If you're a builder and your project calls for installing pocket doors, you'll need to finish off the job with the necessary hardware. Once you purchase pocket doors, you'll have to shop for locks, pulls and other supplies for pocket doors. You can choose to get these items from pocket door sellers or from pocket door suppliers, or you can purchase them separately.

From decorative pulls and handles to sturdy locks, you'll need some sort of supplies for pocket doors whether you're installing exterior or interior pocket doors. You'll likely need to wait until you buy pocket doors before determining which type of hardware will go best with the type of pocket doors you're installing. When it comes time to shop for supplies for pocket doors, consider the following:

1. Buy the frame kit you need to install a pocket door.

2. Choose from a variety of decorative pulls for your pocket doors.

3. Select a lock, especially if you're installing exterior pocket doors.

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Start your installation of pocket doors with required frame kits

Before you even begin installing pocket doors, you'll need a frame kit. These kits come with the necessary parts such as tricycle hangers, headers, tracks, brackets, door stops, floor anchors and other items for pocket door installation.

I recommend: Get pocket door frame kits for pocket doors either under or over 80 inches in height, and designed for use with any standard two-by-four framing studs, from HomesteadHardware.com. Purchase a universal pocket door frame kit for doors of varying thickness and weight from Ace Hardware. Get frame kits, and even full prefabricated pocket door frames as well as mounting and sliding hardware, from Johnson Hardware.

Open and close pocket doors with pulls or handles

You can find a wide range of styles and types of door pulls from pocket door manufacturers of pulls, locks and other hardware. Select door pulls that mount on the face of the door, or hidden-from-sight edge pulls. You can also find pocket door pulls in various shapes and designs.

I recommend: Select from brass, satin nickel, pewter or chrome decorative edge pulls for your pocket doors, from National Manufacturing. For an added touch of elegance, purchase push or pull plates for pocket doors, made from a variety of materials in many styles, from DoorHardwareDirect. Signature Hardware offers many pocket doors pulls, from simple round pulls to more ornate designs.

Add locks to both your interior and exterior pocket doors

In some cases, you may want or need to add locks to pocket doors. Of course, exterior pocket doors will need locks, but you might be using interior pocket doors for public restrooms or conference rooms that will required locks as well.

I recommend: PocketDoorProducts.com has a long list of passage and privacy locks for pocket doors. Choose from a variety of brass locks for pocket doors, including heavy-duty, adjustable or flush bolts, at Doorware.com. Check out the inventory of pocket door locks at Woodward's Hardware, which includes keyed entry locks and frame bolts as well as standard privacy and passage locks for doors of various thickness.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Some pocket door manufacturers can make custom-made pocket door frame kits to accommodate any size you require.

Pocket doors are an important element of Victorian architecture that enjoyed a resurgence of popularity during the 1950s, and is again popular today. In recent years, contractors have been installing pocket doors more frequently at building owners' request.

It's little wonder that pocket doors are so popular when you consider that the typical door requires 8 to 10 square feet of floor space to swing open; regaining that space for business use makes good sense.

Pocket doors have been used in the following situations:

1. Laundry rooms, an advantage when designing apartment buildings.
2. Powder rooms, easing the traffic flow in busy public facilities.
3. Offices, using a single door for space efficiency of floor and walls.
4. Board rooms, creating a touch of elegance.

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Explore the feasibility of pocket doors

In new construction, pocket doors can be implemented in the design phase. In existing construction, analyze how much space will be regained and whether pocket doors will improve traffic flow. In a crowded office area, for example, pocket doors can create the space for more offices. Pocket doors smooth traffic flow in and out of restrooms in busy public venues. In addition, handicapped customers enter and exit more easily with pocket doors in comparison to swinging doors.

I recommend: With existing construction, check with the original contractor, if possible, to determine whether wiring, duct work or pipes lie within the walls and must be rerouted before you purchase pocket doors. If the contractor is unknown, find a contractor by using this home improvement site search tool.

Determine the amount of work needed to install pocket doors

In existing construction, analyze the labor needed before adding pocket doors. Two main styles of doors exist. The more familiar style consists of interior pocket doors, which slide into the wall. So-called exterior pocket doors either slide along a track outside the wall or function as exterior doors to the building, sliding along tracks. For exterior pocket doors that slide along a wall, installation of hardware is an easy project. For interior pocket doors, the project requires deconstructing an existing wall, installing the hardware and framing the opening.

I recommend: To help you gain an idea of materials and labor involved in the project, Johnson Hardware, a major pocket door supplier, provides videos and instructions on its Web site.

Purchase pocket doors that harmonize with function and style

From French doors and ornate wooden doors to frosted glass doors, pocket door manufacturers provide a variety of styles. It is also possible to use standard doors up to 1 3/4-inches thick. Antique doors, while pricey, can be found at specialty dealers.

I recommend: A variety of styles are available at PocketDoors. For pocket door hardware, consult the Architectural Hardware Design Guide at Stanley Hardware or check with pocket door sellers John Sterling Corp.

Find a contractor to install your pocket doors

In existing construction, an experienced contractor can reroute ductwork, pipes or wiring for pocket doors with a minimum of down time in the affected area. You also want the new pocket door to blend seamlessly into the space, so it is worth it to hire a professional.

I recommend: Angie's List provides reviews of home improvement contractors in major cities. For other areas, you can search the Associated General Contractors Web site by city, state, ZIP or type of contractor.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  For trouble-free pocket doors, sellers of high-quality hardware are your best bet. Stick with one of the major manufacturers or their distributors to ensure that your doors don't stick or jump the tracks.

As those in many office settings recognize the space-saving benefits of pocket doors, the once popular items are making a comeback as an alternative to swing doors. If you're thinking of adding pocket doors to conference room, restroom or storage room entrances, you'll need to be familiar with the pricing and costs of pocket doors.

Pocket door prices can range from the hundreds to the thousands of dollars, so create a budget before you purchase pocket doors to avoid overspending. This will help you to choose which pocket door manufacturers, pocket door sellers and pocket door suppliers can best meet your budgetary needs. When you're figuring the pricing and costs of pocket doors, consider the following:

1. Price wooden, steel and other types of pocket doors;

2. Add the cost of hardware, such as pulls and locks, for pocket doors;

3. Factor in the cost of pocket door installation.

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Check out the prices of different styles of pocket doors

The pricing and costs of pocket doors varies greatly, depending on the type of door you're buying. Since most doors that can be installed with hinges can be used as pocket doors, you won't incur additional expense when buying pocket doors. Nevertheless, the cost of wooden doors, for instance, is different from that of steel doors.

I recommend: Visit Ambiance Doors to choose from a wide selection of wood doors with decorative glass designs, any of which you can use as pocket doors, in a price range of $300 to $500. Get the Lift & Slide system from Sliding Specialties, for $7,000 to $25,000, without installation and depending on door sizes, options and other factors.

Recognize the additional costs of handles, pulls and other hardware for pocket doors

When you buy pocket doors, there will be an additional cost for any hardware you may add after installation. The price of door pulls, handles, edge pulls and locks varies, depending on the style as well as the hardware's material composition. For instance, decorative satin nickel door pulls are more costly than simple brass pulls.

I recommend: Select from simple to decorative flush pulls for pocket doors, priced from just under $20 to about $160, at Crown City Hardware. Choose from a huge inventory of brass, stainless steel and satin nickel pulls and latches from under $20 up to $200 at The Hardware Hut.

Figure in the cost of installing pocket doors

Once you've purchased pocket doors and any necessary hardware, chances are you'll want to hire a contractor who specializes in installing pocket doors. Make sure to get some quotes and to add in this expense to the pricing and costs of pocket doors.

I recommend: Get pocket doors installed from Elite Door Company, starting at just under $500. Artisan Specialties will trim out your pocket doors for between $100 and $200 per door, depending on whether you have single- or double-doors.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Remember that the pricing and costs of pocket doors varies depending on whether you're installing them in an existing office or during new construction. Adding pocket doors to an existing space will be more costly than having them installed in an office that's under construction.

Whether you’re installing pocket doors as part of a new construction project or renovating an older home to include the sliding doors, it’s important to know key terms surrounding equipment, tools and installation process. Although pocket doors are popular for smaller homes and businesses because of their space-saving properties, their installation can be complicated as they slide into existing walls. Be prepared with the proper materials by understanding terms like “jamb kits,” “edge pulls” and “door jamb bolts."

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Jamb kits

To reconstruct the seamless look of the door frame once you've installed a new pocket door, you'll need jamb kits to rebuild the structure. The kits feature customizable wood pieces to replace the old door jamb and typically match the wood finish of the pocket door.

I recommend: See an illustration of a pocket door jamb kit and read more about the product specifications and available wood types from PocketDoors.Net.

Edge pulls

Sitting flush with the pocket door edge, edge pulls are the hidden 'doorknobs' to pull a pocket door open. Edge pulls are available in various finishes to complement the door's wood type.

I recommend: Check out an assortment of edge pulls in different sizes, styles and metals through Pocket Door Products.

Pull plates

Pull plates are an additional way to open and close pocket doors. They are a more deluxe version of an edge pull and are available in brass, nickel or copper, for example, to coordinate with room decor.

I recommend: See a selection of pull plates and get specifications through Door Hardware Direct.

Rollers

The quality of rollers installed along the edge of the pocket door can control its ability to slide in and out of the wall smoothly. The ball bearing assemblies typically feature three or four nylon wheels.

I recommend: Find assorted rollers and roller assemblies with different wheel sizes and bracket styles through the Woodward’s Hardware website.

Pocket door guide

Mounted within the door jamb, a good-quality pocket door guide will keep the roller assembly rolling smoothly as the door opens and closes. This hardware is essential to keep the pocket door from jumping the track.

I recommend: Learn additional details about jamb-mounted pocket door guides from the illustrations, specifications and descriptions at Aubuchon Hardware.

Door jamb bolts

Door jamb bolts add a safety feature to pocket doors by preventing them from sliding back into the wall.

I recommend: Get additional information, including photos, operation and installation details, on door jamb bolts through Doorware.com.