What safety concern do you have with small children? I live in the south where we don’t have basements but lots of pocket doors…

I can’t imagine a safety concern to be honest and I say this as a parent of three with a basement

"I'm concerned about doing so for safety reasons with small children around."

I cannot see any way that a pocket door will be "safer" for kids than a hinged door that can be properly locked.

We have a pocket door to our walk-in pantry and it's not as easy to shut as a regular swing door. You have to use your hand to pull it by its catch, you can't just close it with your shoulder or your foot when your hands are full. I think there are pocket doors that lock but I don't have that kind.

If kids are horsing around, running through the house (what kids don't at times?) I would not want them being rambunctious near an open basement stairway. Will you and every member of your household always keep the pocket door closed? I'd consider replacing the door with a door with some glass (safety glass of course) panels. That way you could see through it when it's blocking your narrow hallway and it's less likely to be carelessly left open. (I visit in an older house that has a similar narrow hall that is blocked when an interior door is open).

Is your basement/basement stairs “finished?” You might just remove the door…for now…if you have a finished basement. If you are concerned about your children, a temporary child gate might be appropriate to use on the space.

I think the OP feels a pocket door is more dangerous for little kids. Perhaps because it can’t be locked as securely??

The #1 factor should be is there adequate/unobstructed wall space in which to insert a pocket door?

The sky is up, water is wet, and a normal pocket door will be open at times.

They don't latch as well and they are a bother to close. Ensuring the pocket door latches requires more attention and takes more effort than a swing door.

You can make a good pocket door self-closing by installing the track out of level by about 1/4" (1/8" a cross the actual door). However, then you will have to deal with a door that is always closed which is a pain if you are carrying items.

Alternatively, you can buy a self closing pocket door that requires your starting it. Eclisse makes one that is nice and they have a North American office.

I need to see where thi [ocket door could even be installed in the space . IMO if the basement is a finished space I would just take the door off. Maybe a bit more info and a pic of the space .We had pocket doors in lots of spaces in the house I grew up in not one issue .

How often is the door open? What issue is it causing when it blocks the hallway? My basement door blocks a hallway, but the linen closet in the other hallway opens outward and blocks that hallway. The thing is that they are not often open and aren't left open. Maybe put an auto close on the basement door so that it can't be left open and your problem will go away.

I am thinking about my sister's homes and both of their basement doors block a hallway inside their home. Their homes are not really all that old. (10 years/ 30 years vs my 70 year old home).

I would not want a pocket door at the basement. I have a pocket door in my current home, my parents had pocket doors in their home and years ago I had an apartment where the only bathroom in the apt had a pocket door. None of the pocket doors were ever closed with the exception of the bathroom, and that was only closed when a guest used it or a guest was in the home when I used it. I didn't fuss with it when I didn't have to.

I would leave what you have. Its much more practical, and its much safer for kids. Just make sure to shut the door. An automatic closer on it, might work well for you. I have two pocket doors left in my house, and hopefully, by the first of the year, they will be gone too. They are a nusiance. The dog banged into a partially open one the other day, and somehow knocked it off the track. It took an hour of my time, to get it back in the track, so I could open and shut it. I really dislike pocket doors.

I don't think it would be particularly practical unless the basement door is kept mostly open. If the hinged door is kept mostly closed, how often is it in the way? How deep is the basement landing?

Thanks everyone! We're going to stick with the standard door and not put in the pocket door. My concern was the lack of being able to put a child lock on the pocket door vs. the things you can put on top of normal door handles. There isn't a big landing at the top of the stairs - there's maybe a couple of feet beyond the door. I think a sneaky toddler, if parents get distracted for less than a minute, could easily slide open a pocket door and take a tumble. This home is an AirBnb and I want to make sure it's safe for all ages! I'll take safety over the hallway being briefly blocked on occasion. It's not a finished basement so we don't want to leave it open with a baby gate. It's a small cold basement in a 100 year old house that's used for storage only.

Based on what you just added a door makes sense as would rarely be opened. I would prefer a proper door there regardless of toddlers or not simply because it makes more sense.

@therese178 - You can put a child lock on a pocket door. They are fairly common and actually work as well as, or better than, child locks on other doors. Most often these are appliances that are installed against the split jamb to prevent the door from opening.