# Adjust pocket doors



## Italgrl (Mar 12, 2009)

I have several pocket doors in my 5 y/o home. 

One door will not stay closed. It slowly slides back into the pocket. Another will not stay open. It slides out of the pocket.

The doors are hollow core, 6 panel interior doors. 

Is there an adjust that can be made? How?


Thanks!


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## Duckweather (Mar 26, 2012)

It sounds like it is the track that is not level. There should be an adjustment but it is for the rollers and plumb adjustment. Since the frame extends into the wall you probably have to remove drywall to get to the track to re level it. Yes it will be a mess. You might want to have someone check to see if it was installed that way or if there is some settling of the floors.


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## Italgrl (Mar 12, 2009)

The floors are ceramic tile and none have cracks - also I have found a lot of "out of plumb" in my kitchen cabinets, so I can assume that they were installed wrong from the get go. 

I guess I'll keep shoving things under them to keep them open or closed. 

Thanks for your help.


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## Duckweather (Mar 26, 2012)

Out of plumb, (vertical), or level, (horizontal)? Out of level are an indication that floors that are settling. If a header track is installed incorrectly I would wonder what else might pop up in the future.


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## Italgrl (Mar 12, 2009)

I really don't think it's the floors. When floors settle in Florida the tiles get hairline cracks. I don't have any.

When I had a backsplash installed in the kitchen the upper cabinets were slightly lower on one end. It's wasn't visible to the naked eye, but the tile installer had to modify some of the tiles. 

I think the builder had a cross-eyed or sloppy carpenter.


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## NestHI (Jan 11, 2013)

Check the level of the door. There maybe an adjustment on the door side roller hardware or you maybe able to reinstall the door side hardware. Hard to say without seeing a picture of it.


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## woodworkbykirk (Sep 25, 2011)

pocket doors are a nightmare for this.. ive hung god only knows how many doors and of the pocket doors maybe one that i know of that hasnt need service work done on it.. the hardware is so poorly made now that problems arise within a couple years most often

for your issue it sounds like the guide wheels need adjusting. if you look at the top of the door there is a thin bolt which will have a nut on it.. turn the nut and it will adjust the height of the door either up or down.. you really only need to do so on one of the adjustment nuts


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## claymcc (Jan 14, 2012)

If the track is out of level it won't matter how much you mess with the door rollers, it's still going to roll down hill. The only way to fix it is to get the track level. This will more than likely require removing some drywall to access the pocketed side of the opening.


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## NestHI (Jan 11, 2013)

A photo or two would be helpful.


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## hand drive (Apr 21, 2012)

you might could tighten the little plastic bumpers at the bottom of the door jambs that enclose the sliding door. Move them closer to the door until they rub and possibly make some friction so the doors do not move on their own accord. one caution, it could rub some of the paint off of the very edge of the door at the very bottom, probably not enough to even notice... the doors would be tighter when opening and closing as well


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## Curmudgeon10 (Apr 29, 2010)

You have a fairly new house, so let's assume that problem is sloppy installation rather than out of level conditions due to settling and structural issues.

To really understand what is going on with your door, you need a level --- probably a 24 or 30 inch (if they make that) --- no longer, or you won't be able to determine the state of the track. You cannot stick the level on the door casing and learn anything.

If you don't have a level, then you may be able to learn something by closing the door and observing the gaps around the upright, closed edge, and the gap along the bottom. If one or both are wider at one end than the other, you most probably need to adjust one of the rollers supporting the door.

I'm only familiar with the Stanley pocket door hardware, which is fairly inexpensive and thus popular with a lot of builders. To get access to the pocket door roller so you can adjust it, at a minimum, you'll need to remove the head casing of your door. Once you've done that, you can see what other materials (including drywall) that were used to trim out the door, and might need to be removed. The rollers are adjusted with a small open end wrench that Stanley supplies with its kits, but you can use any cheap wrench that fits the adjustment post.

In adjusting the door, you don't need to worry about plumb and level (unless the door in the closed or open position is a wild mismatch for the trim and looks odd); all you are doing is adjusting the door until it stays closed


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## chitownken (Nov 22, 2012)

claymcc said:


> If the track is out of level it won't matter how much you mess with the door rollers, it's still going to roll down hill. The only way to fix it is to get the track level. This will more than likely require removing some drywall to access the pocketed side of the opening.


Check the tracks for level. That is the only thing that would cause the doors to open/close by themselves.


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## jagans (Oct 21, 2012)

SInce you cant get in to the track where it is enclosed within the wall, I would put a small piece of brush sweep on both sides of the door at the bottom of the jamb. The action of the brushes should hold the door where you place it. Just a thought.


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## chitownken (Nov 22, 2012)

Or perhaps something under the door to create drag. That way no concerns about visible wear.


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