Appearance

Pocket doors are an interesting addition to many homes because they slide into the wall, hiding the door when open. So, since the door is meant to be shut out of sight, the door itself may be very plain in style. However, they are also available in a wide range of styles, from traditional to contemporary, for the times that they will be seen. They also come in many materials as well, including wood, aluminum, and even mirrored finishes.

Barn doors have a more distinctive style. Made of wood, these doors generally have a more rustic finish and appearance. They fit in well with a variety of home styles, including country, rustic modern, cottage, and farmhouse. However, they do not tend to work as well in contemporary or traditional spaces.

Installation

Because pocket doors are installed on a track that is both in the doorway and inside the adjacent wall, they are more difficult and time-consuming to install. In some cases, the wall must be opened up to install the track. And in other cases, the wall may not be thick enough to conceal the track, in which case, the wall must be rebuilt. In addition, a load-bearing wall ¹ may not have enough space inside to conceal the door, which would make the installation of a pocket door impossible without redistributing the load.

Barn doors, on the other hand, install across the doorway and along the outside of the adjacent wall. This makes them much easier to install because the track can be seen at all times, without needing to open the wall or refinish it after installing the track. The track can be installed on any wall, no matter how thin or if it is load-bearing.

Since the track is visible at all times, however, that means it is often larger and more decorative than the pocket-door track. This makes handling it slightly more difficult as well as more expensive to purchase.

Sealing

If you need to shut the door tightly for privacy, light blocking, or sound diminishing purposes, a tight seal may be necessary. Some pocket doors and barn doors may slide easily to fit across the doorway but are not designed to shut tightly. Some may have a locking or catching mechanism that can hold the door shut, but if the track or door becomes even slightly out of alignment, the door may gap slightly at the top or bottom, preventing it from making a tight seal. This can be true of either style of door.

Durability

Both doors involve a track, which can sometimes cause problems with durability. It comes down mostly to the quality of the track and the materials that go into making it.

Both doors may come off their tracks, become difficult to roll, may squeal or squeak if not lubricated, and may gap or hang, making them difficult to seal and lock. However, barn doors often have a larger track because the door is visible. This means that the track may experience fewer issues over time than the smaller pocket door track.

Barn doors are more accessible to fix issues when they occur, so major problems are less common than with pocket doors, where a small issue may get out of hand because it cannot be easily reached.

Accessibility

Both doors are meant to slide, which can make them easier to use for a person requiring mobility aids. One does not have to move out of the door’s way when opening it. However, of the two, pocket doors are considered more accessible, because they are generally lighter and, therefore, easier to slide.