Pocket doors are ideal when design flexibility and/or space-saving are important. The practical system is an efficient alternative to conventional swing doors, making the most of the space in a room. Instead of hinges, these doors operate on a sliding track, conveniently disappearing into a compartment in the wall cavity. Unobtrusive in a room, it allows surrounding walls to be used, with the freedom to place furniture next to the opening. Being able to slide a door within a wall and out of the way saves approximately 10sq.ft. of floor area.

We selected the Portman pocket door system from Royde & Tucker for our chalet bungalow show home. Designed and produced in the UK, the system comprises the latest sliding door technology, quality robust components and an exceptionally easy installation.

Plan pocket doors from the outset of a project so walls are constructed to accommodate them, the wall doesn’t need to be deeper than standard but does need to be designed to allow for the door leaf and mechanism to fit into the cavity. Any standard timber door can be used, or even a frameless glass panel, and there’s no bottom rail mounted to the floor, which avoids trapping dust and creating a trip hazard, as well as allowing flooring to flow through rooms uninterrupted. Door leaves are held in place by high-quality rollers to prevent wobble or sway, which will provide years of maintenance-free and consistent high performance.

Whilst the pocket door system was being installed carpenters were also continuing with first fix and preparing the internals for plasterboarding. Brighton Tools and Fixings, Brighton’s largest supplier of power and hand tools for the trade, have supplied much of the first fix structural and general fixings for our project, including nails, screws, and adhesives.