POCKET STALL DOOR
This design project was challenging on a number of levels. I was asked to design a stall door for horse stall fronts that would have a stone wall look. At first blush, no problem, right? But the real trick was, at the client's request, that they couldn't be swinging. They needed to be sliding so they wouldn't swing into the aisleway and either block the aisleway or make the space look unkempt if left open.
Surface mounted sliding doors seemed to be an option but it was decided that they made the space looked too cluttered and took away from the stone look.
What if we could do a pocket door? A door that literally went away when opened. That might be a solution, if I could come up with a system that not only met the aesthetic requirements but also would hold up to the rigorous structural and functional requirements necessary in an equine environment.
So here's what I came up with - the sliding pocket stall door for a stone stall front. The system consists of a steel frame for the structure supporting the stone veneer and gate system. And the gate itself uses standard sliding fence system components but scaled down to the size of a stall front. And then integrated latches secure the gates when closed. Should the system even need to be serviced, it can easily be accessed through a removable panel on the interior of the stall.
