- Postcode district
- EH2
- Survey
- Free for new and replacement doors
- Typical lead time
- Typically 6–8 weeks from survey sign-off
- Guide price
- From £6,595 inc VAT
- Nearby
- Musselburgh, Dalkeith, Bonnyrigg
- Building rules
- Scotland
Is an external pocket sliding door a good fit for your home in Edinburgh?
These are the points a surveyor will go through with you when you choose external pocket sliding doors for a home in Edinburgh:
Solid brick, cavity block or timber frame: the way your Edinburgh wall is built decides how the pocket is formed, which is why the survey looks at it closely.
If the wall beside your Edinburgh patio opening is free of windows, radiators and sockets, it may be long enough to take a pocket so the panels disappear completely.
- Parked inside the wall, open panels are protected from weather and knocks, and garden furniture can sit right up to the edge of the opening.
- With every panel slid into the wall, the full width of the opening is clear, so the room and terrace join without a fixed panel in the way.
- When closed, a pocket door looks like a large-paned slider, with slim meeting stiles and plenty of glass instead of the many frames of a folding door.
Daylight in Edinburgh and what it means for your glass
The midday sun over Edinburgh ranges from about 11° at the winter solstice to about 57° at midsummer. Low-angle winter light reaches further into a room through a tall door, which is one reason taller panels are worth considering; on south or west walls, pair them with solar-control glass.
How much do external pocket sliding doors cost in Edinburgh?
Guide prices include the door, fitting and structural calculations, including VAT. They include forming the opening and the pocket in the wall; Building Control fees are set by your council and are extra.
| Overall width | Typical panels | Guide price (fitted, inc VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| 1.8 m | 1 panel | £6,595–£8,095 |
| 2.4 m | 2 panels | £7,495–£9,195 |
| 4.8 m | 3 panels | £11,095–£13,595 |
See every size on the external pocket sliding doors page or try the guide price tool.
Timescales for external pocket sliding doors in Edinburgh
Nothing is ordered until you sign off the surveyed specification. The door is made from the finished opening sizes (typically 6–8 weeks from survey sign-off), and fitting usually takes 3–5 days of building work to form the opening and pocket, then 1–2 days to fit the door. If you are in Musselburgh or Dalkeith, the same process and prices apply.
Do you need approval in Edinburgh?
A new opening in Scotland is warrant work: the council needs structural information for the beam and opening before building starts, and the finished door must meet the Scottish standards.
Options to consider for your external pocket sliding door
- Glass. Double or triple glazed safety glass, with laminated or solar-control units as needed.
- Colours. Single or dual colour powder coating, so the exposed edge of the panel matches the frame inside and out.
- Threshold. Low or flush thresholds, with the external drainage channel continuing past the pocket.
Questions about external pocket sliding doors in Edinburgh
How soon can you survey in Edinburgh?
Surveys in the EH2 district are booked at a time that suits you, and we offer survey dates when we reply to your enquiry. After you approve the written quote, manufacture is typically 6–8 weeks from survey sign-off.
How wide can an external pocket sliding door be?
An external pocket sliding door in our range typically gives a clear opening of about 1.8 m to 6 m, using one panel at the narrow end and two or three panels on wider doors. Wider openings usually use pockets on both sides, or a multi-track pocket so the panels stack inside the wall. Sizes are confirmed after survey and the engineer's design.
How do you maintain rollers inside a wall pocket?
You maintain pocket door rollers through the access panel built into the inside of the pocket wall, which lets the track be vacuumed and the rollers adjusted without opening up the wall. Keep the outside drainage channel clear so water cannot back up into the pocket, and run the panels fully in and out now and then. If a panel starts to rub inside the pocket, a small roller height adjustment through the access panel usually cures it.
How much wall do I need for an external pocket door?
An external pocket door needs a clear length of wall beside the opening at least as long as the panels that slide into it, plus a little for the frame. For a single 2 m panel that means just over 2 m of wall with no windows, radiators, sockets or pipes in it. A two-sided pocket splits the panels between both sides, so each side needs less length.