How to Replace Closet Doors: A Comprehensive Guide

The process you follow will depend on your door type.

Sliding doors

Follow these steps to remove a sliding door:

1. Locate the brackets that connect the door to the sliding track. Most sliding doors have brackets at the top.
2. Use a screwdriver to loosen the screws on these brackets. Only loosen the screws and do not remove them at once. Or else, the door will come off immediately.
3. Hold the door with both hands and carefully lift it. Since the brackets are loosened, you will have enough room to lift the door off from the bottom track.
4. Pull the bottom of the door towards you while keeping it uplifted. Doing so will remove the door from the bottom track.
5. Now, fully unscrew the brackets at the top. Ask someone to hold the door while you unscrew the brackets.
6. Follow the same procedure to remove any other sliding door along the track. You may reuse the sliding track when installing a new sliding door. If not, unscrew all the screws along the sliding track to remove it.

Hinged doors

Follow these steps to remove a hinged door:

1. Close the door and put on the latch.
2. Place a nail under the pin. Knock the bottom of the nail with a hammer. This will expose the pin attaching the hinges.
3. Pull out this pin with your hands. Repeat the same for all other hinges. If the pins are lodged inside, hold them with a plier and pull them out.
4. Hold the doorknob with one hand and a hinge with the other. Once you’re sure of the grip, lift the door off the hinges. You can also use a pry bar to wedge the door.

Cautiously lift the door off the hinges and place it somewhere safe. Ensure the area is not frequented by others, as they can trip and fall. Repeat the same operations with the other doors you want to replace.

Using the hammer, remove pre-strike dowels. Then, using sandpaper smoothen out specific regions on the frame that appear distorted.

Though you can reuse the old track, most sliding doors come with their specific sliding tracks.

• Measure the top opening of your closet where the track will be installed. Cut the top guide with a hacksaw to the same length.
• The track will have pre-drilled holes. Place the track on the top opening and fasten it using screws included in the packaging. Use screw anchors if your closet’s top opening does not have a wood backing.
• Now, measure the bottom opening of the closet. Use a hacksaw to cut the channel threshold in the same dimensions as the bottom opening.
• Attach the channel threshold to the bottom of the concrete floor using screws and anchors. Use pan head track screws if you have a wooden floor.

Use a screwdriver to attach the rollers at the bottom of the door. First, install the rear door. Stand inside the closet and bring the door inside. Raise the door and insert it into the top guide channel. Swing the door towards the back of the closet. Lower the bottom rollers into the channel threshold. Stand outside the closet to install the front door. Follow the same procedure as explained above.

Locate the height-adjusting bolt in the bottom roller bolts. Turn the bolt clockwise to raise the door. If you want to lower the door, turn the bolt counterclockwise.

Attach the bumper pads on the top, bottom and both sides of the door frame. They will provide a cushioning effect and protect the doors. Now, install the door knobs, handles and other accessories.

Place the door up to the frame so that you can use a pencil to mark where to fix the corresponding hinges on the frame.

Bolt the hinge brackets to the door frame, starting with the dots you made using a screwdriver. Fix one hinge at a time and place the screws tightly.

Open the door and raise it into position, after which the two hinge parts should be pushed together and fitted with the pins supplied. Swing the door to make sure that it is properly aligned at the hinge section and the frame section of the door.

Repeat the same procedure for any other doors. Ensure that there is an equal space between the closed doors to allow for smooth opening and closing.

According to the instructions, affix the peripherals, such as handles or locks. Remember to fix the screws into them tightly.