Can you get a lock for a bathroom pocket door?

Privacy is essential for any type of bathroom door, whether it is a traditional hinged door or a pocket door. And many people think that because you have a pocket door that means you can’t lock it, but that isn’t the case. So whether you have a bathroom and toilet together, a separate bathroom and toilet or an en-suite bathroom, you can install a pocket door along with a very simple locking device for suitable privacy.

A lock for a bathroom pocket door is typically a two-piece system that uses a sash lock design. The two pieces consist of:

• An internal thumb turn fitted to the inside of the door, which the user turns with their finger to lock and unlock the door.
• An external emergency release, which usually has a coin-slot design on the outside of the door so that the lock can be released in an emergency situation.

So a bathroom lock for a pocket door is a simple keyless design that is easy to use and can be supplied in a range of finishes to suit other fittings and features and other elements of your pocket door furniture.

How bathroom pocket door locks work

With a traditional hinged door, in a bathroom this door would ordinarily have a latch mechanism, so that when the door closes the latch secures the door shut. The door can then be locked from the inside using a simple bolt or mortice lock. However, a pocket door operates differently, and runs along an overhead track into a wall recess known as the pocket. This is why a bathroom lock for a pocket door has to be a sash lock. The sash lock works like a hook, which when activated works to pull the door and the door frame together. This operates like the latch in the example of the traditional hinged door, and therefore keeps the door and the door frame securely closed.

So when you lock a pocket door, the hook-shaped latch swings over and catches the strike plate that is inserted into the door frame on the wall side. This pulls the door and the door frame together neatly and securely, and also prevents the door from sliding open.

Different pocket door bathroom locks

The sash lock mechanism is installed within the door frame and is supplied as a complete cassette assembly. You can normally be supplied with a locking mechanism that suits the door thickness of your pocket door, so this would be either 35mm or 44mm in thickness. The two-piece set that is mounted onto each side of the door can also be installed to match your existing pocket door furniture. So this can be supplied in a range of finishes, usually satin chrome, polished chrome, black painted, antique brass or polished brass.

Matching a pocket door bathroom lock to your other door furniture

To operate a bathroom pocket door, many people use a flush pull ring, which allows the user to apply some force to slide the door along the overhead rail. The flush pull ring is a rounded feature that sits in a recess in the door so that it is flush to the surface of the door, and therefore doesn’t cause an obstruction when opening and closing the door into the pocket. These can also be supplied in the same range of finishes (satin chrome, polished chrome, black painted, antique brass or polished brass) so that the door furniture matches other items such as the bathroom door lock, the door hinges and other features and fittings inside the bathroom itself, for example taps and light fittings.  

Some pocket door lock systems are also supplied with a finger pull hook, which is a very simple device that can be installed on the leading edge of the pocket door. This allows the user to apply a small amount of force and pull the pocket door to close it. This can be fitted in addition to or as an alternative to the flush pull system. Again, the finger pull system can also be supplied in a finish to match your other pocket door furniture.  

The benefits of installing a lock for your bathroom pocket door

A locking system for your bathroom pocket door is very important because:

• It ensures the pocket door suitably replaces a traditional hinged door in every practical sense, and allows the user to operate the door just the same as a hinged door.
• It provides the user with suitable privacy when using a bathroom, toilet or en-suite.
• It enables you to upgrade your pocket doors to match the internal design scheme of your bathroom, in terms of matching other items of pocket door furniture and other elements of your bathroom or toilet interiors.
• It provides a modern minimalist aesthetic which is very popular for contemporary homes.
• Bathroom pocket door locks are very easy to install and maintain.
• There is an emergency release system in the event that someone gets stuck in the bathroom or toilet.