What thickness door can be used with a pocket door system?

The pocket door has become a leading interior design feature in modern homes and workplaces. It has gained popularity as an innovative feature that creates space and provides flexible options for how you use and adapt spaces in an open plan layout. In addition to this it is an aesthetically pleasing interior feature, as it is clean and uncluttered, has smooth operation and seamlessly fits into any interior scheme given it completely disappears from view when opened. These features are common selling points when attempting to promote pocket door systems, but there are some technical elements to ordering and installing pocket doors which mean you need to consider sizes and specifications carefully when ordering a pocket door system.

What is a pocket door system?

Fundamentally, a pocket door system doesn’t include the door itself. You can actually use most standard sized UK doors in a pocket door system, you therefore just need to know which system to order and install.

The pocket door system typically includes the steel framework that is easily clicked together to accommodate the door in both the closed and open position. It will also include the overhead rail and rollers, which are used to carry the door as it opens and closes, and the system should also include a set of jambs. These are used to ensure the door stays straight and true, opens and closes smoothly and sits neatly in an open and closed position.

Choosing the right pocket door system

When looking to order a pocket door system, there are three key considerations to make:

Door size – Most pocket door systems are designed to accommodate the ten standard UK door sizes available.
Frame size – This involves the overall dimensions of the wall space you will need, given that the frame is securing the door in the open and closed position, and therefore the frame will need to be twice the width of the door itself, plus an extra allowance for movement.
Wall thickness – This is dictated by the stud wall construction you have, but again is usually following UK standards and most frames are between 63mm to 100mm in thickness. This is so that the stud wall can accommodate the door thickness, plasterboard and the pocket door frame, also allowing extra space to ensure the door can operate freely without hitting an obstruction. So when considering the thickness dimensions of the pocket door system, you have to think about much more than just the door thickness, you have to think about:
The stud wall thickness
The plasterboard you plan to use
How you will install the pocket door system and the door, and therefore how much room you need
The dimensions of the pocket door frame
The thickness of your door.

Doors you can use for a pocket door system

This brings us to the size of door you can use for a pocket door system. In short, most standard pocket door kits support doors measuring between 35mm to 44mm, and which weigh up to 80kgs, although some pocket doors can accommodate heavier doors but require some adjustment and hence these are not standard systems. You should check the specifications of the pocket door frame you are considering, and what door thickness it can accommodate. Essentially you need to measure the door you have, or are thinking of purchasing, and match this to the pocket door frame that can accommodate it. At MB Direct we can supply a pocket door system that is suitable for all the 10 standard UK door sizes. This means you should be able to find a system to suit the door you have. Standard metric door sizes are up to 2040mm high and are either 626mm, 726mm, 826mm, 926mm or 1026mm in width.

Many people use existing doors in a pocket door system. It saves on extra expense and also means the door matches other internal doors that are adjacent to it, such as those opening out into a hallway or an upstairs landing. So whether you are working with a single door, double doors or fire-rated doors, you need to work on a door thickness between 35-44mm.

Choose your pocket door system from MB Direct

MB Direct can supply you with premium quality pocket door systems to ensure you have smooth-running and reliable pocket door operation for many years, but the system you choose has to match the door dimensions, and door thickness is a very important parameter. So check out the pocket door system specifications, compare them to the door you have, and take professional advice if you need it, before ordering online from MB Direct.