Troubleshooting Sticking Sliding Closet Doors

Drive a screw near the middle of the area where the door is rubbing.

Troubleshooting sticking sliding closet doors.

If it s a matter of friction on the strike plate try. Determine where the sticking is happening. Check out the following sliding closet door symptoms and then follow a fix that best fits the problems you have. If grime remains try wiping it up with a mild cleaner and a cloth.

On the top middle or bottom. Or gently lift the door off the lower bracket with a flat pry bar. If your doors hang from a top rail and do not have a track on the floor then you need to either replace or tighten down the floor guides. You may need to add a second screw.

See if the screws holding the guides down need tightening to be more secure. Tighten screws gradually and watch the trim to make sure you don t. Your door is old and worn out. Next take a dry stiff scrub brush and work through corner to corner.

The first thing to check is what type of rail system your sliding closet door uses in order for it to slide. Sliding glass door repair will get the job done. If the rollers are damaged install replacement rollers available at home centers. Drill through the jamb countersink the screwhead with a countersink bit.

The tracks are notoriously difficult to clean so you ll have to pull out all the stops. To replace the door follow the steps in photo 2 in reverse order. As a last resort loosen the top pivot bracket setscrew and slide the top away from the door frame. Scrub caked dirt and grime out of the track with a stiff brush and soapy water.

Turn the bottom pivot height adjustment to lower it if possible. A dirty obstructed or damaged track can make a sliding closet door jump off its track. Then wipe it with a damp rag. To clean and lubricate the hardware of a sliding closet door use a stiff brush a toothbrush or a hand vacuum to clean dust from the tracks.

You may need to add a second screw. Use an aerosol lubricant to lubricate all the door rollers. To fix this issue first try vacuuming up debris and grime from the track with a crevice attachment. If the sticking area is along the door frame where the hinges are located.

Now precisely where on this part of the door frame does the sticking occur. If the door still doesn t slide smoothly the rollers under the door either need adjusting or are shot. Sliding closet doors are loose and swing in and out. Sliding door tracks are magnets for dirt dust pet hair bugs grass food crumbs you name it.

Start with a good cleaning. Here s how to repair your sliding door and make it run like new. You can order rollers and other door parts for repairing sliding doors through lumberyards and home centers or online.