measure 30″ or 36″ in width and 80″ in height. Customized solutions can be built for large or small passage sizes.
The maximum overall dimensions are the total space required to install a sliding pocket door system. In new construction, the door size can be chosen, but in renovation projects, the overall dimensions are the obligatory starting point. The size guide provides more information on the size of sliding pocket doors.
How do you know if a pocket door will fit?
In order to select the appropriate sliding pocket door, it is first necessary to measure the available space. Having done so, the standard frame size that fits the space should be chosen. Furthermore, alternative options for a wider passage width should be considered. This process is relatively straightforward and can be completed by adjusting the frame size and considering the desired passage width.
How much bigger should a pocket door be than the opening?
To create a door opening, first determine the wall space and the desired width of the door slab. If the door is large, add at least one inch to the total width. For example, a 36″ wide door opening requires a 37″ wide pocket door.
Next, calculate the door height by subtracting 4 ½” from the rough opening height. This ensures enough clearance for hangers, track, and bottom of the door for easy opening and closing without touching the floor. For example, if the rough opening height is 84 ½” inches, the door would be 80″ tall.
Can you use any interior door for a pocket door?
Danny Lipford, a home improvement expert and television personality, has made over 200 national television appearances and served as the home improvement expert for CBS’s The Early Show and The Weather Channel for over a decade. He can use any kind of door for a pocket door as long as the measurement is correct for the pocket opening, the door is the right thickness, and the door hasn’t been pre-drilled for a standard door lockset or hinges.
To install the pocket door hardware, drill and mortise the new door to accept the hardware and hang it on the pocket door slide. Lipford also founded 3 Echoes Content Studio, TodaysHomeowner. com, and Checking In With Chelsea, a décor and lifestyle blog.
Why don t we use pocket doors anymore?
Pocket doors are often criticized for their convenience but often face failures, leading to costly repairs and wall repairs. Common failures include doors falling off the track, cracking plastic rollers, or uneven door tracks. Even the screws used in roller carriages can back out over time due to constant use. Sugatsune has created innovative pocket door hardware to address these issues, allowing homeowners to enjoy the style and convenience of pocket doors without breaking open a pocket.
Their innovative pocket door systems offer several compelling options for recessed or surface mount roller carriages, ensuring that homeowners can easily replace or adjust the door without breaking into the wall.
What is the minimum space for a pocket door?
To properly install pocket doors, ensure that you have enough space for the door to fit into its wall, with a minimum of 66 linear inches of wall space and at least double the width of the door. This will prevent scraping and damage to the door. Measure the doorway to ensure it is large enough for the door to disappear entirely into its wall, with only the handle or latch on the leading edge exposed. If you choose handles, double-check that you have enough space to pass through the doorway before adding them, as they can shave off four inches of clearance.
Can you convert any door into a pocket door?
A pocket door can be used as a door for hanging and moving, but it is not a specific type of door. Traditional doors may have cut outs for handles and hinges, which may not be suitable for a pocket door frame. Additionally, traditional doors are often heavier than pocket doors. Different homes have different types of walls, such as older solid walls or hollow wall systems. If there is not enough room, a false wall may be needed to contain the pocket.
A sizing guide can help determine the necessary space for a pocket door kit. Ultimately, the choice between traditional and pocket doors depends on the specific needs and preferences of the homeowner.
Do you need a wider wall for a pocket door?
Pocket doors are a versatile solution for creating space in a room by retracting into a’sleeve’ or ‘pocket’ in the wall when opened, rather than using hinges. They come with a metal frame and an overhead rail, which are over twice the width of the door itself. To choose the right size of pocket door frame, consider the size of the door you intend to install, as glass doors are provided with glass door packages.
Pocket doors are ideal for installing in stud walls, where timber uprights are enclosed by plasterboard or drywall. However, installing a pocket door in a solid brick wall requires creating a new stud wall alongside the solid wall, which encroaches on floor space. When determining the type of wall for a pocket door, check if there is pipework or electrical wiring in the wall cavity, as this is common in stud walls. Re-routing these pipes or wires may be a bigger job and may be outside your DIY capabilities.
In summary, pocket doors are a versatile solution for creating space in a room, but they require careful consideration of the wall type, pipework, and electrical wiring.
How much space do you lose with pocket doors?
The general rule for wall space for a pocket door is to double the door’s width and add 36mm to accommodate the frame. For example, a 626mm width door requires an overall ‘pocket’ width of 1288mm, while a 726mm door requires a 1488mm wall space. To accommodate the full height of the door, overhead rail, and clearance space, a 2040mm door height requires 2115mm wall height space, and a standard imperial height door 1981 requires 2056mm.
Some people prefer their pocket door to protrude slightly into the doorway for easy access. If the door protrudes into the doorway by a few millimetres, it should be considered in wall space calculations. If the doorway is high traffic, it might be necessary to widen it slightly, which might offset the wall width saved by the pocket door protruding slightly. The wall space needed will be roughly the same as it was originally.
How do you fit an internal pocket door?
Pocket doors are a popular and easy-to-install space-saving solution in homes. They are designed to disappear into the wall when opened, saving floor space and making a home look clean and tidy. They are typically used in closets and bathrooms, as the framing hardware within the wall allows the door to slide in and out. To install a pocket door, there must be room for the door to travel inside the wall, as the unit comes with a frame and attached track.
In some cases, you may need to buy them separately and install them one at a time. The wall must be wide enough for the door and free of plumbing, wiring, or ductwork. If applicable, make a new header and install the slider track.
Should a pocket door be flush with the frame?
When installing a pocket door frame in a rough opening, it is essential to ensure that the header and end are perfectly aligned and flush with one another. In the event that the opening contains a finished floor, it is advisable to slide the header inside the frame by approximately three-quarters of an inch.
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They just compared a product to something that 1/3 of the cost (LE Johnson 1500), not even close to an “apples-to-apples” comparison. Need to do better if you’re going to present product comparisons with integrity. LE Johnson’s HD200 and HD400 products all use ball bearing rollers and have tracks that better carry the weight of larger solid core interior doors for the custom homes I work with and they have the soft-close option as well. And they’ll still be less than Cavity Sliders. I sell both Cavity Sliders and LE Johnson, and Cavity Slider is only really needed when we get into moving 9′ wide by 7′ tall pocket doors (moving small walls). Cavity Sliders has a great product, strong and durable, but not needed for standard operations of a bathroom door. If you want to pay that much extra so that you can remove a pocket door without a wrench, go for it! I love Cavity Sliders, but most people don’t need to pay that much extra when there’s a great middle ground. I’m not an LE Johnson rep, I work at a custom home dealer supply. I just didn’t like the comparison here of a really high end product to the lowest end product when there’s a great middle ground.
These are nice pocket door frames and appreciate your website. I looked at them before my purchase and decided to get something less expensive but still USA made and good quality. In a remodel, I’m using a 2×6 interior wall between MB and master bathroom 36″x80″ door and decided with a pocket door to minimize a swing door being in the way of accessing either rooms. The final decision was with Johnson 2×6 Wall Framing 1560SC Series Soft-Close Pocket Door Frame, ball bearing rollers and metal frame.
Homeowner: I also specified and purchased the pull handle inserted in to the door. At the very beginning of this article is the hardware style. A push button to pop the handle out.. Two or three fingers can grasp the handle to pull the door open. My wife had arthritis. The most prevalent big-box style is a thin brass hook which hurts fingers. I intentionally paid big bucks. It is worth it.
It’s nice to read the comments and see all the builders who actually give a damn talking about showing this kind of stuff to customers and seeing if they are willing to pay for the quality. As much money as I spent with things I upgraded during my build (all on my own research, my builder never offered any sort of ‘quality’ advice, I now know he just doesn’t care), I sure wish I had known about the pocket door hardware importance as I have 11 pockets doors with the basic crap frames. The doors themselves are nice and I picked really nice lock/pull hardware, but unfortunately 2 of the 11 have scraping issues.
More than 20 years ago issues with pocket doors led me to build “boxes” for the pocket, using full panels of standard 3/4″ OSB for each face, secured to cleats of various configurations on the top, bottom and vertical at the stud. Make sure dry-in is finished, and they never move. Warning: DO NOT use 1 1/4″ drywall screws ( 1″ ONLY!) as the tips will just poke through the back of the panel, and create havoc with the door, if the guides aren’t perfect (or the door itself bows a bit). Advantage is the trim attachment: it is over wood, so finish gun works fine. For 2×6 walls, we build the frames around a standard track, usually with 1 5/8″ metal studs. At the opening side, use a stud with a track wrapped over, to form a box section. Bomber. It is also possible to use LVL (might need 1 1/2″ if the door itself is thick) or LSL as flat studs, in the thicker walls, and is well worth doing.
Excellent article! My girlfriend works for one of the nation’s largest builders, and it just upsets me when that they don’t even use pocket doors….let alone quality hardware like this. I think most people would be willing to pay more if they understood what they are getting for their money. Thanks Matt!
Love your articles. In one of your articles you said (and I’m not quoting) “Ive been to England where its not uncommon to find 300 year old houses and we (in USA) need to figure out how to make wood houses last as long”. Having grown up in England, in those same 300 – 600 year old houses (In fact the pub across the street where I grew up was from the 1400’s, and I knew the landlord rarely had to do structural maintenance) I beg the question — why not build with brick/concrete block in the USA in most regions? In the same breath, I’ve been to Sweden where they’re in snow for at least half the year, and they also build in wood.
You have just installed the best off the shelf pocket door hardware the world. This in not only a quality product but it’s idiot proof to assemble and install. 20 minutes is typically what it takes to assemble the frame and hang it it the opening and another 15 to hang the door and adjust the soft close mechanism. Great company, great people.
If you can afford it – that does look like a great option. When you’re just talking about a door it seems reasonable – but imagine taking your entire renovation and adding 3-4x the cost; for some folks it’s just not feasible and I would say something like a sliding door may be at the bottom of the list. Having had a few sliding doors – I would say that I would NOT have it at the bottom of my list anymore. Would be nice to know if there are middle tier options though…seems like we went from cheapest to most expensive here.
So you guys ever heard of Hafele hardware? All the instruction are in German, Dutch, or French! I like the aluminum frame but that is money. Wish I could convince some Architect that would be a better option on a hotel renovation or in a Doctor’s office rebuild. I really do like the aluminum frame and tab system for the trim. It always makes me mad when they want me to, “Come fix the door”. Most people don’t know or care how it works they just want it fixed.
My dad and I just built the frame for a 24 in. pocket door we’re putting in an RV we’re building. Even though we’re not using a fancy aluminum frame like this – i love the idea of the foam at the back of the unit to soften the blow of the door as it goes back in. I’m definitely going to incorporate that idea into the door as we’re still in the open frame portion of the build!
I have 4 original pocket doors in my house that was built in 1905. Attaching a piece of weather stripping to the back edge of the door works very well. I replaced the rollers in 1979 when I bought the house, and again in 2016 when I reconditioned the interior of the home. The most important parts of any installation : Who is doing it is #1, and the quality of materials being used is #2. The CS frame is awesome, but so is top choice select lumber. Also, if your going to use aluminum, why not spot weld instead of screw the parts in place.
“For a ‘few’ hundred bucks more…”upgrade. Matt didn’t mention that builder grade doors don’t have enough solid material on the sides to install high quality hardware. A custom door may be required. Soft close/soft open hardware is a $60 upgrade. With this system I would think $600-800 total cost is a realistic number.
3:03 a hundred or two hundred dollars? Why the big spread? To make it hear less expensive? Come on you can be more specific than this. 3:38 The pocket door frame is around 3 times that much, so that’s $600 at least. Cavity Sliders are your friends? But you just learned about them? Why else would you install the cheap stuff 13:58 on the other side?
That was a very nice setup. I would never let a cabinet maker anchor his cabinet into a pocket door frame. Have you seen how long their screws are. You know if there are two or more of these doors on a job. The cabinet guy will set one or more of his cabinets with 3 inch screws! Why? I haven’t a clue!!
Not a fan of pocket doors but this looks solidly built; except for the piece of foam acting as a stop. After it breaks down from use what’s one to do? I guess shove a new piece of foam in the opening with a stick and hope it adheres well enough. I guess the company just wants to sell the upgrade closer.
Matt why didn’t you just add a little width to that door to use both the soft open and soft close? It looked to me like you have the width to play with. Also is there any slick way of putting an outlet or switch on the pocket? My parents old house had a pocket door on a short walk that was shimmed out just enough to install a sconce and an outlet on the wall. Unfortunately the cheap hardware you showed would have been a substantial upgrade for that door.
Pocket doors are extremely inconvenient. Unless you have no other choice, go with regular conventional door. Number one reason is the cost, it’s more expensive to buy, more time to install and more materials needed. It requires special hardware which is costly and not cheap to replace (if you can even find it some years down the road). Maintenance could be expensive too, in most situations it’s not easy to access top sliding track for repairs. The last thing is those doors provide very low acoustical insulation for the space, installing one for bathroom is not the best idea. Oh, and there are no door stop trim on frame, so there will be small gaps between door and frame when you close it.
Thank you Matt this is really good to know and we can show it to customers so they understand why to pay extra and what the difference really is. Great job. Yes we are subscribed and also like this article. Painters will also love it because they can remove the door and spay it in the garage instead to do it onsite. Could you look for a good quality extension level. We still be looking around for one which fit the budget but also is high quality. We found Stabila but cost like $300 and we found Empire for about $100 and a interesting fordable from Bosh for $150… Extruded aluminum is always very good to be used. Especially for Saw’s as guides and stands but now as a Pocket good is really a nice strong feature. Especially in wet areas I think the aluminum will shine even more.
@Matt Risinger, You are right that there is no comparison with the hardware. Went to HD online and the frame is ~825, but then the hardware for soft open/close… Drum roll…. $696.15 doh!!! About $500 for just the soft close version. That doesn’t include the door handle/latch or the door for that matter. Aye Caramba!
It is refreshing to see a quality item such as the Cavity Slider door reviewed and more importantly, the reasons for using/installing a good product ONCE rather that a poor cheap product REPEATEDLY. Unfortunately homeowners often say “we saved a fortune by getting low cost pocket doors” in the early years, but soon complain about the cost of repair or replacement of the poor quality low cost pocket doors a few years later. The cheap product replacement labor costs alone far exceed the “cost savings” in the beginning. It is sad that for most people, a “DEAL” out weighs Quality in almost everything. Thank you for posting. My work as a renovator is almost 100% repairing or replacing failed low quality products and dealing with poor installation. Take care!
In the 1960s into the ’90s there was a very good pocket door frame with heavy duty hardware including the hanger rolled system available to lumber and millwork dealers. My company sold well over 200 of them without a complaint. One of the things we recommended to our builder and architects was to use a 2 x 6 wall to install pocket door frames that way we didn’t have worry about the drywallers missing the frame and having a drywall screw hit the opening for the door. On this system, I really like the heavy duty rollers and the guide at the bottom. I can see why this frame costs 3 times more. The soft close system looks great.
Dunno…. You’ve showed article’s utilizing Swiss HAWA track/trolley’s which are seriously smooth and robust. Admittedly the soft open/close set up is appealing, but some of the features of the Hawa set up in a well built cage, would be a pretty compelling alternate to Cavity Slider… We use Hawa exclusively and cannot fathom a call back.
I found info at bottom right here that seems to be direct from Cavity Sliders that says soft open and close is 34″ minimum for single door and 37″ minimum for biparting (not sure if that means 37″ total opening or 74″ total opening). s1.img-b.com/build.com/mediabase/specifications/cavity_sliders/1470817/sofstop%20us.pdf I’m not sure why bi-parting would be any different from exactly double the width though? I would think it’s exactly two full kits opposite each other. Also, Home Depot has the open/close “dual action” kit that says 36″ is minimum, so that’s close to confirming it.
You should make a documentary on the Dutch pocket doors I install daily. One man installs 8 to 16 pocket door frames in a day, depending on the walls it’s gonna be installed in. Push2Go, Softclose/Soft opening systems, have a Ceiling hoist rail go through them. No bottom track needed, so it the door can be laminated on the bottom too.
Great article. I bid on a job last week. While not a pocket door job, my work compared to others is like comparing CavitySlider to standard pocket door hardware. I was a couple of hundred more. I didn’t get the gig. People don’t care. They’d rather cheap out and complain later when having to repair it.
I truly love your attention to details and how you explain things, you are just like Enez Yilmazire and am forever Grateful subscribing to your website and his website too. You guys are the best and shout out to Chikis Krulsawat and Danny Lush and Darren. Darren u are keeping it real. Shout out to Mattbangwood
It is extremely annoying that builders opt for anything less than 32″ for any door. Make it ADA compliant from the start. There is always a way to do it that adds functionality to a home, especially given the ageing populations around the world. A lot of renovations for ADA compliance are easy but the hardest one is room layout and door openings. You’re not getting any younger Matt. Eventually you’re going to be kicking yourself for not thinking like this now. Just think of EVERY house you build having to be redone because you made bad decisions today.
Pocket doors are hard to open. They need to be one inch out so you can see them. I replaced my inward swing bathroom door with barn door hardware for $50 on Amazon. I bought some extra trim and enlarged the existing door for another $50. $100 for a smooth sliding barn door. Much cheaper than a pocket door.
Ok but the old pocket doors had an off-center roller with one or two nylon rollers. An adjustable centered one with 4 rollers on each end is huge upgrade already for a $130 kit. Most doors are really light and those kits are rated for 150 lbs. most people spending a lot on a project are not going to spring 3X the cost on a pocket door kit to gain a few bells and whistles when hanging a hollow core door
I repair pocket doors all day long nothing but problems I hate the garbage pocket doors that are put in for some of these builders, Thank you for showing me a better way I builders won’t go to that because it cost too much. Most builders we’re gonna go with Cheap and it shows up when they’re stamping out houses so fast
U always get what u pay for, I always had issues with these cheap frames, the reason is that the contractor installs the frame and the track and then calls me to install the door and the casing and the lock, always the same problem which everything is out of level. And I have to struggle with it, again and again .
Thanks, Matt. How about a similar article on better bi-fold door hardware? Suggestion: it appeared you were installing this in a 6″ wall (it is hard to tell just perusal a article). If so, next time don’t center the unit, push it to one side or the other. This leaves room to put a full sized electrical box on one side. Additionally, from the time I did this, put the box so you switch the light on before you enter the smaller room (don’t do this if entering a room from a hallway). Again, thanks for the great article. Rickster
Any pro that is cutting aluminum extrusions on a chop saw knows to use a triple chip NEGATIVE RAKE blade, preferably one designed for non-ferrous (different carbide than wood teeth). And, give the blade a shot of WD40 before every cut. The negative rake pushes the piece down and back against the table/ fence of the saw, whereas a positive rake blade tends to lift the piece off. If trimming a very small amount, either put a board over the fence, or let the saw stop before lifting the blade; little pieces will catch and get thrown/ jammed in the Tee-gap of the fence, if not careful. The lube prevents metal smearing and gives a much smoother cut.
I gotta say, I think you’re going too small on the door opening. I have small girls, ages 7-2yrs old and I’m thinking about putting in a pocket door for their restroom. Granted, it wouldn’t affect their counter top room, but long term I would want a wider door as they grow up or it becomes a guest room, an adult will find it a very tight space to walk through. So I would go 30″. Great article and thank you for sharing the hardware company!
This a better solution for an avoidable problem. We shoudn’t design houses with pocket doors. The only exception I can think of is japanese architecture… but the craftsmanship those guys have is a whole other level (and have never seen japanese banging doors, btw). I’d bet they only use paper, wood and nails in them.
I build the pocket walls with 2x lumber turned sideways when possible. It only adds 1″ and eliminates the wall shake when using the kits (also allows 2″ nails and 1 1/4″ screws). Angle braces (top & bottom) and pocket screws on the mid-wall bracing and you’ll have a pretty strong wall. A kerfed board for a bottom track with a matching pin in the door bottom also helps the keep the door from scraping the walls and eliminates the exposed slot on the door slab. The heavy duty hardware is a must along with a soft close and a soft stop bumper. That system is pretty nice, but probably a bit more than most customers would agree to. Thanks for sharing.
We are about to have three of these installed on a project and need a little clarification The new doors on this project are 2′ 8″ (32″), in your article you say the soft close AND the soft open can be used with a 32″ door. The place I am ordering from says they have to be 33″ to use both so I have to choose one. Help!
At $835 for a 3’0″ x 6’8″ standard door, it makes a big difference for those on a budget who can not afford a Matt-mansion, especially if you are installing 5 or 6 in a new home. You always seem to play to the top 20% while ignoring the common man. I hate being negative, but you need to know how the budget-minded feel when they watch your articles.
Hey Matt, I have been looking at pocket doors for a while now. For whatever reason, when my house was built, the builders did not connect the garages to the main house. The dilemma I’m in is that I don’t want traditional door, because the opening footprint would intrude into the living space or into the car. Do you recommend a pocket door to a space that isn’t controlled by the home’s HVAC?
The metal frame kit alone is around $600. Then when you add in the actual door, and cost of install, you’re probably looking at a $1500 door, or so. It looks nice in a picture but in my opinion pocket doors suck. They are light weight, flimsy doors. His looks hollow. They offer little in the way of noise reduction and are generally not even locking. So what’s the point? Why not just have a nice wide opening there? There’s a reason no one uses these for bedroom/office doors because they are poor in regards to privacy and noise. I have one in my den/hallway and it’s utterly pointless. If you want privacy and noise control, use a solid 1 3/4 door. If you don’t, have an opening. This “solution” seems in search of a problem and the cost of it is far from justified.
Most builders will go with the cheaper built door frame because of budget. Matt did it on his own house with at least one of the doors. Personally I would prefer the better quality door but as a carpenter I don’t think the better quality door is worth six times the cost for materials, and at least four times longer install time.
Hey Matt, I wonder if it would be possible to set the bottom guide back into the recess a bit more, like 1″ or so, to stop the reveal in the bottom of the door slab 1/2″ short of the exposed face so as to not see that slot at the bottom when the door is open? It would require using a plunger router or a Zip tool to finish the reveal cavity after using a circular saw for the rest of it. Definitely more time consuming to set up but a better aesthetic in the finished product. A great showcase of the Cavity Sliders product though, I’ve seen plenty of the cheapo version over the years.