Pocket Sliding Door Design

POCKET SLIDING DOORS are one of the most challenging conditions to plan and design for structurally and to detail how finishes will come together at the exterior and interior walls and especially the transoms. It is critical for the architect and structural engineer to closely coordinate their drawings.

Knowing how deep the pocket needs to be is absolutely critical as well as the pocket depth. If the panels are going to fully pocket keep in mind you may need to add as much as 4" per panel in addition to panel width for stacking. Depending on the manufacturer and configuration the panels may not pocket at all which may leave your client unhappy if they expect them to.

Sliding door track width will dictate the width of the overhead steel or concrete beam and slab recess and where your ceiling framing aligns and shades or drapes.

I have helped to design and detail hundreds of pocket sliding doors on very complex luxury homes from early design development and construction drawings to working with the GC and Shell Contractor to lay out prior to construction.

I often draw them out in 3D in Sketchup to better understand how all the frames and finishes come together.