How To Fix A Bifold Door That's Off The Track

When you prepare to make some changes to a room, such as creating a closet or adding a new bathroom inside your master bedroom, you may need to understand all the different types of doors to choose from. Whether you need a specific design for space considerations or aesthetics, picking the right one can enhance your enjoyment of the area. Perhaps you've decided that bifold doors are the right way to go, which is a common choice of closet door for limited space in a room, or perhaps for leading out to a patio. One unfortunate downside to this design is the fact that bifold doors can sometimes slide off the track, leaving them flopping around and making it impossible to close off the area again.

The best way to fix this issue is to make sure the roller goes back into the guide track. You also need to inspect the bifold door for any issues that indicate the unit is out of alignment. Such issues could be the cause of the door coming off the track. You may need to fix those issues before you can eliminate the problem and keep the roller on the track. It's possible that the bifold door wasn't installed properly, or it is sagging after several years of use. To fix the problem, you may have to adjust some hardware, ensuring the entire design is level and properly aligned.

One of the most common issues with a bifold door coming loose occurs when there is debris inside the track. A piece of gravel or sand that's lodged in the track could pop the roller out of place. Inspect the track for any items stuck inside and remove them. You also could use a can of compressed air to blow out any sand or dirt that's difficult to remove by hand.

You also should check the area where the individual panels connect through a hinge. If the bifold door sticks as you try to open it, you may become accustomed to using extra force to try to pull it open. This could lead to stress on the hinges, which causes the entire unit to pop out of alignment, potentially leading to the roller coming out of the track as well. Small screws typically hold the hinges in place. Check for any screws that are loose and tighten them. If left loose, the screws could completely tear away from the panels.

Another issue is loose trim around the bifold door. If the jamb or trim is not tight, the track may move out of alignment, causing the roller to pop loose. You can re-secure the trim with brad nails or trim nails and a hammer, which should fix the issue. Make sure the trim is straight to help the track remain in alignment.

If none of the quick fixes seem to work for your bifold doors that won't stay on the track, you may need to take a more aggressive approach. Start by inspecting the guide along the top. This is the wheel along the top of the panels. This wheel rolls back and forth in the track as you open and close the bifold door. Sometimes, the wheel is on a pin with a spring. Try pushing the wheel downward to compress the spring. Move the top of the panel into place underneath the track and release the wheel, allowing it to spring back into the track.

The wheel may continue to pop out of the track, though, if the bifold doors are not properly aligned. Look at the panels. If you see a gap that's larger at the top versus the bottom, or vice versa, the panels are out of alignment.

You can use the pivot bracket to adjust the angles of the panels, which is located along the top. If the door seems too low at the bottom, you can tighten the screws to pull the panels upward. Loosen them to allow the panels to move downward slightly. Test the doors after each adjustment until they are just right. Even after adjusting the positioning of the panels, you also may want to use silicone spray along the track to keep the wheel rolling smoothly.