How to Repair a Folding Closet Door
Fixing folding closet doors involves patience and hard work. Prior to starting the repair, examine the door to determine what is causing the problem. In some cases, a thick rug or carpeting may prevent the door from working properly. Otherwise, the door's problem is most likely due to bent tracks or broken wheel mechanisms.
Items needed:
- Screwdriver
- New upper track or floor track
- New wheel mechanism
Bent Track Replacement Instructions:
- Examine the closet's upper and floor tracks, which are attached to the upper area of the wood edging and to the floor. If either track is bent, the part will need to be replaced.
- Use a screwdriver to remove the hardware holding the folded door to the floor bracket. Lift up on the door to remove it from the mounting track. Most folding doors attach to the wheel mechanism with dowels, so you may have to use some force to remove the dowels from this mechanism. Put the door in a secure location.
- Remove the wheel mechanism on the bent track by sliding it to the end of the track. Put this part in a safe place.
- Unscrew the hardware connecting the bent track to the wood. Place the new track in its place, and attach the track using screws and a screwdriver. Slide the wheel mechanism back in place.
- Reattach the door by screwing the hardware back into the floor bracket. Ensure the dowels are correctly set into the wheel mechanism, and push the door in place by lifting upwards.
- Repeat on the other door if necessary.
Faulty Wheel Mechanism Replacement Instructions:
- Examine the wheel mechanism. If the door wobbles or is hard to close and the tracks are not bent, the wheel mechanism will need to be replaced.
- Use a screwdriver to remove the screws holding the folded door to the floor bracket. Lift up on the door to disconnect it from the mounting track. Most folding doors attach to the wheel mechanism with dowels, so you may have to use slight force to remove the dowels from this mechanism. Place the door in a safe location.
- Remove the faulty wheel mechanism on the track by sliding it to the end of the track.
- Slide the new wheel mechanism on the track.
- Reattach the door by screwing the hardware back into the floor bracket. Ensure the dowels are correctly inserted into the wheel mechanism, and push the door in place by lifting upwards.
- Repeat on the other door if necessary.