what to do when a pocket door comes out of the bottom guide

Is your once trusty door no longer opening and closing smoothly? A simple lubrication routine might be all that'south needed to become it back in shape just if in that location's a problem with the hardware, yous might accept to remove the door altogether and replace the broken parts. With the right tools and bones DIY skills, you should be able to fix a pocket door in an afternoon. Read on—nosotros'll show you lot how.

Tools for repairing pocket door

You will need the following tools and materials to get the job done:

Nail gun
Level
Putty knife
Pry bar
Screwdriver
Spotlight
Record measure
Drywall saw
Cordless drill

Materials

Drywall mud
J-rail
Pocket door rollers
Tracks
two×6 wooden board
Shims

Step-by-Step Guide on how to repair a pocket door

When a pocket door won't work properly, ii things could be the problem—the tracks might exist damaged or the rollers might be worn out or fallen off the track. Fortunately, yous tin can easily fix these common bug, eliminating the need to buy a new door system.

Follow these steps to repair a faulty sliding wooden door:

Step ane. Unhinge the door

To diagnose the problem, y'all first have to remove the door.

Using a utility knife, cutting the caulk seal to release the casing flanking the door at the acme. Pry off the casing using a putty pocketknife.
Y'all do non have to remove the entire casing on all four sides of the door. Removing the top part is enough to expose the door frame and hardware. Exist careful not to harm the drywall.
With the tiptop casing off, utilise the putty pocketknife to remove the upper part of the door frame. Take intendance non to break the frame.

Pro tip: If a putty knife doesn't get the job done, use the tonged end of a hammer to pry off a door frame that has been tightly sealed into place.

Step two. Lift the door out of its runway

How y'all lift out the door will depend on your door's sliding mechanism.

For a door with a roller-skate system, remove the door by prying it up while tapping on the rollers.
For a j-track system, angle the superlative of the door away from you lot to release the rollers from the tracks.
If the door is trapped inside the pocket, pry the top and lesser edges alternately. Be careful non to damage the surrounding molding as you lift out the door.

Step three. Check the organization for damage

After taking the door out, place it on its side and inspect the rollers and their respective brackets located on the upper edge of the door slab. Check for cleaved rollers or twisted axles.
If the rollers seem to exist in adept shape, they are probably seized upward and need some lubrication. Spray a skillful quality silicone lubricant on the rollers and brackets to unjam them.
Use a spotlight to inspect the tracks in the recess of the door frame. With fourth dimension, tracks can bend and buckle causing the door to exist stuck. If this is the instance, y'all volition need to supplant the former tracks.

Step 4. Replace damaged rollers

If the rollers are visibly damaged, order a new replacement set up from your local home improvement shop.
Unscrew both sets of rollers from the door. Install the new ones. Check that the wheels are in good condition past rolling them with your fingers.

Stride 5. Remove faulty tracks

Worn out tracks are a common problem with pocket doors. To install a new track, y'all will have to cut a hole in the wall.

Using a spotlight, inspect the pocket where the door was, and have note of how the frame appears. When cut the hole, you want to steer articulate of the studs in the door frame.
To avoid cutting the studs, use a stud finder to locate the studs subconscious behind the wall. Identify the stud finder on the wall where yous desire to cut a hole.
Slid the stud finder horizontally while holding downwardly the buttons on either side. A lite will come up on when the finder locates a stud. Draw a marking at this point.
Continue sliding the finder beyond the wall to locate other studs. Call up to mark each stud point.
Use a ruler or leveler to draw out a square or rectangular outline of the area yous want to cutting. This area should be big plenty for the track to jerk out and back in.
Use a sharp drywall saw to cut the access pigsty. Unscrew the track from the door frame and pull information technology out through the access pigsty.

Pro tip: Ideally, you should cut the hole closer to the upper door jamb for easy removal of the track.

Stride 6. Install a new track

Once you remove the one-time rail, measure its length, width, and depth. Use these measurements to buy a new rails that fits snugly into the track slot in the door frame.
Before installing the new track, bank check that the door frame is level. Just identify a level on the track slot and check the position of the bubble. The door frame is level if the bubble is centered. In case the frame is not level, skid in a shim or more until the door frame is completely level.
Insert the track through the access pigsty and employ a nail gun to fasten it to the overhead track slot in the door frame. Again cheque that the new track is level.

Step 7. Test the new rails

Before hanging the door dorsum in place, cheque that the new track works properly.

Attach the ii sets of rollers on a 2×6 board to mimic the door. Hang the board onto the rails the same way you would a door.
Slide the lath along the track. Cheque that it moves smoothly inside the pocket, hangs safely on the track, and allows piece of cake access to the adjusting fasteners on the rollers.
If all looks skilful, unhung the board and transfer the rollers to the brackets at the top of the door slab. Check out this informative video on the correct way to attach rollers to a pocket door.

Pace eight. Install the door

To reinstall the door, angle the bottom toward you, lift the tiptop toward the door frame, and hang the rollers onto the track.
Use your pes to push the bottom of the door in and away from you until the door is in a vertical position and firmly attached to the track.
Follow the manufacturer'southward instructions on locking the rollers in place.

Pro tip: Place a lever underneath the door to assist go on the door in a lifted position as y'all hang the rollers on the tracks.

Footstep 9. Adjust the door for a perfect fit

First, slide the door in and out of the pocket to check that it is working properly. If the door leaves an bad-mannered gap at the bottom or forth the vertical edge, you will demand to practice some adjustments.
The rollers attached to the door have fasteners that secure the wheels in place. Apply a minor spanner to tighten or loosen these fasteners to adjust the height of the door to your satisfaction.
Consummate the door installation processing by reinstalling the upper door jamb and the trim yous had removed before.

Footstep 10. Reinstall the drywall

With the door put dorsum in place, the next step is to make full in the access hole using the slice of drywall you had cut out earlier.
Smash in four thin strips of wood around the access hole. Feel free to utilise shimmers. These will deed equally backers, giving you something on which to screw the cutout slice of drywall.
After reinstalling the piece, apply drywall mud (joint compound) all effectually. Once the compound is dry, sand it to requite the wall a seamless await.

At that place it is! With the rail and rollers fixed, your door should at present be as adept as new!

Extended Tips

Here are additional tips to help you make the most of your pocket doors:

Lubricate the rollers periodically

Most roller wheels are made of nylon so it is best to employ a silicone-based lubricant that volition not harm the rollers.

Accommodate rollers accordingly

If the door parts awkwardly the bottom or on the sides, endeavor adjusting the screws on the rollers to bring the door downwardly and to move information technology further toward the side jambs. Use a small wrench to reach the subconscious roller screws.

A quick afternoon project to get your door working as good equally new

Pocket doors are an inventive way to relieve space and add a modern touch to interior spaces. But, like nigh sliding doors, they are jump to become unwieldy at some signal. As our instructions testify, tuning upwards the tracks and rollers usually solves the problem. After fixing the hardware, be sure to lubricate periodically to get the most from your door.

Do yous have any questions or comments on fixing pocket doors? Leave them beneath—we'd beloved to hear from you.

rockrestong.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.wcmanet.org/pocket-door-repair/