Pocket door locks, pulls and privacy latches are available in a number of finishes. Among the possibilities are brushed chrome, satin or brushed brass, or perhaps oil rubbed bronze, to name a few. Whatever your room decor or painting treatment, you can probably find door fixtures to blend in harmoniously with the overall effect.

Most often we see sliding doors leading to a patio, balcony or back porch. Those we see indoors are often between dining room and living room in the old "railroad car" floor plans. They're often installed where space is a premium, or where a swinging door would just be awkward. Doors leading to the outside, of course, require far more substantial hardware than indoor. A variety of pocket door locks are produced for each function.

Types of Pocket Door Locks

The first thing we think of at the words "door lock" is the latch/lock fixture embedded within the core of the door itself, a deadline bolt, for example. Pocket door locks, while similar in function in some respects, are usually not as robust. Effective locks can also mean braces that, on locking, are set between the door frame and the edge of the pocket door half to be securely shut. More substantial sliding door locks can entail vertical bars that drop (or are pushed up) into recessed floor (and ceiling housings). These are most often used in commercial applications.

Interior door fixtures, which have a totally different function, are typically simpler in design and lighter in weight. Inside sliding doors generally feature privacy locks and pulls rather than inset doorjamb locks typical of pivoting or hinged swinging doors.