Aptly named pocket doors are quite handy, but pocket door repairs are not for the faint of heart.

Pocket doors are common in the mid-century modern homes built by developer Joseph Eichler around the Bay Area in the 1950s and 1960s.

Unlike doors that swing on hinges, pocket doors slide into the wall on tracks and rollers. This space-saving feature makes them ideal for bathrooms or small rooms, or as dividers between a kitchen and dining room, for instance.

But the tracks and rollers that enable the pocket door to slide also take a lot of punishment and wear out over time. Often pocket doors become untracked and unusable. Repairs can be difficult and frustrating for the DIYer.

Property owners sometimes apply oil, grease or some other lubricant to get the door to slide more easily. This is a mistake. The substances make a mess and don’t address the real problem of aging parts.

Fixing pocket doors the right way takes quality replacement materials, tools specific for the job and a bit of know-how. The tools enable a person to work inside the narrow wall space occupied by the door when it is open.

Unless you are experienced at repairing pocket doors, fixing them is a two-person job.

A-1 On Track recommends hiring a sliding door repair professional. Virtually any pocket door can be fixed fairly easily by someone who has the proper skills, without damaging walls or the door. After a couple hours of work, the property owner has a good-as-new door that will be sliding smoothly for years.

Call A-1 On Track at 408-866-0267. We repair pocket doors and also replace old pocket doors with attractive, modern models that give you the choice of using raised panels, glass inserts, all glass, or wood.