A concealed door that disappears into the wall looks simple on a drawing. It is one of the last items to be resolved on site, because it has to satisfy three things at once: the opening, the wall finish and the hardware. That is why an early enquiry usually comes back with questions rather than a price. The list below is what we need from buyers, builders and designers to turn an enquiry into an accurate quotation for Santerson Decorative Concealed Doors, and it applies to the wider flush and concealed range in the same way.
1. The opening, measured from the structure — not the finish
Send the clear opening width and height, plus the wall build-up on both sides: substrate, framing or stud system, insulation or backing board, and the final surface you intend to have on the wall — plaster, veneer panelling, lacquered panel, stone or tile. Concealed doors are made to measure, so the finished leaf size depends on how much floor-to-ceiling height and wall thickness you actually have once finishes are applied.
Please also tell us whether the opening is already framed or still to be built, and which level the door sits at in the programme. A concealed door ordered against a dimension that was taken before the wall finish went on is the most common reason for site rework.
2. How the door should read once it is closed
"Concealed" can mean two quite different results, and the choice changes the construction. Tell us which of these you are after:
- Flush with the wall — the leaf sits in the same plane as the surrounding surface, with a minimal shadow gap. See Flush Wall Aligned Doors for this detail.
- Invisible in the panelling — the door leaf carries the same panel layout, mould or grain as the joinery around it, so the opening is not legible at all. This is where Integrated Door & Paneling is used, and where we need the panel drawing rather than just the opening size.
- Handleless operation — no visible lever or rose, with the opening detail resolved by a reveal or push mechanism. See Santerson Handleless Concealed Doors.
If the door is expected to sit inside a run of cabinetry or wall panelling, send the panel layout and the joint pattern. A door that matches the panel rhythm has to be coordinated with the surrounding units from the outset, not added later.
3. Swing, sliding or folding — and what is behind the leaf
State the operating type: hinged, sliding or folding. For a sliding or pocket arrangement we need the pocket depth, the wall cavity available for the frame cassette, and whether anything runs through that cavity — pipework, cabling, ducting or structural studs that cannot be moved. For a hinged leaf we need the hinge side, the opening direction and any obstruction within the swing arc, such as furniture, a vanity or a change in floor level.
Where the space is tight, Santerson Flush Sliding Doors keep the flush appearance without needing swing clearance. If you have not decided yet, send the plan view and we will advise which type suits the room.
4. Surface, colour and sheen — with a reference
Material and finish are specified per project, so tell us what the leaf is to be faced or coated in: veneer, lacquer, matte or high-gloss surface, textured panel, or stone and marble look. A colour code alone is not enough for a concealed door; send a sample reference, an approved schedule line, or a photograph of the surrounding surface so the sheen can be matched as well as the colour. High traffic areas need a more hard-wearing surface than a bedroom cupboard, so mention the room type.
5. Hardware and performance expectations
Confirm what the door must do beyond opening: acoustic separation, privacy, fire-rated assembly, or simply visual continuity. Also send your preference for hinges, locks, closers and access method, and tell us whether the hardware is to be supplied by us or fixed by others on site. Performance requirements change the leaf build and the frame detail, so they need to be in the first enquiry rather than added at order confirmation.
6. Quantities, rooms and programme
Send a door schedule: number of leaves per type, room or location for each, and any repeat details across floors or units. A villa or apartment project usually mixes two or three concealed-door details, and grouping them lets us produce coordinated drawings instead of one-off solutions. Add your required delivery window on site and the date the joinery package is being installed, so the concealed doors arrive in the right sequence.
7. Site conditions and who installs
Tell us the destination country and delivery address, whether the goods go to a depot or direct to site, and who will fix the frames and hang the leaves — our team on site, your builder, or your joiner. Frame preparation and wall build-up have to match what the installer is working to. We handle production, packing and door-to-door logistics for project orders, and installation support can be arranged where required.
What a good first enquiry looks like
In practice, one message with the following is enough to get a serious quotation rather than a rough estimate:
- Clear opening sizes and wall build-up for each location, taken from the finished line
- The intended look when closed — flush, handleless or panel-matched
- Operating type plus any obstruction in the swing arc or pocket cavity
- Finish reference: sample, approved schedule line or photograph of the surrounding surface
- Performance requirements and hardware preference
- Door schedule with quantities, rooms and installation sequence
- Delivery address and who installs
If your drawings are still at concept stage, send what you have. Our design and detailing team can work from plan views and elevations, coordinate the concealed doors with the rest of the Wall Panel Systems package, and return shop drawings for your approval before anything goes into production. Send your schedule through the contact page and we will come back with questions first, then a quotation built on the details you confirm.
All concealed doors are made to measure for each project. Dimensions, materials, finishes and performance specifications should be confirmed on approved drawings before order confirmation.