Door Industry Journal - Summer 2018

Also online at: www.dijonline.co.uk 118 THE door industry journal summer 2018 Locks & Building Hardware Pocket Doors – An Ever-Increasing Trend As the number of first time buyers hits the highest levels in over a decade, combined with a major decrease in the size of the average new build home – it’s no wonder homeowners are looking for inventive and innovative ways to save space in the home. In this feature, Stephanie Lee, Marketing Manager at P C Henderson takes a look at the reasons behind the ever growing trend in Pocket Doors, the advantages they hold and what to look for when choosing such a system. A recent report? by LABC Warranty shows that living rooms of new builds in Britain are 32% smaller than they were in the 1970s. To coincide with this, a report? from UK Finance shows that the number of first time buyers is at its highest point in over a decade – a total of over 365,000 individuals bought their first home in 2017, the highest it’s been since 2006. These recent statistics could explain the ever growing trend in Pocket Door systems as homeowners look for new ways to save space in the home... Space Saving Did you know that a traditional swing door can eat up to 10 or more square feet of precious floor area? This is a considerable amount of space for the sake of opening and closing a door. A Pocket Door system can free up this space by allowing doors to glide along a track and disappear into a cavity wall out of the way. Single Pocket Doors used in smaller rooms hold the most space saving benefits. For example spaces such as en-suites, bathrooms, storage areas, walk-in wardrobes, utility rooms and pantries – can all reap fantastic benefits from a sliding Pocket Door. Swing doors can often be inconvenient in spaces such as this, causing difficulties when attempting to open a door inwards. Swing doors can also be inconvenient in areas where they open onto a narrow corridor or hallway, often causing an obstruction. Pocket doors can solve this by sliding away into the cavity – leaving the corridor completely clear. Images above © Ralphine Design, Geneva, Switzerland