By Kent · Lock Depot Staff Writer

A pocket door has no room for a lever

A pocket door slides into the wall. When it is open there is nothing to grab, and a regular lever or knob has nowhere to go. The hardware has to sit flush in the edge of the door, pull out of the way when the door slides, and still do a job when the door is closed. That narrows the field a lot, and it is why a pocket door lock is a small part you buy once and then wish you had bought the right version of.

Don Jo sells two we stock: the PDL-100 passage lock and the PDL-101 privacy lock. They share a body. What separates them is what the lock does once the door is shut, and that is the choice you actually make at the counter. For the rest of the Don Jo line, see the Don Jo page.

PDL-100 or PDL-101: what changes

Model	Function	Listed ANSI grade	Use it on
PDL-100	Passage	D0821	A pantry, closet, laundry or hallway pocket door. Anyone can open it. It closes and stays shut. No lock.
PDL-101	Privacy	D0831	A bathroom, bedroom, dressing room or exam room. It locks from the inside so the room is private.

The ANSI numbers are the ones printed in the listings. They are the ANSI/BHMA numbers for those functions, which is useful if a building inspector or a spec sheet asks for the number. They do not describe how strong the lock is, and neither lock takes a key. A privacy lock stops someone walking in on you. It does not stop someone who wants in. If the room needs real security, a pocket door is the wrong door and a regular swing door with a keyed lock is the right one.

What the two have in common

Straight from the listings, both locks:

• measure 2-1/2 x 2-3/4 in.
• are field reversible, so one stock number serves a left or right pocket
• are adjustable for door thickness, with the pin and screws for a 1-3/4 in. door always included
• come with two #6 x 1 in. and two #6 x 1/2 in. fasteners

Reversible is the one that saves a return. Pocket doors are installed in both directions in the same building, and "which way does it slide" is the question that gets answered wrong on an order form. With a reversible body you stop having to answer it before you open the box.

Read the part number

Take the PDL-101-626. Three pieces:

• PDL is the pocket door lock line.
• 101 is the function. 100 is passage and 101 is privacy.
• 626 is the finish, satin chrome.

Finishes on the shelf at the time of writing:

• PDL-100 passage: 626 satin chrome, 625 polished chrome, 613 oil rubbed bronze
• PDL-101 privacy: 625, 626, 613, 609 antique brass and 605 bright brass

The privacy lock comes in more finishes than the passage lock. If the passage lock you want is not in your finish, the privacy listings are a clue that the finish exists in the line, but they are not a promise that the passage version does. Check the product page for stock before you plan the order.

Matching the finish to the room

A pocket door lock is small, so a finish clash shows more than you would think. The hardware on a bathroom door is the faucet, the towel bar and the light fixture. Match those, not the hinges, because on a pocket door you cannot see hinges. Chrome with chrome plumbing, bronze with bronze. Antique brass goes with older homes and period trim. If everything in the room is brushed nickel, pick satin chrome. It is the closest of these finishes and the least likely to draw the eye.

Installing it without redoing it

The listings say the lock adjusts for door thickness and includes a pin and screws for a 1-3/4 in. door. That tells you two things. First, measure the door thickness before you start. Pocket doors are not all the same thickness, and an adjustable lock still needs the right setting. Second, if your door is a standard 1-3/4 in. thickness, the hardware you need is in the box.

1. Close the door and mark the lock location at a comfortable height. Mark the edge too, not only the face.
2. Check what is behind the door edge. A pocket door runs on a track and rides in a frame. Confirm there is nothing in the way of the cutout before you start drilling.
3. Set the thickness adjustment to match your door before the lock goes in. Adjusting a lock that is already mounted is a good way to strip a screw.
4. Set the hand. The body reverses in the field, so choose the side the door slides to before you fasten it.
5. Test the lock with the door open and closed. A pocket door lock that binds going into the wall pocket is worse than a lock that does not work.

I do not have a published template or a cutout drawing for these locks, so measure against the lock body in your hand and not a guess from the listing. If you want a second pair of eyes, send us the thickness and a photo of the door edge.

Pocket door or swing door, honestly

A pocket door is a space-saving decision. People choose it for a tight bath, a small laundry or a closet that cannot spare a door swing. Those are the rooms where a passage or privacy lock is plenty. They are also the rooms where the door is used a dozen times a day, so a small lock that is well installed is the difference between a door that glides and one that rattles. If you are working on a pair of swing doors in the same job, our guide to the flush bolts and coordinator for a pair of doors covers the other end of the same problem.

Bottom line

Pick the function first. Anyone can walk through: PDL-100 passage. The room needs to be private: PDL-101 privacy. Neither has a key, so neither is a security product. Both reverse in the field, both adjust for thickness, and both are 2-1/2 x 2-3/4 in. That leaves finish, which is a matter of what else is in the room. If the door is a standard thickness and the function is clear, this is one of the simpler orders in the catalog. If it is not, call us before you cut anything.