Pocket Doors

Pocket Doors Are Sliding Doors

When sliding doors are mentioned, most people think of patio doors and closet doors. But like some closet doors, pocket doors do slide, traveling along a track suspended by rollers. Getting to that hardware when things go wrong can be a real challenge – and that is where the similarity ends. Let’s take a quick look at how pocket doors are put together. We’ll find here that a lot of time and money can saved from understanding some basic pocket door construction that will prove very useful during troubleshooting and servicing.

Behind The Scenes

We’ve already mentioned that the door panel hangs on rollers and travels on a track that’s mounted to the header above the opening. But where does the track go with the door when it disappears into the wall? The answer: a pocket. Genius, huh? Keep in mind that while it may look like a normal wall on the outside, it’s what’s inside that counts. And for a pocket door, there’s not much there. Take a look.

A pocket door assembly includes special framing which creates a space for the door panel to slide into. The frame is installed at the end of, or in between two walls.

Once the door frame is installed and checked for plumb and square, the track is screwed into the header and the rollers placed into the track. It’s now ready for the door panel

The door panel hardware is installed on top of the door and interlocks with the rollers in the track. New doors should be checked for warping prior to installation.

Let’s watch some old school Bob Vila to get an idea of how a pocket door is installed. Many of the homes we’ve been in that need pocket door repair are older. This video might have items that look familiar.
http://www.youtube.com/user/bobvila/search?query=pocket+door

Once all the hardware is installed the door panel is locked into place. Sheetrock is then hung and finished to blend in with the rest of the wall and usually, there’s a nice bit of trim tacked on with finish nails and some caulking around the opening. All done. Very nice.

And then one day, it stops sliding. Uh-oh.

Or maybe it gets stuck in the wall, or the lock doesn’t work anymore. Horrifying place to be in that bathroom during a dinner party. Herein lies the problem when having to go back and make repairs to parts that are now sealed up nicely in the wall. How in the world does one get in there without having to rip everything apart?

Many contractors and handyman services will do just that – rip the wall out to get to the door and hardware. So basically it’s a whole new job all over again. Not with Bay Area Sliding Door Repair. Over the years, we have developed our own special tools and techniques to get the job done without opening walls and requiring very little demolition, if any. I know, that’s the last word anyone wants to hear when receiving a repair quote – “demolition”. In fact, most pocket door repair jobs take just over an hour to complete – not a week of construction.

Shooting For Trouble

Like any repair job, making the correct diagnosis is paramount to making the necessary repairs right – the first time. There are some signs to look for when troubleshooting your pocket door issue.

Some Common Repair Issues

• The building has settled and the door frame is no longer square
• The door panel is warped from moisture and is rubbing on the pocket door framing
• The door is rubbing/dragging and track or rollers need to be adjusted.
• The roller has come off-track and the door drags or is stuck
• The track & rollers system has failed and needs to be replaced.

Help Is Near

Dealing with pocket door issues can be a discouraging and fearful thing due to the unknown. But usually, it’s a fairly routine repair that will solve the problem. Don’t let your pocket door issue keep you up at night. Give us a call today and let us help you get things back on track.