Repairing Bypass Closet Doors

Bypass closet doors were very popular for use in closets, a few decades ago. You still see them in many homes and some homeowners prefer them to bifold closet doors. These are also called sliding closet doors. 'Bypass' or 'Sliding' the idea is that one door moves in a straight line, in front of or in back of the other door. Unlike normal doors, this type has no hinges.

Instead of hinges they have hanger – roller assemblies, that are attached to the top of the door. The rollers follow a track that is mounted to the head of the door frame. The rollers ride on a metal track the full length of the closet opening

Bypass closet doors, as the name implies, pass by the other door. This is the main drawback to sliding doors. Only half the closet is visible when one of the doors is open. There must be an unwritten law that states that the thing you are looking for will always be on the hidden side of the closet. Bifold doors have increased in popularity in recent years. One of the reasons for this is that they open completely, not hiding anything.

Issues with Bypass Closet Doors

You may have guessed that the door hangers – rollers are the main trouble spot. When the door comes out of the track it can be hard to move and will scrape the floor. Some types of track are more prone to this problem. Learning how to put the door back on track can save calling a repairman.

The hangers are also where you adjust the door. There is an adjustment nut on each hanger. the height of the door and the margins on the sides can be adjusted by these nuts. There are guides at the bottom of the doors. These will keep the doors in alignment as they move back and forth. When the doors get outside the guides they will not move correctly.

Finding Help With Bypass Closet Doors

There are three main issues this type of closet door. (1) The lubrication of the rollers is important. When the rollers start to tighten the door will be hard to move. Trying to force the door will cause it to jump off the track, making the situation worse.

(2) Putting the doors back in the track or guides is a common problem. The door may be impossible to move when it is off the track. It could also fall if both hangers pop out of the track. (3) Adjusting the door is another concern. You may notice uneven gaps on the sides of the doors or the door may rub the floor or carpet when it moves. When this happens, adjustment is the only answer.