How to Adjust a Sticking Bifold Door

If you own bifold doors, you're likely familiar with the following scenario: you open the pantry or closet doors to get what you want, but you must pull a little to loosen them. Constant use of bifold doors can wear them down and cause them to stick. In many cases, you just need to adjust them. A sticking bifold door can be annoying, but is repairable.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Screwdriver
• Silicone lubricant spray
• Paste wax, paraffin or candle wax
• Plane and/or sandpaper, if necessary

1. Check to see if there is a 1/8-inch vertical gap between the doors. If it appears this gap is wider or narrower at the top or bottom, then the doors are out of alignment, causing them to stick.

2. Adjust the bracket on the top of the doors that runs inside the track. There is normally a setscrew in the bracket that can be adjusted. Often, this bracket can loosen with repeated use of the door.

3. Inspect bottom pin and adjust, if necessary. With the doors closed, check to see if the bottom of each door lines up. If not, adjust the pin. If adjusting top bracket and bottom pin doesn't solve the problem, replace the parts.

4. Clean any dirt or grit from inside the upper track of the bifold doors. Over time, accumulation of dirt inside this track causes the doors to stick.

5. Spray inside the track with a silicone lubricant. This allows the bifold doors to operate smoothly.

6. Apply paste wax, paraffin or candle wax at the point where the doors are sticking. Or, lightly sand or even plane the doors at the point where they are sticking.

Tips & Warnings

• There are two kinds of bottom brackets: one that adjusts by loosening a setscrew and sliding the bracket, while the other requires you to lift the door to set the pin into a notch in the bracket.