Facing issues in the shower because of privacy? Choose a pocket door and bid goodbye to all your worries! As the name suggests, pocket doors are compact doors that can easily retract back into their pockets.
Pocket doors are a vital screening option in smaller homes where a typical door swing can take up a lot of valuable space. They ensure privacy without a permanent construction. You can draw the door out of its pocket and easily tuck it back in when you need to open up the space.
Pocket doors are specifically good for bathrooms because they ensure privacy without permanently blocking the space. Here’s all that you need to know about pocket doors:
Pocket Door vs. Regular Door
Regular doors usually measure three feet in width. This means that apart from the cavity in the wall, you also need three feet of space on either side of the door for it to swing freely.
For homes where space is already compact, regular doors aren’t a vital solution, especially in bathrooms where you need quite a lot of space to move around. If a six feet wide bathroom is dominated by a three feet door swing, you’ll hardly have any space left.
Pocket doors, on the other hand, don’t require any swing space. They can easily be tucked into their frames on the wall. Since pocket doors follow a sliding mechanism, they’re fairly easy to open and close.
What Is The Disadvantage Of A Pocket Door?
A few disadvantages of pocket doors may include:
Restricting
Pocket doors don’t work well for people with disabilities. The opening and closing of pocket doors require a bit of physical effort, and wheelchair-bound people are unable to get the hang of it.
This makes it a hazard for emergencies because if a disabled person needs to close or open a door, he won’t be able to do it successfully. Regular doors, on the other hand, have handles and knobs that are easily accessible for disabled people.
No Blockage
If you’re installing a pocket door in your bathroom or house, expect your views to be limited. However, don’t expect a screening from light, noise, or odors.
Since pocket doors have a loose door frame, they cannot protect you from the surroundings. Regular doors, however, are attached firmly to the wall. This eliminates the possibility of any smell, light, or noise coming through.
This drawback can be a hassle if you have more people in the house, especially when you’re installing a pocket door in your bathroom. Your shower singing will easily be audible in the living room, therefore minimizing privacy.
Durability
Pocket doors need constant lubrication. If you fail to provide them regular care and attention, your pocket door will hardly last a couple of months. You also have to be very careful when opening and closing the door because one jolt and the door will immediately fall out of its track.
Heavy pocket doors are particularly known for facing this issue often. They’re also very hard to open and close, so you might want to reconsider your decision.
Cost
For your pocket door to function properly, you need to ensure a foolproof installation. However, installing pocket doors is not cheap. The laborers who offer to do the job for low costs often end up with poorly installed pocket doors.
This can be a major con in the long run because if a pocket door isn’t installed properly, the chances of it falling out of its track increase.
Aside from installation, the maintenance of pocket doors can also be quite costly. Compared to a regular door, these are almost five times more expensive.
Why Would You Use A Pocket Door?
If you’re looking forward to getting a pocket door installed in your bathroom, here are some factors to motivate you:
Convenience
Convenience ends at pocket doors because they reduce space. When a pocket door is not in use, you won’t even know that it takes up a part of your house.
In bathrooms, they do the job of a screen without making the area too congested. The overall convenience of pocket doors makes them an ideal fit for bathrooms.
Space
If you have a wall that is not crowded with any kind of wiring, seize the chance to install a pocket door there! You’d be saving up a lot of space that could otherwise be used for furniture or decor items. You also wouldn’t have to hit your toe every time you walk into a room!
Aesthetics
Pocket doors come in a variety of designs and colors that can alleviate the look of your room. Your boring old bathroom can come to life if you choose the right kind of pocket door.
You also won’t have to deal with flimsy curtains or space-consuming doors. If your bathroom is easily visible, consider installing a pocket door because of its aesthetics.
Functionality
Pocket doors are excellent options for blocking a view without excessive space consumption. They work exactly like regular doors and also make movement and cleaning easier.
How Wide Should A Bathroom Pocket Door Be?
The dimensions of a pocket door largely differ in every home. However, it’s important to treat the door openings and maximum overall dimensions separately. This is because the door opening is slightly wider than the door itself, ranging from 30″ to -36″ in width.
To calculate the overall dimensions, on the other hand, you’d have to calculate how much area will the entire sliding mechanism take. Both of these measurements are then added together to find the dimensions required to smoothly install a pocket door.
Final Words on Installing Pocket Doors
Pocket doors are slowly becoming every homeowner's choice, and rightly so, because of their convenience. You cover the privacy aspect of your house and also add oomph to your interiors.
They’re also a great alternative to regular doors because of their little to no space consumption. If you want a minimal and space-saving solution to regular doors, check pocket doors out!
