Can You Fit a Pocket Door in a Brick or Block Wall?

Pocket doors are a brilliant space saver, but most of the advice you’ll read assumes you have a timber or metal stud wall. Plenty of UK homes have brick or blockwork internal walls instead, so a common question is: can you still have a pocket door?

The short answer is yes, but not by cutting a pocket into the masonry itself. In this guide, we explain why, the realistic options for a brick or block wall, and the checks you need to make before any work starts.

Why masonry walls are different

A standard pocket door kit is a steel frame designed to sit inside a stud partition. The door slides into a hollow pocket within the frame, and the wall is finished with plasterboard fixed to both sides. The kit has to match the finished wall thickness. Our pocket door wall thickness guide explains the common builds.

A brick or block wall is solid. To fit a pocket, you’d have to remove a section of wall at least as long as the door itself, plus the doorway, and fill it with a pocket frame. That’s a much larger hole than a normal doorway, and it changes how the wall above is supported.

Many internal masonry walls are also load-bearing, carrying floors, the roof or other walls above. Even where they aren’t, a masonry wall above a new opening still needs support, usually a lintel.

Step one: find out whether the wall is load-bearing

Before you choose a kit, find out what the wall does. Don’t rely on guesswork. A builder or structural engineer can tell you, and an engineer can design any support needed.

This matters for regulations as well as safety. Planning Portal guidance says Building Regulations will normally apply if you form an opening in an internal wall, and altering or removing a load-bearing wall requires Building Regulations approval, usually backed by a structural engineer’s calculations. Walls around a staircase can also play a role in fire protection, so check with building control before changing them.

Planning permission isn’t usually needed for internal changes in a house, but listed buildings need listed building consent. If in doubt, ask your local authority.

Your options for a pocket door in a masonry wall

Option 1: Build a false stud wall alongside the masonry

This is usually the simplest and least disruptive option. Rather than cutting into the brickwork, you build a new stud wall against the existing wall, incorporating the pocket door frame. The door slides into the new stud wall, and the masonry is left largely as it is.

Eclisse, for example, says its pocket door systems can be installed against an existing masonry wall by building a false stud wall alongside it. The frame is built in exactly the same way, with plasterboard on both sides for strength. Eclisse notes this adds 95mm or 100mm to the existing wall thickness, depending on the build.

Things to bear in mind:

• You lose a little floor space along the length of the new wall. In most rooms that’s a fair trade for not having a door swing.
• The doorway is still in the masonry. If there’s already a suitable opening, the false wall simply sits beside it. If there isn’t, you still need to form an opening with proper support.
• Skirting, sockets and switches on that stretch of wall will need moving onto the new wall face. Remember that nothing can be fixed into the pocket area itself.
• Radiators can’t be hung over the pocket, so plan heating elsewhere.

Option 2: Replace a section of masonry with studwork

If the wall isn’t load-bearing, another approach is to remove a section of masonry and rebuild that part of the wall in studwork, with the pocket door frame inside. Done well, this keeps the wall line flush on both sides with no loss of floor space.

It’s a bigger job:

• The masonry above the new opening needs support, typically a lintel bearing onto the masonry either side, or a timber or steel structure designed for the job.
• The new studwork has to be fixed securely to the masonry and floor.
• The finished thickness of the new section must match the rest of the wall, which affects which pocket door kit you can use.

If the wall is load-bearing, the opening needs a properly designed beam or lintel with Building Regulations approval. This is work for a builder working to an engineer’s design, not a DIY job.

Option 3: A solid-wall pocket door system

In some countries, pocket door frames are made specifically for masonry walls. Eclisse, for instance, makes frames for both solid and stud walls; the solid wall version is a metal sheet structure that supports a plaster mesh. These are designed to be built into masonry construction from the start, so they’re mainly a new-build or major renovation option. If you’re interested, check with the manufacturer whether a masonry version is available in the UK for your door size.

Option 4: Consider an alternative door

If the wall can’t be altered or a false wall won’t fit, you still have space-saving choices:

• A surface-mounted sliding door runs on a track on the face of the wall, so it needs no pocket, though the door is visible when open. Our internal sliding door systems guide compares the options.
• A concealed hinged door needs only a normal-sized opening, and many concealed frames can go into masonry as well as stud walls. Our pocket door vs concealed door guide explains the trade-offs.

Choosing the right pocket door kit

If you go down the stud wall route, choose the kit to match the new wall:

1. Decide on the stud size. Your builder will choose timber or metal studs. The stud size sets which kits will fit, so agree it before ordering.
2. Work out the finished wall thickness. Add the board on both sides (and skim) to the stud size.
3. Match the kit. Our 75mm pocket door kit fits 75mm and 100mm timber stud, while our 90mm pocket door kit fits 89mm CLS or 92mm steel studwork. Both take door panels 35mm or 44mm thick, up to 60kg.
4. Check the length. A single pocket door frame needs roughly twice the door width, plus a little extra for the frame itself. See our pocket door sizes guide.

Browse the full range of pocket door kits, and add any handles or locks from our pocket door hardware range.

Before you start: a checklist

• Confirm whether the wall is load-bearing, and get an engineer’s design if it is.
• Check with building control whether your work needs approval.
• Check for pipes, cables and services in the wall where the pocket and opening will go.
• Decide between a false stud wall and replacing a section of masonry.
• Choose a kit that matches the new stud size and finished wall thickness.
• Plan where switches, sockets and radiators will go, away from the pocket.
• Order the door and kit before work starts, so the opening can be built to suit.

Our pocket door installation guide covers fitting the frame once the wall is ready.

Frequently asked questions

Can you cut a pocket into a brick wall?

Not in the sense of hollowing out the brickwork. The usual approaches are to build a new stud wall against the masonry with the pocket inside it, or to replace a section of a non-load-bearing wall with studwork.

How much thicker does the wall get with a false stud wall?

It depends on the stud and board you use. Eclisse says its false stud wall method adds 95mm or 100mm to the existing wall.

Do I need building regulations approval for a pocket door?

If you’re forming a new opening in an internal wall, or altering a load-bearing wall, Building Regulations will normally apply. Check with your local building control body before starting.

Can I fit a pocket door in a load-bearing wall?

Possibly, but only with a structural engineer’s design for supporting the wall above and Building Regulations approval. A false stud wall alongside the masonry is often the simpler route.

Is a pocket door in a masonry wall a DIY job?

Building a false stud wall and fitting a kit is within reach of a confident DIYer. Cutting or removing masonry, and anything involving a load-bearing wall, should be left to a builder working to an engineer’s design.

Get the right pocket door kit for your project

Whether you’re building a false wall or rebuilding a section in studwork, the right kit makes the job easier. Browse our pocket door kits, or contact our team for advice on the right frame for your wall.