How to Pick the Right Pocket Door Frame

When you need to make every square foot of living or working space count, you can count on a pocket door to come to the rescue. A pocket door can save up to 14 sq. ft. of floor space when compared to a traditional swinging door. And you have more space next to the doorway for a table, shelves, and other furniture.

Of course, the key to pocket door convenience, space-saving and effortless operation is the right frame. Whether your project is residential or light commercial, remodeling or new construction, here are the essential steps to take to lead you to the best pocket door frame for each of your interior doorways.

First, determine whether you have 2”x4” or 2”x6” wall studs. Next, measure your door weight, width and thickness, as well as your minimum wall structure thickness (the room you have in the wall cavity to slide in a pocket door). Now, decide whether you would like soft-close/open operation to minimize the risk of pinched fingers and door slamming. Here’s an example with 2”x4” walls. Let’s say your door weighs up to 200 lbs., is up to 60” wide and a minimum of 1” thick. The wall structure thickness is at least 3 ½”. And you’d like soft-close/open convenience. You’ll see in the chart below that your ideal pocket door frame is something like the 1500SC.

All Johnson pocket door frames are commercial grade to provide maximum strength and durability. Most frames are available with adapter kits for converging door applications. Easy to install, it takes an experienced handyman about an hour to put one in.

Ready to install? Check out the installation videos on our YouTube channel.

It’s also comforting to know that Johnson’s smooth-rolling pocket door hardware and track exceed ANSI standards, which means it can successfully complete 100,000 opening and closing cycles. Made in the USA. Since 1958, Johnson Hardware has been producing high quality sliding, folding and pocket door hardware for residential and light commercial applications. Celebrating 60 years of precision engineering, the Company protects the health and safety of its employees and surrounding communities and ecosystems. It uses natural resources including raw materials, energy and water as efficiently as possible.

For more information, visit johnsonhardware.com, or call (574) 293-5664.

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