02 Nov 2017

If you are looking for a pocket door solution, there are 3 things worth bearing in mind

Tip One: Have a look at the installation instructions. Does assembly involve cutting pocket verticals or horizontals to make the system fit the door panel size? Does installation involve aligning separate components i.e. the track and the pocket?

Have a look for design features that help with alignment. Does the track and pocket assemble to create a single unit for insertion into the studwork? Systems that involve fixing the track and pocket to the studwork separately can be fiddly and take time to ensure they are perfectly aligned. A cheaper system may seem appealing, until it takes twice as long to install. Does the system have a self-centering floor guide that fixes to, and so aligns automatically with, the pocket? Floor guides for the door that simply screw into the floor have to be carefully aligned with the pocket. This can take time to do, and an incorrectly aligned floor guide can result in an inferior sliding action.

Tip Two: Have a look at the list of parts. Does it include a jamb kit? What about a metal anti-warp profile for the underside of your door? Are the verticals and/or horizontals that make up the pocket simply wood wrapped in steel or proper galvanised steel sections specially formed for strength? The jamb kit is a timber lining kit that attaches to the pocket door framework that covers the edges of the door when it is closed, so you cannot see the top of the door or into the pocket. It gives the pocket door installation a professional finish.

An anti-warp profile fits into a routed channel on the underside of the door and slides on a spigot on the floor guide. If your door does warp a metal anti-warp profile won’t and the pocket door will continue to slide smoothly.

The pocket of the pocket door system is important because this is what replaces the studwork in your wall. It is important that it is strong. A product with a galvanised steel pocket, with formed profiles for extra strength and bracing horizontal sections will provide you with the peace of mind that the pocket will not warp over time, something that can happen with a pocket make up from wooden sections.

Tip Three: Consider the quality and durability of the system. After all, you are installing it in the wall, and you want it to last.

Check the guarantee. Has the system been independently tested for strength? Have the durability of the runners been independently tested? Have any steel parts of the frame been corrosion tested to prove they are suitable bathrooms, utilities and basements?

Additional peace of mind will come from knowing that the system has been guaranteed for a significant period of time, and that the product has under gone some basic tests. Here are some examples of test to look out for:

• Durability of the runners: European test UNI EN 1527 involves runners to undergoing a test of 100,000 opening and closing cycles, which is equal to around 25 years of normal use. After the test is complete the runners should show no significant traces of wear or damage.
• Dynamic impact test: European test UNI EN 629:2000 involves subjecting a pocket door frame to an impact test of a 30Kg bag crashing into it from different heights.
• Anti-corrosion test: European test UNI EN 1670 involves subjecting the product to 240 hours in a salt mist spray in a 95% humidity environment and 5% Nacl.

So when comparing an Eclisse Classic Single Pocket Door System to other solutions on the market. Be sure to bear in mind that the Eclisse system:

• Is easy to assemble and has a frame that does not need cutting to size. With Eclisse, you simply pick the kit that fits your door panel size and it will fit first time without any alterations. • Has a track and pocket that assembles together to create a single unit for insertion into the studwork.
• Has features such as a self-centering floor guide that fixes to, and so aligns automatically with, the pocket.
• Comes with a specially designed jamb kit for a professional finish.
• Comes with a metal anti-warp profile. If the door does warp the profile won’t.
• Has a galvanised steel pocket. The vertical uprights and horizontal bars are made from galvanised steel formed into robust cross-sections, not wood wrapped in steel.
• The Eclisse system has a market-leading 12 year guarantee.
• The Eclisse runners successfully passed European test UNI EN 1527 of 100,000 opening and closing cycles without showing traces of significant wear or damage.
• The Eclisse system successfully passed the European dynamic impact test UNI EN 629:2000.
• The Eclisse system passed the European anti-corrosion test UNI EN 1670 at level 4, the highest level, proving its suitability for moisture prone areas such as bathrooms, utilities and basements.

Why risk putting anything else in your wall?

[email protected]     www.eclisse.co.uk      0845 4811977

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