| A Handyman DIY Tutorial on How to Remove and Install a Pocket Door Reinstalling a pocket door that fell off the track. |
How to remove, then install a pocket door.
Bud Spofford, Housecalls Home Services
Bud Spofford, Housecalls Home Services
Making a plan for reinstalling a pocket door.
A "traditional" swinging door takes up floor and wall space, which is why
pocket doors are handy. A pocket door will literally "fit right in" to solve
room planning problems. Pocket Door hardware is designed in many
different finishes and specifications to meet the needs of most
situations. Pocket Doors are particularly well suited for dining rooms,
master bathrooms, wardrobes, kitchens or anywhere a swinging door
is not desirable. The use of a pocket door will free up previously
unusable wall and floor space with a clean and modern appearance.
STEP 1. (FIG 1)
Evaluate the door. A pocket door off the track is very common. I get
maybe 4 calls a year to reinstall one that has fallen off the tracks. In this
example my customer had her arms full of groceries and tried to open
the door at the bottom with her foot. This caused the door to tilt and one
side causing the door to lift off the hook (FIG 7) fell out of the track
hanger.
STEP 2.
The wood casing is made of poplar and in very good condition, as was
everything else in the house. The last thing I wanted was to ding the
wood. In order to get to the track of the pocket door I had to remove
some of the door casing. To do that I carefully inserted a few wood
shims behind the casing (FIG 2, FIG 3) just enough to get the claw of the
A "traditional" swinging door takes up floor and wall space, which is why
pocket doors are handy. A pocket door will literally "fit right in" to solve
room planning problems. Pocket Door hardware is designed in many
different finishes and specifications to meet the needs of most
situations. Pocket Doors are particularly well suited for dining rooms,
master bathrooms, wardrobes, kitchens or anywhere a swinging door
is not desirable. The use of a pocket door will free up previously
unusable wall and floor space with a clean and modern appearance.
STEP 1. (FIG 1)
Evaluate the door. A pocket door off the track is very common. I get
maybe 4 calls a year to reinstall one that has fallen off the tracks. In this
example my customer had her arms full of groceries and tried to open
the door at the bottom with her foot. This caused the door to tilt and one
side causing the door to lift off the hook (FIG 7) fell out of the track
hanger.
STEP 2.
The wood casing is made of poplar and in very good condition, as was
everything else in the house. The last thing I wanted was to ding the
wood. In order to get to the track of the pocket door I had to remove
some of the door casing. To do that I carefully inserted a few wood
shims behind the casing (FIG 2, FIG 3) just enough to get the claw of the
(330) 524-5626 call/text Hudson, Ohio |
 |  |  |  |  |  |
Pocket Doors
Installing a DIY Pocket Door
Remove a Pocket Door
Repair a Pocket Door
Pocket Door Hardware
Installing a DIY Pocket Door
Remove a Pocket Door
Repair a Pocket Door
Pocket Door Hardware
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Note how a shim was placed on the wall to prevent any abrasion to the
drywall. (FIG 4) At this step care must be taken to not pry too forcefully
drywall. (FIG 4) At this step care must be taken to not pry too forcefully
STEP 3.
With the horizontal casing removed on top (FIG 5) I was able to get to
Notice I place the claw of the hammer behind the piece and gently
remove it.
NOTE: There are curved claw hammers and straight claw hammers. I
always use a straight claw for this type of job, curved claws for
removing nails in rough framing.
With the horizontal casing removed on top (FIG 5) I was able to get to
Notice I place the claw of the hammer behind the piece and gently
remove it.
NOTE: There are curved claw hammers and straight claw hammers. I
always use a straight claw for this type of job, curved claws for
removing nails in rough framing.
FIG. 6
STEP 4.
Not shown in the pictures is the removal of the vertical casing to the the
casing removed I was able to get the door out of the pocket. That is
when I discovered the pocket door glide (roller) had fallen off the track
hook is not very deep. In other words the the seat is very shallow. This
explains why the door came off. A mere 1/4" tilt of the pocket door will
cause this door to fall off the hook. (FIG 9)
Not shown in the pictures is the removal of the vertical casing to the the
casing removed I was able to get the door out of the pocket. That is
when I discovered the pocket door glide (roller) had fallen off the track
hook is not very deep. In other words the the seat is very shallow. This
explains why the door came off. A mere 1/4" tilt of the pocket door will
cause this door to fall off the hook. (FIG 9)
FIG. 2
FIG 3.
FIG 4
FIG. 5
FIG 7
| In this example the roller had the track was open. Picture your garage door tracks at the In this example the roller had come off the track. This the track was open. Picture your garage door tracks at the ends not a problem because the door opener only goes so far thereby preventing the door from falling off the track. |
FIG 8
FIG 1
| It should be noted that not all pocket doors use this type of roller. There are some that will lock the door to the roller to prevent this type of accident. (FIG 8) |
STEP 5
Reinstalling the roller was not easy. I couldn't get the track out and there was no way to
slide the roller in from the ends, that is without entirely removing the door frame. Notice
was completed it is a matter of hanging the pocket door and reinstalling the casing. In
(FIG 12) you will see my pry bay under the pocket door and the other end under my foot.
Since I am the only one on the job I need the leverage of the pry bar to get the pocket
door on the hook. It makes the job so much easier. Also notice I put a shim on the floor
so the pry bar would not make an indentation to the beautiful wood floors.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Once the door is back in the track it must be aligned to the jamb.
Close the door and adjust by raising or lowering the roller thread.
STEP 6
The nails have to be removed from the casing. I always pull my nails through the back
of the finished piece. (FIG 11). I happen to have a pry plier but you could use regular
pliers or another something else. Don't make the mistake of trying to pound the nails
through to the front. This will cause the hole to become ragged and it is a difficult job to
conceal it later.
Reinstalling the roller was not easy. I couldn't get the track out and there was no way to
slide the roller in from the ends, that is without entirely removing the door frame. Notice
was completed it is a matter of hanging the pocket door and reinstalling the casing. In
(FIG 12) you will see my pry bay under the pocket door and the other end under my foot.
Since I am the only one on the job I need the leverage of the pry bar to get the pocket
door on the hook. It makes the job so much easier. Also notice I put a shim on the floor
so the pry bar would not make an indentation to the beautiful wood floors.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Once the door is back in the track it must be aligned to the jamb.
Close the door and adjust by raising or lowering the roller thread.
STEP 6
The nails have to be removed from the casing. I always pull my nails through the back
of the finished piece. (FIG 11). I happen to have a pry plier but you could use regular
pliers or another something else. Don't make the mistake of trying to pound the nails
through to the front. This will cause the hole to become ragged and it is a difficult job to
conceal it later.
FIG 9
FIG 10
FIG 11
STEP 7
door back on track it is time to put the
use a clamp to get the trim to remain
stationary while I nailed it in place. You
might find the same in your repair. My
suggestion is to never try to force a
piece and nail when a clamp is nearby.
If you try to force the piece and drive a
nail in it it may split the wood and ruin
careless, after all it my job to give the
customer the best possible repair.
STEP 8
For this repair I used my old-fashioned
hammer, nails and a nail set to reinstall
the casing. I am still old school in many
respects and have found that if I rely on
the pneumatics too much my skills with
a hammer are not quite as sharp as I
would like them to be.
door back on track it is time to put the
use a clamp to get the trim to remain
stationary while I nailed it in place. You
might find the same in your repair. My
suggestion is to never try to force a
piece and nail when a clamp is nearby.
If you try to force the piece and drive a
nail in it it may split the wood and ruin
careless, after all it my job to give the
customer the best possible repair.
STEP 8
For this repair I used my old-fashioned
hammer, nails and a nail set to reinstall
the casing. I am still old school in many
respects and have found that if I rely on
the pneumatics too much my skills with
a hammer are not quite as sharp as I
would like them to be.
FIG 12
FIG 13
Bud's Tip: Before you tackle this type of project on your own home or
for a customer this one simple tip may save you the aggravation later
-know your tool inventory. I am a professional and sometimes I am
caught short handed. It has happened to me on a job on more than
one occasion. It's embarrassing to show up at the job, take down a
door and tell my customer I don't have the tool I need to complete the
job. I have learned my lesson the hard way. has
an extensive tool catalog.
for a customer this one simple tip may save you the aggravation later
-know your tool inventory. I am a professional and sometimes I am
caught short handed. It has happened to me on a job on more than
one occasion. It's embarrassing to show up at the job, take down a
door and tell my customer I don't have the tool I need to complete the
job. I have learned my lesson the hard way. has
an extensive tool catalog.
| EDITORS NOTE: and this pocket door repair or any repair. Some of my DIY customers will attempt various repairs around the house only to find that the job is much more than they anticipated. At first it seems easy, after all what is there to swinging a hammer. It's a simple matter of holding a nail in one hand and pounding away with another. Simple enough. But not really. For anyone who has tried to hit a ball, be it a golf ball, tennis ball or a practice to hit the 'sweet spot.' Professional ball players know they must practice on a regular basis to hit the sweet spot with any regularity. Believe it or not a hammer too has a sweet spot. The proof of that is evident to anyone who has observed an installed piece of wood where the nail holes are surrounded by 'camel tracks'. These are the dings of a misplaced hammer head, the carpenter missed the sweet spot and the hammer delivered a blow to the wood. In baseball it is called a strike. strike me out if I make these kind of errors. For the DIY handyman though who doesn't use tools every day it is for this reason the sweet spot is so elusive. Plus, if you don't use tools on a regular basis the muscle memory is not there and fatigue easily. |
STEP 9
To complete the job I use my nail set to countersink the nails. Once the nails are sunk it is
time to get out the putty and fill the holes. I keep a god supply of putty on hand.
There are all sorts of ways to fill nail holes. For finished wood like this poplar the crayon is
my favorite choice. It is soft, pliable and I can get it deep in the hole so it doesn't fall out
later. Then with a clean, soft rag I rub off the excess and it is almost invisible.
To complete the job I use my nail set to countersink the nails. Once the nails are sunk it is
time to get out the putty and fill the holes. I keep a god supply of putty on hand.
There are all sorts of ways to fill nail holes. For finished wood like this poplar the crayon is
my favorite choice. It is soft, pliable and I can get it deep in the hole so it doesn't fall out
later. Then with a clean, soft rag I rub off the excess and it is almost invisible.
While you are at it you may as well lubricate the track and the rollers. The WD-40 works
nicely. There are other products that do the same thing. Be careful with over-spray.
Please check the floor for drips and over spray, you don't want to slip and have an
accident.
I hope this tutorial helps you with your project. Your comments are appreciated.
nicely. There are other products that do the same thing. Be careful with over-spray.
Please check the floor for drips and over spray, you don't want to slip and have an
accident.
I hope this tutorial helps you with your project. Your comments are appreciated.
"Of the thousands of home projects I have done the pocket
door can be a challenge. The pocket door featured here was
one of the more difficult. The woodwork around the door was in
perfect condition and required care and patience to remove it.
The job was a success and the customer is very satisfied."
door can be a challenge. The pocket door featured here was
one of the more difficult. The woodwork around the door was in
perfect condition and required care and patience to remove it.
The job was a success and the customer is very satisfied."
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