Sliding closet doors and bifold doors save space in small rooms, but they’re easily off track. A few tools and steps can fix them. Replacing bypass and bifold doors differs. Both doors have few bottom tracks. Sliding bypass doors glide on rollers buried in the door frame’s upper jamb. A floor-mounted plastic guide usually holds doors. To remove the doors completely, unscrew the guide from the floor and slide it aside. How to put sliding doors back on track?
Bifold doors have two hinged pairs that pivot on pins. Pins are inserted in one door panel’s top and bottom, and a guide in the other panel’s top corner fits into a track to prevent it from swinging out.
Bypass door repairs
After removing the doors, feel the track for kinks or bends. If you feel an abnormality, replace the track. The top rollers should be the same distance from the door’s top. If not, unscrew the screws and move the wheels as needed. Once adjusted, tighten the screws while holding the wheels to the door so neither wobbles.
Sliding Bypass Doors
Begin at the rear door. Lift the door’s wheels into the double track inside the upper jamb. Angle the door toward you as you let it down, and the wheels should catch. Let the door swing back into place. Check the door’s glide, then hang the other door using the same way. Swing out the front door, slip the door guide beyond the rear door, then slide it back to center it between the two doors. Screw down the guide. Galron sliding doors are best for sliding glass door repair.
Bifold door maintenance
Insert the bottom pivot into the floor, door jamb, or both brackets. Hold the spring-loaded top pivot while you slide the door toward the frame and beneath the track. Release the pivot when the door is under the track hole. Wiggle the door so the pivot fits. Hold the spring-loaded guide on the other door panel and swing it until it’s under the track, then release it. Release the door once secure. Open and close the door to keep the guide on track. If the door opens, take it down and spin the bottom pivot counterclockwise.
Step To Replace a Door
To replace or repair sliding closet doors, remove them from the rails. Slider rails hold sliding panel rollers. The entrance has a two-channel floor guide. The floor guide keeps doors level. To remove sliding closet doors, remove the bottom floor guide. Both panels detach similarly.
1- Slide closet door panels to one side. This allows removing the floor guide.
2. Phillips screwdriver, floor guide screws. Both floor guide edges have screws. Remove the door floor guide.
3. Halfway across the opening, slide the outer panel. Grab both panels. Pull the panel’s bottom toward you.
4. Raise the panel to detach the rollers from the higher track. Open the sliding panel. Repeat for each panel.
How to fix bifold doors
Because they minimize space, bi-fold doors are ideal for bedroom closets. A bi-fold set comprises two hinged doors put in a double-wide closet opening. Many homeowners install single bi-folds in smaller openings. A two-panel bi-fold door pivots on pins in the panel nearest the side jamb, while a guide on the other panel glides along a track in the head jamb. When you open the door, the hinged panels fold like an accordion. Closed double doors should have a 1/2-inch gap between them. A single-wide bifold door should have this gap with the opposing jamb. Misaligned bi-fold doors usually originate from slid doors, loose pivot pins or guides, or splintered wood.
Bi-fold door operation
Every bi-fold door comes with hardware, however, you may easily fix it with generic parts. Cheap plastic parts are commonly used. The door pivots on a fixed pin in the bottom corner of one panel and a spring-loaded pin in the top corner of the same side. Installing both pins requires screwing brackets to the head jamb and floor or side jamb. The door’s bottom bracket is commonly slotted to allow for angle adjustments.
The guide that secures the outer panel to the head track is frequently only a spring-loaded plastic wheel on a pin. The Metalhead track holds the guide. When installing the door, you retract the top pivot pin to put it on the pivot brackets, then release it into the track.
Bi-fold door straightening
When a bi-fold door leans, it’s hard to open or close and the guide slips out of the head track. Easy to fix. Close the door and inspect the gap between the door and track if the guide has fallen out. If the top and bottom gaps aren’t the same, adjust the bottom pivot. If the bottom bracket is notched, lift the door and relocate the bottom pin. If the bracket has no notches, you must remove the door, release the screw on the bottom bracket, and move the pivot hold. You may often achieve the same result with less effort by freeing the top pivot’s screw and sliding that bracket.
Carpet-scraping
Shag carpeting can make bi-fold doors hard to open and close. Rotating the bottom pivot pin counterclockwise raises the door. Not all pins have threads, thus lift the pin’s bracket. Put shims under the floor-mounted bracket. Unscrew the side jamb bracket and reattach it 1/4 inch higher. If the distance between the door and header is smaller than 1/2 inch, you can’t raise the door, therefore shave 3/8 inch off the bottom. Put the door face-down on a workbench. Straightedge and pencil, then a circular saw to trim the door. Apply masking tape to the door’s bottom edge, draw the line, and cut the tape.
Wood Repair
Lightweight bi-fold doors break around one or both pivot pins. You can’t straighten the door until you mend the fractures. Glue and a C-clamp work.
- Take down the door and remove the pivot using a screwdriver or pliers.
- Screwdriver to crack, toothpick to carpenter’s glue.
- Clamp the wood for 3-4 hours.
- Hammer the pin back into the hole, then attach the door.
- Replace a broken or loose pin.
Galron Sliding Doors is the best company in giving a sliding door repair service. You can read another post about 9 things you should know before buying sliding patio doors. For further assistance, dial 708-206-9646.
