The Hidden Risks of Poor Pocket Door Planning

You can draw anything — it doesn’t mean it’s right.

I see sliding door layouts drawn incorrectly by architects all the time, and it creates mass confusion. Pocket sliding doors are some of the most complex window and door conditions out there, with countless critical details that often go completely unaddressed.

Here are just a few of the questions that must be answered before you finalize the layout:

• What is the manufacturer’s Pocket Hook frame detail?

• How does it attach, and how will your wall finishes return to it?

• Will the door fully pocket, or will part of it stick out when open?

• Do you have enough depth in the pocket for panels to fully recess?

• Do you have enough width for the track and any protruding frame components?

• How and when is the inside of the exterior wall being finished?

• Is there a pocket closer, and how is the interior wall finishing to that detail?

• How is water being managed if the track floods during heavy rains?

• Where is your slab edge and recess — how does the exterior flooring meet the bottom of the track?

• Is the corner column sized and located correctly?

• Where is your overhead beam, and is it wide enough?

I help architects, builders, and owners select, specify, and detail luxury hurricane glazing systems before these things become field problems. Most window dealers don’t catch this. Most installers don’t catch this. But these details matter — and they fall between scopes.