Pocket Doors – An Ever-Increasing Trend

As the number of first time buyers hits the highest levels in over a decade, combined with a major decrease in the size of the average new build home – it’s no wonder homeowners are looking for inventive and innovative ways to save space in the home. 

In this feature, Stephanie Lee, Marketing Manager at P C Henderson takes a look at the reasons behind the ever growing trend in Pocket Doors, the advantages they hold and what to look for when choosing such a system.

A recent report¹ by LABC Warranty shows that living rooms of new builds in Britain are 32% smaller than they were in the 1970s. To coincide with this, a report² from UK Finance shows that the number of first time buyers is at its highest point in over a decade – a total of over 365,000 individuals bought their first home in 2017, the highest it’s been since 2006.

These recent statistics could explain the ever growing trend in Pocket Door systems as homeowners look for new ways to save space in the home...

Space Saving

Did you know that a traditional swing door can eat up to 10 or more square feet of precious floor area? This is a considerable amount of space for the sake of opening and closing a door. A Pocket Door system can free up this space by allowing doors to glide along a track and disappear into a cavity wall out of the way.

Single Pocket Doors used in smaller rooms hold the most space saving benefits. For example spaces such as en-suites, bathrooms, storage areas, walk-in wardrobes, utility rooms and pantries – can all reap fantastic benefits from a sliding Pocket Door.  Swing doors can often be inconvenient in spaces such as this, causing difficulties when attempting to open a door inwards.

Swing doors can also be inconvenient in areas where they open onto a narrow corridor or hallway, often causing an obstruction. Pocket doors can solve this by sliding away into the cavity – leaving the corridor completely clear.

Flexible Living

Double Pocket Doors on the other hand are a great way to add a little grandeur and ‘wow factor’ to a room or to help break off rooms in an open plan design - for example when used between a kitchen and living room. In olden days Pocket Doors were often used in this way – remaining open during the day and for the serving of meals, then being closed for privacy on an evening for dinner parties.

Ease of access is also another notable benefit of Pocket Doors, a person living with mobility issues may find a swing door difficult to manoeuvre through, particularly when using a wheelchair. Pocket Doors create a completely clear opening allowing for easy movement from room to room.

Aesthetics

If you’d like to add some architectural charm to a room, Pocket Doors are a great way to do this - particularly when combined with the correct type of door. Hardware can be combined with wooden or glass paneled doors enabling homeowners to create a traditional or contemporary appearance, depending on the existing décor. They’re also a great feature to show off when giving a home tour and can also help attract potential buyers.

Choosing the Right Hardware

There are a number of factors which must be taken into consideration when choosing a Pocket Door kit. First of all it’s important to choose a kit which effectively accommodates the weight, height and width of a door. P C Henderson’s system can cater for doors weighing up to 60kg and is available in five kit variants to cater for different door measurements.

It’s also important to understand how the kit works within the cavity - are the uprights made out of wood or aluminium? This is a question of particular importance in areas of heavy use. P C Henderson will soon be introducing a new ‘Pocket Door Pro’ kit which features aluminium uprights in order to better cater for heavy use applications - as well as being able to cater for heavier doors (up to 120kg).

It should also be considered whether any extra features are required to add to the refinement of the product. A soft close system is able to be purchased as an accessory in order to gently decelerate the door into an open or closed position – this minimises slamming which can add to the lifespan of the product.

For the upmost in sophistication, P C Henderson will soon be launching an Automated Pocket Door kit which can be activated by the push of a button, remote or even motion detector. In certain applications a fire rated system may be necessary, another option to consider.

Quality Manufacturing

Alongside practical factors such as door weight, size, and the availability of accessories – it’s also important to choose a reliable and experienced manufacturer. When it comes to door hardware, quality is of the upmost importance – if you think about how many times a door can be open and closed in its lifetime it’s important to choose a system which is robust enough to cope with this.  A good piece of hardware should most certainly outlive the lifespan of its owner.

All of P C Henderson’s products come with a 10 year guarantee and have been tested to over 100,000 cycles. A Pocket Door installation video is also available which provides a step by step walk through of how to install the product.

For more information about P C Henderson, visit www.pchenderson.com


References

1. UK living rooms have shrunk by a third, survey finds https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/apr/08/uk-living-rooms-have-shrunk-by-a-third-survey-finds

2. First time buyers hit 10 year high as buy to let property sales fade https://www.theguardian.com/money/2018/feb/13/first-time-buyers-10-year-high-buy-let-property-sales-fade

Image Credits: 1st. 2nd. 5th and 6th image above - Ralpine Design, Geneva Switzerland 

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