When people talk about a pocket door, they usually mean the door itself. But the part that makes it all work is hidden inside the wall: the pocket door frame. It creates the cavity the door slides into, carries the track and runners, and holds the plasterboard straight on either side so the door doesn’t scrape.
Get the frame right and a pocket door will glide smoothly for years. Get it wrong and you’ll be dealing with a door that sticks, rubs or won’t close properly, and fixing it can mean opening up the wall.
This guide explains what a pocket door frame is, what’s in a typical kit, the main types available in the UK, and what to check before you buy.
What is a pocket door frame?
A pocket door frame (sometimes called a pocket door cassette or pocket kit) is a prefabricated structure that builds the hidden pocket into a stud wall. It’s fixed into an opening in the stud work, then boarded over with plasterboard like the rest of the wall. The door hangs from runners in an overhead track at the top of the frame and slides into the pocket when it’s opened.
The frame does three jobs:
- Carries the weight of the door through the track and runners.
- Keeps the pocket straight and square so the door has a consistent gap on both sides.
- Supports the plasterboard over the pocket, where there’s no stud behind it.
That third point is easy to overlook. Over the pocket, the plasterboard is only supported by the frame, so a flimsy frame can lead to cracked plaster or boards that flex when someone leans on the wall.
What’s in a pocket door frame kit?
Kits vary by manufacturer, but most include similar parts. Rocket Door Frames, for example, lists the following in its galvanised steel pocket door frames:
- The steel uprights and horizontals that form the pocket, plus the track.
- Brackets to fix the frame to the stud work, which also position and support the plasterboard.
- An adjustable floor guide at the pocket entrance.
- Runners with sealed bearings.
- A door brake, with a soft close option available.
What you usually need to supply yourself is the door, the stud work and the plasterboard. Many systems also offer a separate jamb or lining kit to finish the opening and hide the inside of the frame.
Our 70mm, 75mm and 90mm pocket door kits are built around frames sized to common stud widths. If you lose any of the small parts during a renovation, a replacement pocket fixing kit for Rocket frames includes the bolts, screws, door stop, brake, brackets and rollers.
Types of pocket door frame
Standard frames with architrave
The most common type is designed to be finished with timber jambs and architrave, just like a hinged door. It’s forgiving to install, because the architrave covers the joint between the frame and the plaster. It suits most homes, especially where the other doors already have architrave.
Frameless (flush) frames
A frameless pocket door frame has a metal profile around the opening that’s plastered in flush with the wall. There’s no architrave, so the opening is just a clean, sharp edge. It’s the pocket door equivalent of a concealed hinged door.
The Ermetika Absolute Evokit frameless pocket door system is an example. It needs no trims, comes with its jambs as standard, allows a plaster reveal, and is tested for 100,000 opening and closing cycles.
Frameless frames need more careful plastering and a straighter wall, so they’re best suited to new builds or full renovations where the walls are being skimmed anyway.
Fire-rated (FD30) frames
Standard pocket door frames are not fire rated. If the door needs to be a fire door, for example where it opens onto a protected stairway, you need a fire-rated pocket door kit that has been tested as a complete assembly. Building control can confirm whether your opening needs one. These usually need two layers of plasterboard on each side of the frame and fire-rated jambs with intumescent seals. Rocket’s FD30 instructions, for example, call for two layers of 12.5mm plasterboard each side. Read our guide to FD30 pocket doors before you choose one.
Single and double frames
A single frame takes one door sliding into one side of the opening. A double pocket door uses two pockets, one either side, with two doors that meet in the middle. Some manufacturers sell dedicated double kits, while others, including Rocket, supply joining brackets so two single frames can be combined.
Steel or timber?
Most modern pocket door frames are made from galvanised steel, sometimes combined with timber or aluminium. Steel stays straight, doesn’t shrink or twist as a new house dries out, and gives a strong fixing for plasterboard. Older and cheaper pocket kits often relied on thin timber battens to form the pocket, which can bow or move over time.
Whichever you choose, the key is rigidity. A frame that flexes will let the plasterboard move, which can crack the plaster or make the door rub.
How to choose a pocket door frame
1. Match the frame to your stud work
Frames are made to suit particular stud widths. Rocket, for instance, matches its 70mm frame to 63mm CLS or 70mm steel studs, its 75mm frame to 75mm or 100mm timber studs, and its 90mm frame to 89mm CLS or 92mm steel studs. Your stud width and the plasterboard on each side then set the finished wall thickness. Our pocket door wall thickness guide explains this in detail.
2. Check the door limits
Every frame has a maximum door weight and a range of door thicknesses. Rocket’s UK frames, for example, take doors 35mm to 44mm thick and up to 60kg. Check the weight of the door you plan to use, particularly if it’s solid core or glazed.
3. Check the door size
Frames are made for specific door widths and heights. Make sure the frame suits the door size you want, and that you have enough wall either side: a single pocket door needs roughly twice the door width in straight, clear wall, plus the frame itself. See our UK standard door dimensions guide for common sizes.
4. Think about what goes in the wall
You can’t run pipes or cables through the pocket, or fix anything heavy to the wall over it. Plan switches, sockets, radiators and shelves around the pocket before you start.
5. Plan the finish and hardware
Decide early whether you want architrave or a frameless finish, and whether you want soft close or a privacy lock. Hardware like flush pulls and bathroom locks needs to suit the door thickness. Browse our pocket door handles and hardware to see what’s available.
Frequently asked questions
What is a pocket door frame made of?
Most modern pocket door frames are made from galvanised steel, sometimes combined with timber or aluminium parts. Steel stays straight and gives a strong fixing for the plasterboard over the pocket.
Can I fit a pocket door frame in an existing wall?
Yes, but it usually means removing the plasterboard and studs where the pocket will go, fitting the frame and new studs, then re-boarding and finishing the wall. Masonry walls generally need a new stud wall built alongside.
Do I need a special frame for a fire door?
Yes. A fire-rated pocket door needs a frame and kit that has been tested as a complete FD30 assembly. You can’t simply hang a fire door in a standard pocket frame.
How heavy a door can a pocket door frame take?
It depends on the frame. Check the manufacturer’s maximum door weight. Rocket’s UK frames, for example, are rated for doors up to 60kg.
Can I have a pocket door without architrave?
Yes. A frameless pocket door frame is plastered in flush with the wall so there’s no architrave, giving a clean, minimal opening.
Find the right pocket door frame
The frame is the part you’ll never see, so it pays to choose a good one. Browse our pocket door kits, or contact us with your stud size and door size and we’ll help you pick the right frame.
