A few years ago, pocket doors had all but disappeared in American homes.

Popular in houses built in the late 1800s and the early part of the 20th century, the doors that were there when you needed privacy and vanished when you didn’t became so scarce, many craftsmen had no idea how to repair or maintain them. They encountered very few.

At A-1 On Track, we’re big fans of the practical pocket door. These doors, which slip in and out of the wall cavity via rollers on an overhead track, save tons of space compared to hinged doors. They are especially convenient in small rooms and can greatly simplify furniture arrangement.

Pocket doors, when retracted inside the wall, also leave the opening looking clean and uncluttered.

Often we see instances in which pocket doors would be a perfect solution but were not considered in construction or renovation plans. Why?

Some designers don’t know much about pocket doors and simply choose to overlook them. On other projects in which pocket doors might have been desirable, so-called “barn doors,” which slide on a track mounted on the wall above the opening, have become popular.

Pocket doors have also been tagged as high maintenance. That’s unfair. If installed correctly, pocket doors work flawlessly for years.

As with any door, they may need periodic adjustment. When that happens, call A-1 On Track. We’ve installed, fixed and maintained plenty of pocket doors. We can even show you simple steps to keep your pocket doors sliding effortlessly.

Today, pocket doors are not as ornate as their 120-year-old predecessors, but they still come in a wide range of styles. You can even get pocket doors with embedded glass that allow light in a room.

If your pocket doors need fixing, or you think pocket doors may work in your renovation project, call A-1 On Track at 408-866-0267. We carry a selection of quality pocket doors and repair and install them as well.