Can You Add Hardware To A Pocket Door?

The chief benefit of the pocket door is that it saves space in a room by disappearing into the ‘pocket’ when opened, rather than encroaching into floor space like a traditional hinged door. However, in all other respects you want the pocket door to have the same qualities as a regular door. This includes sound dampening and keeping cold and drafts out. Of course the pocket door does this. You also want the pocket door to be easy to operate, and by sliding it along the overhead rails it actually requires less effort to open and close a pocket door, than it does a traditional hinged door.

However, you do still need to install hardware onto a pocket door to facilitate the opening and closing operation. Unlike a traditional door, you don’t need a push or lever handle for a pocket door, you just require pocket door furniture.

What is Pocket Door Furniture?

Pocket Door Furniture can come in the form of flush pulls or a bathroom privacy set. The flush pull set allows you easily open and close the door, and only using your fingers. The ‘flush’ pull is usually circular and enables you to insert your fingers in a recess to apply enough force to open and close the door. The flush pull also comes in an oblong or square shape. Supplied in pairs, one for each side of the door and in many cases with a finger pull which that goes in the leading edge of the door, allowing you to pull the door out of the pocket if desired.  Our flush pull sets are available in a range of finishes and designs to suit your budget and home décor.

The bathroom privacy set is ideal for an en-suite or a downstairs toilet, where you have installed a pocket door but it requires some privacy. In this case the latch is a two-piece system consisting of a thumb turn on the internal side, to enable you to lock the door, and an emergency release on the external side, but can be used to unlock the door from the outside where necessary.

There are also other types of latch systems, such as ‘touch latch’ systems. With these you are able to simply push or ‘touch’ the latch and a spring mechanism activates the door and it opens without you having to apply any force.

Installing a pocket door and pocket door furniture system

An important consideration when fitting this type of hardware on your pocket door installation, is that in the ‘open’ position, the door is designed to completely disappear into the pocket. If this is the case then it can be hard to positon your fingers into the pocket to close the door via the latch, in some cases this could result in you trapping or damaging your fingers. But in this scenario you can adjust your installation to ensure the door protrudes slightly from the pocket, sufficient to enable you to grab the latch easily. Done carefully this shouldn’t compromise the overall passage width and hence shouldn’t affect the practicality of how you use the pocket door.

If you install an edge pull on your pocket door, you won’t need to worry about the door protruding. You should be able to locate and pull on the edge pull with the door fully inserted in the pocket.

Other accessories for your pocket door

Pocket door accessories are types of fitting that can be retro-fitted to a pocket door or can be fitted when you first install it. These help with the practical use and operation of the door and can also help to prolong the lifespan of your pocket door, when it is being used repeatedly every day. These accessories include soft-closing mechanisms. These are also called anti-slam mechanisms because they act to control the closing of the door and slow it down so that it is controlled. This is good for doors used by children or where there may be windy conditions, and helps to prevent noise and damage.

Another type of accessory is a self-closing fitting, which acts to automatically close a door once it has been opened. This is useful for doors that are frequently passed through, but you want to retain heat and noise. Finally, double-door co-ordination is an accessory specifically for double doors. This enables you to apply an opening operation on one door, ie. via the latch, and the mechanism then opens both doors simultaneously. This is particularly useful for older people, or anyone who needs mobility assistance.