Who Repairs Bifold Closet Door

How to Fix Stubborn Bifold Cupboard Doors

Updated: Jan. 04, 2022

Four piece of cake fixes for common bifold door problems

bifold closet doors how to install bifold doors

Tired of bifold doors that don't piece of work right? Learn how to adjust a door that's always sticking, trim a door that binds, repair a cleaved corner, and tighten annoying handles that continue coming loose.

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Adjust a bifold door that sticks

Photo 1: Conform the top pivot bracket

Here, we're working with wooden bifold doors. To commencement, loosen the top pivot bracket setscrew with a screwdriver. Slide the subclass in the track until the door is parallel to the jamb. Tighten the setscrew firmly.

Photo ii: Suit the bottom subclass

Tighten a loose bottom bracket with 1-1/2 in. screws driven through the drywall into the framing. Avert screwing through the carpeting if possible.

Are you frustrated with a bifold closet door that doesn't shut smoothly, or never opens without sticking, scraping or bounden? Chances are it's out of alignment in the door frame. The gear up is usually simple and oftentimes takes less than x minutes.

Beginning close the door and look along the border of the door as information technology lines up with the frame (opening photo). The door border and frame should line upwardly nice and parallel. Fifty-fifty if information technology's off past just 1/4 in., the door volition probably bind. Most oft the trouble is a loosened top pivot and bracket, which allowed the door to slip sideways out of alignment (Photo i). Open the door and and so loosen the setscrew for the top bracket slightly with a screwdriver. Then close it again. Push or pull the top of the closed door to align its edge parallel to the frame. Close the door to check for smooth functioning and to meet how the doors meet. Open up the door gently then the pivot doesn't slip, then tighten the setscrew. You may have to echo these steps a few times with both doors to get the "perfect" result.

If the door binds against the lower part of the frame, check the bottom pivot and bracket next. (Wait for a worn edge on the door and scrape marks on the door frame.) The bottom pivot oft loosens and slips. Either raise the door slightly to shift the pivot in or out, or loosen the setscrew and shift the bracket seat (Photo ii), depending on the type of hardware you have. (Run across "Replacement Parts" for types.) Sometimes the entire bracket comes loose because the mounting screws are stripped, broken or missing (Photo two). You'll need to remove the door to gear up these. Test the door for smooth, non-bounden operation past opening and closing information technology several times. You may have to readjust the top pivot bracket to make the door parallel to the frame once more.

The peak roller guide rarely needs attention, but make certain that it runs smoothly in the track. Apply a light coating of wax or silicone spray to eliminate any sticking.

Replacement Parts

If y'all need to replace worn, cleaved or missing parts, look for exact replacements at home centers or hardware stores. If y'all tin't find what you lot need, exist creative. If the parts are basically the aforementioned size and shape, they should work fine. Y'all may need to redrill the pivot holes to fit a larger pin, or plug and redrill to fit a smaller 1.

Trim a door that binds on carpeting

Photo 1: Mark the door

Mensurate upward 1/ii in. from the highest point on the new carpeting and marker the door.

Photo ii: Remove the door

Open up the door completely and lift it to compress the acme pivot leap (1). Swing the door bottom out from the bottom subclass (two). Pull the door down and out of the summit pivot bracket.

Photograph 3: Score the cutting line

Marking the cutting line on the backside of the door and then score the line with a utility pocketknife to reduce splintering.

Photograph 4: Trim the door

Clamp a cutting guide to the door, mount a crosscut-type blade in your saw and cut slightly to the outside of the line.

Photo 5: Sand the cut edge

Knock the sharp edges off the fresh cutting with sandpaper. Add a coat of sealer to the raw edge to foreclose swelling. Remount the door.

Calculation carpeting or changing to a thicker pile may cause the lesser of a bifold door to scrape and bind along the flooring. First try to raise the door to clear the carpet using the lesser pivot adjustment. But usually you lot have to trim off the door bottom.

The easiest way to mensurate a bifold door for cutting is with the door slightly opened. A half inch of clearance is adequate (Photo i).

Removing a bifold door doesn't always go as smoothly equally Photograph two shows. Sometimes the tiptop pivot doesn't compress enough to free the bottom pivot. Turn the bottom pivot top aligning to lower it, if possible. Or gently lift the door off the lower bracket with a flat pry bar. Every bit a last resort, loosen the peak pivot bracket setscrew and slide the top away from the door frame.

To replace the door, follow the steps in Photograph two in opposite order. Cheque for proper alignment.

Lay the door face downward on a worktable. Cut from the backside of the door to go out a make clean cut on the forepart. You tin reduce splintering by first scoring the cutting line (Photo iii) and, using a guide, sawing slightly to the outside of it (Photo four). Bevel the cut edges with 100-grit sandpaper (Photo five).

Cutting the door will shorten the bottom pivot hole. You may have to redrill to deepen it.

Extend the lesser pivot the same amount every bit the door was shortened, using the top adjustment
screw. (Run across "Replacement Parts")

Tighten a loose knob

Mucilage a loose pull

Add a driblet of epoxy to repair a loose door pull. Screw it on and allow information technology to ready for 24 hours before use.

You lot can fix that wiggly knob so information technology won't come up loose again! Simply put a drop of epoxy into the knob hole before reattaching the knob. And add together a washer under the screwhead within, if the screwhead is pulling into the door. Allow the epoxy to prepare for 24 hours before utilise.

Bifold doorknob fix

You're supposed to mount hollow-core bifold doorknobs forth the edge closest to the swivel considering that area is reinforced with solid wood. But that's also a "compression zone," then many people mount the knobs in the middle of the hollow department. Eventually the spiral head pulls through the thin veneer and the knob dangles out the forepart side. The fix is easy. Just purchase a 3/sixteen-in. x 1-in. fender washer at whatever hardware store. Remove the screw. Slide the washer downwardly to the spiral head and reinstall.

Gear up a cracked corner

Photo ane: Mark the hole location

Concur the brace forth the door border with the triangular area on the back of the door. Then mark the anchor/pivot pin hole centerlines.

Secure the brace

Slide the caryatid onto the corner and secure it at the acme with 1 spiral. Drill a pigsty for the anchor/pivot pivot. Tap in the new anchor/pivot pin and secure the jamb side of the brace with one additional screw.

Bifold door rebuilding kit

A kit like this includes everything you need to fix the hanging hardware for a closet door that has blown-out corners. Since the brackets are on the dorsum side, they're barely noticeable.

Slam a bifold door also many times and you tin divide the woods where the top and lesser ballast and pivot pins sit. So the door either sags or falls out of the rails. Yous can effort gluing and clamping the wood, but the forest can split once again in a different spot. Or you can fix the problem permanently by installing corner braces. Buy a corner caryatid kit at a dwelling centre or from Amazon. Take the quondam anchor/pivot pins to the store to match up to new ones.

Get-go by mark the ballast pin hole location on the new brace (Photograph ane). Then finish the corner brace installation (Photo two) and install the door.

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Required Tools for this Project

Have the necessary tools for this DIY project lined up before you lot start—you'll relieve time and frustration.

Required Materials for this Project

Avert final-minute shopping trips by having all your materials fix alee of time. Here's a list.

Originally Published: January 04, 2022