Can Pocket Doors Be Installed In Existing Walls?

The pocket door is a popular 21^st century interior design option now that people have learnt about the innovative space-saving possibilities, and how this can help to re-purpose rooms and make lifestyle enhancements, such as en-suite bathrooms, guest bedrooms and a home office. As a result of this, property developers are now incorporating the pocket door into new-build home designs. This is very straightforward as the pocket door frame system can be easily accommodated in a standard stud wall construction. But if you don’t have the luxury of moving into a new-build property, can you still install a pocket door in an existing wall? The answer is yes.

Considerations when installing a pocket door

Internal walls are usually constructed in two ways, either a stud wall that is hollow and made up of a wooden ‘stud’ frame surrounded by plasterboard, or a masonry wall that is essentially solid brick. Stud walls are typically supporting interior walls, while solid walls are usually load-bearing walls or perimeter walls around the outside of a house. But this is not always the case, and you don’t always know how a house or any type of property has been reconfigured over the years, so before attempting to install a pocket door in an existing wall, you should always take advice from a structural engineer.

There are a number of considerations to make when looking to install a pocket door in an existing wall:

Is it a stud wall or a solid wall? - A stud wall will always sound hollow when you knock it, while a solid wall will sound dull and solid.
Do you have enough space? – A pocket door frame is twice the width of the door itself and has to be accommodated in the wall space you have available, so check you have enough room.
What is behind the wall? An internal wall may have electrical wiring or gas plumbing behind it, so you can’t just start drilling into it, check what is behind it and if this can be safely re-routed.
Is it a load-bearing wall? A load-bearing wall is important for the overall structure and stability of the property, so take professional structural advice before you start working on the walls.

How to install a pocket door in an existing wall

Presuming it is safe to do so and you have taken suitable professional advice:

If the wall is a stud wall:

Carefully remove the plasterboard from the wall area you need to work on. You may just get away with removing it from one side of the wall, but if necessary remove both sides.
Remove the wooden studs from the wall structure where you need to.
Once you have sufficient space to work in, install the already-constructed steel pocket door frame into the gap in the stud wall.
Secure the frame to the stud wall construction, including the overhead track.
Re-install the wooden studs.
Hang the door on the overhead rail and check the door moves freely in the open and closed positions.
Replace the plasterboard as necessary.
Re-decorate as necessary.

If the wall is a solid wall:

Of course it is far too difficult to create the ‘pocket’ cavity required in a solid wall, so in this case you will need to create a new false wall.

Construct a new stud wall adjacent to the existing wall.
Install the pocket door frame in this new stud wall construction.
Hang the door on the overhead rail and test it in the open and closed positions.
Install plasterboard around this new stud wall to effectively hide the fact that it is a new wall.
Decorate as necessary.

What pocket door systems are suitable for an existing wall?

There is no difference in the types of pocket door that are suitable for an existing wall, compared to a new wall. So you can install a single pocket door or a double pocket door into an existing wall, although obviously with a double door system you will require twice the wall space, so you need to check this carefully before proceeding. You can also install fire doors in existing walls and Syntesis systems which have no architrave.

If you browse the pocket door range at MB Direct you can identify the style of door you like and then speak to our sales experts who will be happy to advise on the suitability of this door for your needs, as well as offering installation tips. So contact our team today.