Kinky Bi-fold Doors

Bypass doors and bi-fold doors, in almost every home in Erie we have one or the other. I can’t tell you how many of these doors I work on a year. Aligning, replacing rollers, and bending kinked track are usually the remedy. The truth is behind these door issues is that the hardware is complete rubbish (aka. “builder grade”). So what can you do?

I was working on a door for a property management client and the track was kinked in a number of places. I could have bent it back, but that would still lead to chatter when the door was in use. I decided to upgrade the track. For just a few dollars more than the builder grade track, I purchased track made by Johnson Hardware. It was more ridged and stiffer than what was removed; and as a bonus, it was made in the U.S.A.!

Track and roller replacement was pretty straightforward, but I did have to cut the track to size. I have a Ridgid SubCompact multi-material saw in my truck which made quick work of the track cutting. Once the new track and rollers were installed, I can actually write... it all made a world of difference. The doors rolled smoother and felt more solid. Well worth the additional money spent. I would use that track in my home.

There are even higher grade track than the Johnson that I used, which might be appropriate for larger, heavier doors. It is well worth the money to step up the grade of hardware if you have an issue. If the hardware in your closet doors are failing, upgrade the hardware. To just replace with the same is just another definition of insanity...the problem will just repeat itself if you use the same solution.