Cavity Slider’s USA Premier Pocket Door Kits & Sliding Door Hardware

 

Originating in New Zealand, Cavity Slider’s impressive quality, attention to detail, and thoughtful design process has placed them in amongst the best sliding door hardware manufacturers in the world. RealCraft is proud to partner with Cavity Sliders USA in providing premier sliding door hardware & pocket door kits to our valued customers.

 

What is a pocket door and how do they work?

 

Pocket doors slide in and out of an opening within a wall (the pocket). This requires them to have a hardware track and additional components so they can roll in and out of the pocket. Pocket doors became popular in the Victorian era where they were used to separate dining rooms and living rooms.

 

What can you use pocket doors for?

 

Pocket doors are ideal for tight spaces where swinging doors would be cumbersome. Installing a pocket door where there was a swinging door opens up about ten square feet of space! In this way, pocket doors are similar to sliding barn doors. But pocket doors can be completely or mostly concealed within the wall, whereas the barn door is always visible, whether open or closed. A pocket door bathroom, pocket door closet, or pocket door pantry looks amazing and can be a great design choice. And there's nothing quite like sliding open double pocket doors when entering a space.

 

However, you can’t install pocket doors everywhere. Special care must be taken if you want to install it in a load bearing wall—or it may not be possible altogether based on your local building code. The wall also has to be thick enough to accommodate the door and any other supportive hardware. Four inches is a decent baseline wall thickness. Plumbing and electrical wiring may also make pocket door installation impossible or more difficult. When it comes to pocket door installation, we highly recommend consulting an expert. You don’t want to be halfway through removing the drywall only to discover that the wall you’ve selected won’t accommodate the door and its hardware.

 

Why should I use a pocket door hardware kit?

 

Pre-fabricated pocket door frame kits make installation so much easier. The kits come with all the necessary hardware for pocket doors, so you don’t have to cobble together different component parts. They can also be cut down to custom lengths on site. We partner with Cavity Sliders to bring you a pocket door frame kit that’s simple to install.

 

The pocket door frame kit has another advantage: it’s made of extruded aluminum, whereas other pocket door hardware kits use wood. Aluminum is much sturdier, which is important, because pocket door installation involves removing the original studs in the wall. A pocket door frame made in a robust material ensures structural strength and smooth operation.

 

When and how to install pocket door hardware?

 

For new construction, or during major remodeling, you should aim to install the interior pocket door and its hardware during framing. That way you don’t have to knock out the dry wall, and you can size the door opening in advance.

 

For a minor remodel, install pocket door hardware before putting up drywall. This allows for seamless integration into the rest of the room, especially when it comes to painting. Our Cavity Slider products offer a number of DIY Pocket Door kits to fit almost any scenerio.

 

What pocket door hardware do I need?

 

All pocket doors require the following hardware:

 

• • Pocket door frame: the pocket door frame provides stability for the wall and supports the pocket section, since the original studs are removed to make space for the door itself.
  • Pocket door track: The pocket door track is mounted on the ceiling or wall and is what the pocket door slides back and forth on. Some tracks are invisible once installed—perfect for those who want a seamless final look. On this page you’ll also find wall mounted sliding door tracks for barn doors.
  • Sliding door rollers: The rollers, also known as carriage packs, are the rolling pieces that attach to the pocket door. You’ll need to choose the right carriage packs for your door’s weight. You can also choose from a variety of features like end stops—where the door will stop before the end of the track—or sofstops, which allow the door to close softly, without slamming. We even have double-action sofstops that work for both opening and closing actions.
  • Pocket door handles: You can choose to equip your door with a pocket door handle that provides passage or, for more privacy, we recommend equipping your pocket door with a lock. We have a wide selection of pocket door locks and handles—everything from edge pulls to flush pulls to ADA-compliant lever handles with magnetic passage features and even pocket door keyed locks.
  • Floor guide: pocket doors require a floor guide just like sliding barn doors. Because they slide on a track, it’s important to keep them aligned with the track. Our Cavity Sliding Pocket Door Frame hardware kit comes with an adjustable T-guide.

 

The good news is that our Cavity Slider Sliding Pocket Door Frame is a pocket door kit that includes the track, the carriage packs, and the floor guide! Just add the handle and you’ll have everything you need.

 

Tips for installing a pocket door

 

If you have a pocket door hardware kit, installation is much simpler. With that said, here are some basic tips for pocket door installation:

 

• The rough opening for a pocket door needs to be twice the width of the door, plus one inch. For a 30-inch door slab, the rough opening should be 61 inches total.
• The height should be the length of the door slab plus the height of the door track and necessary clearance.
• Check the pocket section to make sure it’s square. To do this, measure the pocket diagonally from end to end. If the two measurements match up, the pocket is square.
• Make sure the door frame is square and that the header lumber is level. If either of these things aren’t true, the pocket door could slide open or shut on its own. You want everything to be square and level to assure your pocket door kit works as intended.

 

For more advice on how to install a pocket door, feel free to reach out! One of our pocket door installation professionals will be happy to help.

We partnered with Cavity Sliders to offer a vast selection of the best and most popular Pocket Door Hardware systems available in the market.

 

Unlike the traditional sliding barn door system where the door is parallel to the wall, pocket door hardware track systems are built inside the wall or ceiling, so the door completely disappears when fully open. Loved by interior designers and general contractors, pocket doors are the best solution for small, compact spaces and are suitable for residential and commercial projects.