How to Repair a Pocket Door

By
Lee Wallender
Lee Wallender
Lee Wallender

Lee has over two decades of hands-on experience remodeling, fixing, and improving homes, and has been providing home improvement advice for years.

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Updated on 08/15/23
Reviewed by
Deane Biermeier
Deane Biermeier
Reviewed by Deane Biermeier
Deane Biermeier is an expert contractor with nearly 30 years of experience in all types of home repair, maintenance, and remodeling. He is a certified lead carpenter and also holds a certification from the EPA. Deane is a member of The Spruce's Home Improvement Review Board.
Learn more about The Spruce's Review Board
Fact checked by
Emily Estep
Emily Estep
Fact checked by Emily Estep

Emily Estep is a plant biologist and journalist who has worked for a variety of online news and media outlets, writing about and editing topics including environmental science and houseplants.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process
Pocket door slightly open between bathroom and bedroom

The Spruce / Leticia Almeida

Project Overview
  • Total Time: 30 mins - 3 hrs
  • Skill Level: Intermediate
  • Estimated Cost: $10 to $50

Pocket doors are great space-savers. They slide out when you need them and conveniently tuck away when you don't need them. While pocket doors work flawlessly most of the time, sometimes they come off track, get stuck, or become misaligned.

Some pocket door problems can be fixed without removing trim or drywall. Most issues require the removal of trim—but it's usually only select areas of trim. Plus, there are ways to remove and replace the same trim without damaging it or the surrounding walls.

How a Pocket Door Works

When you open a pocket door, it looks as though the door disappears into the wall. What appears to be a wall is actually a continuation of the pocket door system. The area where the door disappears is a box made either of metal or wood that accepts the door; this is the pocket door's pocket.

A metal track runs along the top of the door opening, from the open section all the way into the pocket. So if the pocket door is 30 inches wide, the track is actually about 60 inches long.

The pocket door hangs from rollers that ride on this metal track. Some adjustments can be made to these rollers and to the metal track to help the pocket door slide smoother.

What You'll Need

Equipment / Tools

  • Putty knife
  • Pry bar
  • Flashlight
  • Cordless drill
  • Drywall jab saw
  • Bubble level
  • Wrench set

Materials

  • Silicone lubricant spray
  • Replacement door rollers
  • Plastic shims

Instructions

Tools to repair a pocket door

The Spruce / Tessa Cooper

  1. Lubricate Pocket Door Rollers

    If the pocket door is hard to open and close, the door rollers may need to be lubricated. Do not use oil or a water displacement lubricant. Instead, spray each roller once or twice with silicone spray. Roll the door back and forth a few times to distribute the spray.

    Lubricating the pocket door rails

    The Spruce / Tessa Cooper

  2. Tighten Pocket Door on Track

    Over time, with repeated use, the pocket door track may become loose. The visible, accessible half of the track can be tightened without having to remove the door or the trim.

    With the cordless drill or a screwdriver, tighten the screws from below the track. Be careful not to strip the screws.

    Tightening the pocket door on the track

    The Spruce / Tessa Cooper

  3. Remove Pocket Door Trim

    Most other pocket door repairs require you to remove some of the trim. It is important to gently remove the three sections of door trim so that they can be reused. Use a putty knife and prying tool to carefully pry away the trim. With the trim removed, remove any nails or brads from the trim by pulling them out from the back side.

    Warning

    Note that you will be removing the two vertical pieces of trim and one horizontal piece that are adjacent to the door, not the three pieces of wall trim.

    Follow up by removing the floor guide. With the cordless drill, turn out the screws holding the plastic guide in place at the bottom of the door. You should now be able to remove the pocket door, if needed.

    Removing pocket door trim

    The Spruce / Tessa Cooper

  4. Replace Pocket Door Track

    In some cases, you may need to remove the entire pocket door track and replace it. To access the hidden half of the track, you will need to cut out a small section of the drywall next to the door opening.

    Cut out a section of drywall about 18 inches wide, 10 inches high, and about 3 inches below the level of the track. With the section removed, insert the cordless drill and use it to turn out the screws holding that section of track in place.

    Next, move to the accessible area of the pocket door opening and unscrew the track. Remove the track entirely and replace with a new track.

    Tip

    Save the cutout section of drywall to use as a replacement when later repairing the wall.

    Preparing to make a cut in drywall

    The Spruce / Tessa Cooper

  5. Fix Uneven or Misaligned Pocket Door

    The pocket door might be in place and slide as normal, but it does not meet the door casing squarely when closed. Also, because of this unevenness or misalignment, part of the door may jut out when the door is open.

    With the top pocket door trim removed, use a flashlight to locate the two metal adjustable roller assemblies on the top of the door. With a wrench, turn either or both of the two roller assemblies to raise or lower them. This will move one side of the door up or down.

    Using a wrench and flashlight to locate the door track

    The Spruce / Tessa Cooper

  6. Re-Level Pocket Door Track

    The pocket door might be misaligned or might not slide smoothly, because the track at the top of the door opening is out of level. This can happen as homes age and the foundation subsides. Readjusting the rollers can help but only to a certain degree. If the track is greatly out of level, it will need to be removed and reinstalled level.

    With the door track removed, hold the bubble level up against the track's attachment point. If the attachment point is not level, screw plastic shims in place. Add shims in the appropriate places until the bubble level reads level again, then replace the track and the pocket door.

    Checking that the pocket door is level

    The Spruce / Tessa Cooper