How to Repair Closet Doors
Closet doors that slide can come off track making them nearly impossible to open and close or over time they can get hard to slide back and forth. Closet doors should only need one hand to open and close them and if you have to use both or can't get them open at all then it is time to find out what the cause is. With a few tools you can repair them yourself and get them working like they did when they were new. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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First you need to get a flashlight and get down on the ground to determine the problem. If your closet door is not sliding smoothly it could be fuzz stuck to the wheels. The fuzz comes from pet hair and dust and after years it will wrap around the wheels. Locate the wheels of your closet door and using the flash light slide it back and forth slightly to look for fuzz. You can usually remove it with your fingers or a pair of tweezers.
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Next check the door closet guide. All kinds of stuff can accidentally get in here. Use your vacuum to clean up loose dirt and then using the screw driver to check for more. The screw driver blade should slide along the track and not get caught on anything. If it does, use the blade to scrape it off.
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Take some WD-40 and spray some on the wheel. You can also spray some on the track but it is not necessary.
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If the door is still not gliding smoothly then check to see if the whole closet door needs to be raised. The older doors had hangers on the top and by tightening the screw you can raise the door. After many years the door will start to drop down on their own and you can raise them back up by lifting them by tightening the screw on top.
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This particular door was not sliding easily because it had come off the track when new wood flooring was put in. The track actually was bent and with a screwdriver, it was bent back to its original position. Then the door was put back on the track, wheels and track cleaned and the door was as good as new.
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- Photo Credit Photos by Jerrie Dean
