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Posted by Kris Krieger on August 2, 2007, 5:06 pm
>
>>
>> > When is it appropriate to use a pocket door?
>>
>> IMO? As often as possible. A lot of space is IMO lost to nothing
>> more than swing-space for doors; I'd like to replace all my regular
>> doors with pocket doors, given my 'druthers (and a large Lottery win
>> <L!>)
>>
>> Personalyl, I'd ttake it even further and have sliding "walls"
>> wherever structurally possible - IMO, it'd be great to be able, for
>> example, to close off the kitchen during cooking (esp. stuff like
>> fish, and high- garlic dishes), combines with a fna that actually
>> ahve a motor that *pulls air* as opposed to mostly just making noise.
>>
>> But I digress...
>>
>> I think pocket doors can be as nice as any other door when closed; it
>> mainly seems to depend upon the strangth of the frame that the door
>> is mounted into. THere are also frames that seem to slip pretty much
>> right into existing "normal-sized" wall spaces - I don't know whetehr
>> those dampen sound very much, tho'.
>>
>> If what you mainly want to do is hide a view, you could use a
>> louvered door so as to still allow air circulation.
>>
>> >
>> > I have a corridor that will remain open 90% of the time as a
>> > corridor, but 10% of the time I may close off the corridor on both
>> > ends to form a closed off room.
>> >
>> > Right now it is serving this function by using two swing doors.
>> > Since I am doing some remodeling in the adjacent rooms, I thought
>> > may be I should consider using pocket doors for both to make it
>> > look cleaner when the doors are not necessary they are out of
>> > sight. Is this a proper use of a pocket door?
>>
>> I don't think of it as "proper"; that word seems INMO to be
>> misplaced. Basically, some people see it as a stylistic choice - IOW,
>> I don't know that a pocket door would "go" well with a "Victorian"
>> style house. But they're certainly good in 20th-century
>> "contemporary" style houses.
>>
>> To me, a hallway would be a good place to use 2 small opposed pocket
>> doors, because you would have no doorframe/doorjamb sticking out into
>> the hallway, meaning that it'd be much easier to move things (and
>> yourselves...) through the hall, which, really, is the purpose of a
>> hallway: transit.
>>
>> Sometimes, hall doors are used for privacy (close teh BR area off
>> from the entertainment area, to provide more quiet and privacy for
>> kids when the parents are entertraining), but it's just a big
>> annoyance IMO to have doorjambs sticking into the hall space.
>>
>> Also, those teeny "mini-walls" and added corners end uop beign just
>> one more PITA place to have to dust.
>>
>> ANyhoo, to me, both aesthetically (since I prefer contemporary or
>> "tropical" and otehr "streamlines" styles), and practicality, teh
>> "proper" use of a pocket door would be pretty much anyplace where the
>> walls adjoining the doorway would accept the framing for them.
>>
>> >
>> > Where would you locate the light switch since 32" of the wall would
>> > have to be dedicated to the cavity of the door, I have to move it
>> > to the other side right? but if the other side is an exterior wall
>> > with practically no room due to a window being there, I don't see
>> > an easy solution.
>> >
>> > MC
>> >
>>
>> COuld you send a sketch? I don't understand what you mean.
>>
>
> There's also some "functionality" concerns that should be considered
> when thinking about pocket doors. They tend to be harder & more
> awkward to open/close than a swing. It very difficult to "put your
> weight into it" with a pocket door while a swing it's easy (both
> pushing & pulling). The hardware is almost never appropriate for
> arthritic homeowners. Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera....
For me, I'm always bumping into the dang knobs and into the edges that
stick out, an dso on. THen you also have to have those ugly anti-bang
things either stuck into the baseboards, or plastered onto teh wall, to
prevent the knobs from gouging out the walls. Honestly, I hate swing
doors.
I've seen crappy pocket doors, but also, I've seen really good ones (the
latter on an early 1900's house). EDAS described his - the good one's
I';d seen were more along that line.
OTOH, a lot of swing doors are made of crappy material, too, and can also
suffer from warped frames, crappy installation, and all th results
therefrom.
For those fo us who are arthritic, I think a well-designed and well-
installed pocket door could exist. Like any other type of accessability
puzzle, it usually just takes a little bit of thought... One option, of
course, is a power-door, but there would also be a lot of other possible
solutions for easier accessibility.
Accessibility, of course, always depends in part upon personal preference
and what sorts of trade-offs a person is willing (or eager ;) ) to make.
>
> I personally like pocket doors (especially since they've gotten much
> better over the last few years). My next home will have a "dutch"
> pocket door between the kitchen and mudroom (a nice way to keep the
> dogs from tracking mud throughout the house!)
THat is an interesting idea :) - you still get an open view, with the
added bonus of a "baby gate", with all of it being made "invisible" when
you wish.
> Even though I like
> them, I wouldn't put them into my parents house. Also, I wouldn't use
> them in a location where the door will be open/closed a lot of times
> per day. Nor in a location that might see heavy abuse as this can
> really wreak havoc with the operation smoothness of the door over
> time.
All of those are of course considerations.
((One size never does fit all, does it ;) ))
> Another option that is often overlooked, but I love, is an exposed
> sliding door (i.e. "barn door"). I put one in at the bottom of my
> basement stairs (the last tread extends past the wall 4" so the door
> is actually 6" off the floor) and when not in use the door slides
> halfway down the wall (so it centers on the wall). We have a picture
> mounted on the door and it's white to match our trim and to contrast
> with the cream wall paint.
I saw something like that done on one of those <yikes!!> TV home shows.
The individual wanted an "industrial" sort of style, and wanted to be
able to close off the kitchen, since th econdo was small and the poin t
was to be able to close off the kitchen while serving and entertaining
guests (since you want to be with your guests, not screwing around with
cleaning dishes and so on). ANyhoo, they mounted a track over the
kitchen opening (apx. the size of a french door) and "slung" a door on
rollers in the track. It sounded tacky when tehy'd described it at the
outset, but in th eend, it actually looked quite good, esp. with the
style of rest of the place.
I guess that's the fun of it, tho' - having a lot of different options to
adapt and apply ;)
>
> One last comment on pocket doors.... it's real tough to get
> satisfaction from slamming a pocket door in someone's face!!!
>
> Michael (LS)
>
Er, ah, I don't worry about that...
...learned *very* early on that the eventual consequences always faaaar
outstrip any momenhtary satisfaction <LOL!>
- K.
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