Totem Building Supplies

Tune Up a Sliding Door

(Image: Houzz)

Exterior Sliders

Remove the door and inspect the track, be sure to have someone help you as the door will be quite heavy. To remove the door, slide the operating panel into the half open position. From inside lift the door up into the top track as far as possible. Tilt the door so the bottom goes outward and the top can be gently lowered. Place the removed door onto a saw horse.

Many exterior sliding doors collect dirt and debris so be sure to clean the tracks with a stiff bristle brush or sponge and some soap and water. Then clean and lubricate the rollers in the bottom of the door.

If the track is bent and rubbing against the door, tap out the bend using a block of wood and hammer. Reinstall your door panel. With the door nearly closed, look for a even space between the door and the jamb. Adjust if necessary.

If you need to adjust one side of the door up or down, locate the adjustment screws at the bottom of the door. Look for trim caps covering the screws, if there are some you will need to pry those out first. Turning the screws clockwise should raise the door; counter-clockwise should lower it, Start by giving each screw a quarter turn to check the action. Adjust the height as needed.

Interior Bypassing Closet Door

Turn on the closet light and close yourself inside the closet to see how the door meets the jamb. If the door meets the jamb but rubs the carpet, or if the door is too high and does not meet with the floor guides, raise or lower both sides equally.

Using a screwdriver turn the adjusting screws, typically located on the back of each roller bracket, until you've aligned the door with the jamb. Some cam-types adjust as you turn the screw. While some other types allow you to adjust after loosening the screw and setting it in place by retightening the screw.

Pocket Doors

The door brackets on the top of the door hook onto hanger bolts suspended from a pair of two or four wheel trolleys that ride in the track. The hanger bolts allow you to make adjustments. To access the hanger bolts, remove the stop and the split head jamb on one side of the door. This will either be quite tricky or easy, depending on how the door fastens together.
 
If you see screws, remove them. If you don't see any screws, carefully pry off the stop and look again for screws that may secure the split jamb to the frame of the pocket door. If the casing is nailed to the jamb, it shouldn't be. Pry the pieces apart enough to cut the nails with a hacksaw blade, or drive each nail through the casing with a nail set and hammer. 

Use an open-ended wrench to turn the hanger bolt and level the door. When you've properly adjusted the door, tighten the locknut, then reinstall the trim and touch up the paint as needed.