When to upgrade vs replace your pocket door accessories

When you install a pocket door it immediately becomes an important and highly practical feature of your home or workplace. It will bring several benefits, such as additional space, the ability to use a room for new or multiple purposes and the option to create flexible spaces that can be used differently at different times of day. This all makes the pocket door one of the most valuable and innovative interior design features of the 21st century. However, these practical benefits are improved even more with the addition of pocket door accessories.

What are pocket door accessories?

You usually know how and by whom a pocket door is going to be used when you install it, and this enables you to customise it to your specific needs with the addition of pocket door accessories. These are a range of products which enhance the functionality of the pocket door and tailor its operation to the needs of the user. Our pocket door accessories include the soft-close/anti-slam accessory, the touch latch accessory, the double-door co-ordination accessory and the self-close accessory.

These can be retrofitted or included in your initial install, but either way, the pocket door is now able to be opened and closed in a way that specifically suits the user. However, like the pocket door itself, these accessories have to be robustly designed and able to withstand repeated use for hundreds and thousands of cycles. You need consistent and optimum performance, otherwise using your pocket door can become difficult and frustrating. Plus, your practical needs and physical capabilities change over time and maybe an accessory is no longer serving its purpose or meeting your needs? In such a situation you will either need to upgrade or replace your pocket door accessory, but what is the difference?

What is the difference between updating and replacing?

When we look to change an internal feature, we can call it either upgrading or replacing and most people know what we mean, but there is a specific difference. Upgrading something is changing the existing product for a better performing product. This could be for any one of several different reasons, but results in a much better performance. Meanwhile, replacing something is exchanging a product like-for-like, with the end result that the product performance is exactly as it was before.

When to upgrade or replace a pocket door accessory

So if we look at pocket door accessories, what could happen to result in a verdict that the accessory is no longer meeting our expectations and we need a better performing product? We would normally look to upgrade a pocket door accessory if:

• Aesthetics – We no longer like how the accessory looks and want to change it for a product that looks better
• Function – We no longer need the accessory to perform the function we originally installed it for
• Capability – The accessory no longer performs the function it was installed for, because we have changed the door to a bigger or heavier door. Or perhaps the closing speed can’t match the speed we want
• Design – We have changed the design of our pocket doors and the accessories are no longer suitable, such as moving from a single door to double doors after a structural refurbishment, or moving from classic pocket doors to Syntesis pocket doors. Some accessories are only suitable for one or the other, for example.

As an alternative, we would look to replace a pocket door accessory if we were fundamentally happy with its performance, but something had happened to hinder that performance. So essentially, we would replace an accessory if it was broken or damaged. This can happen in the course of its operation, if the accessory was not properly maintained, or if it was subject to accidental damage. In this situation, we are happy with how the accessory is performing and nothing has changed in terms of what we want it to do. However, the accessory is not able to be repaired. In this case we are not wanting a better accessory, we simply want a new version of the same accessory, so we would replace it.

Upgrading and replacing pocket door accessories with MB Direct

Whether you are happy with your pocket door accessories or something has changed with your pocket door operation and you need an upgrade on your accessories, at MB Direct we can supply new pocket door accessories to ensure you enjoy the practical benefits and your pocket door is customised to meet your specific requirements. So check out our range of pocket door accessories and order online today.