Pocket door hangers, unlike hinges, support the door from the top. A standard swinging door has hinges along the side that support it, usually three, sometimes two. A pocket door has two hangers attached to the top of the door. The hangers are also connected to the rollers. The rollers run in the track over the door allowing the door to slide back and forth.

The hangers are really more like a bolt. This is a special bolt that has a head on it the fits into a bracket on the door. The head of the bolt can slide in and out of the bracket, so that the door can be removed. The other end of the bolt is threaded into the roller assembly. The hanger and bracket are designed in a way that allows for adjustment.

Are you having trouble with the pocket door hangers? See the article 'Troubleshooting Pocket Doors'. You will find information on adjusting, lubricating and repairing pocket doors. Most of the time it is a simple job that only takes a few minutes.

Adjusting Pocket Door Hangers

The end of the door hanger that fits into the bracket has a section that is hex shaped. This allows for a wrench to be used as an adjustment. Easy, right, just get a wrench and away you go. The problem is that the area above the door is pretty narrow. You usually don't have room for a regular wrench.

The hardware kit that comes with the pocket door comes with a thin wrench that is used for adjustment. If you are one of those highly organized people that has a system for keeping things like this, you can probably just go get it. For the rest of us, it might be a problem to find it. If your pocket door was installed by the builder of the house, you may never have had the wrench in your possession.

To adjust the door hangers you will have to get a thin profile wrench of the proper size for the adjusting nut on the hanger. You may be able to find one at a home supply store or you can search online for one.

Adjusting the pocket door hangers is pretty simple after you have a wrench that will fit. Tightening the hangers will raise the door. The opposite is also true, loosening the hangers will lower the door. The tricky part is that an adjustment to the hangers on the top of the door also affects the sides of the door.

For a complete discussion on how to adjust a pocket door, see the article 'Pocket Door Adjustment'. This article provides pictures and detailed instructions on how to adjust a pocket door along with other pocket door repair information.

Putting a Pocket Door Back On

Pocket doors can come of the hangers and be difficult to move. It is fairly simple to put them back on. There is a retention clip on the bracket. First you need to open the clip with a screwdriver or flat object like a 'butter knife'. Yes I said butter knife, its amazing how many things you can fix with a butter knife. Align the pocket door hanger with the bracket on the top of the door.

Carefully lift the door and slide the hanger into the slot on the bracket. Once the door is in place you can slide the retention clip back into place. Check the door and make sure it is running on the track correctly. It is a little more trouble when the door comes off the back hanger. See the articles 'Putting a Pocket Door Back On' for detailed information.

Pocket Door Hangers Summary

Pocket door hangers are simple yet important for the operation of a pocket door. You use them to adjust the door and keep it working smoothly. The hangers fit into a bracket at the top of the door and thread into the rollers.

The main purpose of the hanger is for adjustment. The adjustments are fairly sensitive and may require a little patience. After a little experimenting you should get the idea of how to adjust them. Lining up the latch set and fixing gaps are all accomplished by adjusting the pocket door hangers.