Quick question - is $2200 to fix pocket doors reasonable?
My pocket doors respectively jam and will not open the entire way, so the track (or tracks) need to be fixed ASAP. I got a quote from someone who looks like he does great work – he said he only hangs them on the top track (he removes the bottom track and fills in portion to match existing hardwood floor) and gave me a quote of $2200. He said that others who work on the existing track usually have to open the walls to do so and the doors still will get stuck because of the old metal track. Is the amount reasonable? And is this a better way of fixing the pocket doors? I’d like some advice before I take the leap and schedule this. Thanks in advance!
cmartinez150
in General Discussion 5 years and 11 months ago
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stevecym | 5 years and 11 months ago
Op, from where i sit, i can not tell you what to do (whether to repair as i spoke about or install the new) and all i do is work on doors.
i can flush out a little about what ejr says about rail width and panel size and let you know that if you have to trim the doors, be sure the contractor balances his cuts between the top and bottom so the bottom always is larger and not too much is taken either edge. i just repaired a track system that had malfunctioned on Herkimer and they were a retrofit and they looked fine (too bad the person installing them didn’t think to lock the catches).
i will tell you this, if someone calls me and is forthright with me and tells me that they are thinking of going a certain way in a project but that way would probably not include me (i don’t want to install a new track system; i am busy enough maintaining the ones others have screwed up), i will tell them what i know.
2200 is fair for that job so long as the person doing it is a real pro; your job is to figure out if they are or are not.
there are some people who have pushed back because i have come on here and had a lot to say certain subjects and that i can be too wordy. i am speaking because i know what i am talking about and because other people call me and say things like this “i read you on Brownstoner and appreciate your candor” or things like this “you seem to come from a place of generosity”. being this way has only worked for my business.
steve
www.thetinkerswagon.com
EJR | 5 years and 11 months ago
If they retrofit the hanging system, will the need to cut the top or bottom off the doors to make them fit? If the doors are paneled this could affect the overall look of the doors. Plus you’ll probably need to add some wood at the top to hide the hanging system as well. This can probably be done cheaply but it will look terrible or done expensively and it might look ok.
I had this exact same issue, except in my case the floor track had been removed at some point. It was hard to find, but I did end up sourcing a new floor track and roller system (the rollers are plastic/vinyl and they glide perfectly well.
All in all this is a more complicated job than it seems. They may need to cut panels in the wall to get access to run the track. $2200 seems more than fair.
stevecym | 5 years and 11 months ago
also, op. if you go with the new install, you really want Johnson equipment. and here is something i see people do; they buy the light duty and slip it in without telling the customer. you want the heavy duty. you have to watch contractors these days.
read about Johnson Door Hardware. at that price, the contractor should be using johnson and using their name as a selling point as it is top shelf. stanley is good as well.
also, if they do the install and close this up, make sure they leave removable lengths of trim along the track where the doors hang. these will need adjustment and if the person doing the installation does not lock the door catch onto the roller shaft, they will slip off in a couple of years and someone else will have to come reinstall these properly; i have serviced three sets this year where some contractor failed to lock the holders probably because it was hard to manipulate a tool up inside the frame at the top of the door. (this is what i mean about hiring people who care and follow the directions and think about what will happ en 6 months down the road; the people doing the work have to make it their responsibility; at 2200 he should be making it his responsibility).
stevecym | 5 years and 11 months ago
Neogrec: the modern hanging systems are far superior. the old ones were probably superior in the day as well, but now have all the quirks of the bottom rolling systems though both can be brought into better operation with some maintenance.
the reason the bottom rolling systems have to be wrestled with is the iron parts on the rollers have worn, allowing the doors to drag a little; we see the wear damage on the doors when we lift them off the tracks.
my guess with that price is, it will be one man doing this and this is what he does and he has to provide insurance for his business, himself, and pay all sorts of other things. at this level of work, he cannot hand it over to a couple of guys (he might come in with a helper) working off the books at $20 or $25 per hour; the op does not want a bunch of drywall guys or general laborers installing their door system.
NeoGrec | 5 years and 11 months ago
The hanging systems are far superior to the old bottom tracks — we have both, and there’s no comparison. The hanging system can be operated with one finger while the bottom track doors have to be wrestled with! on the other hand, $2,200 sounds excessive. Does that include the cost of all materials?
stevecym | 5 years and 11 months ago
and to add to what green thinker says, if there has been a shift in the house, and the top guide and frame are out of alignment, it will cause hang ups. this is less of an issue but i can tell you how to spot it, look at the top of the doors – look all around the doors – and see if anything has or is wearing into the finish.
stevecym | 5 years and 11 months ago
first, you should be taking a flashlight and looking into pockets to see if there is any debris in there. this is often the case. also, if they are rubbing on something such as a electric cable which had been added later, that cable can push them off the tracks.
look at the track. perhaps there are nails which have come up (i am talking about in the pocket) and catching the door. these will catch the wood on the side of the rollers. pull those nails out. so long as the sub floor is someone level and even, you do not even need the nails holding the track at the end as the progress of the doors rolling over it will straighten it to where is needs to be (so long as it is secured most of the way).
Now this is what is usually the case. the axle on the iron rollers wears out or the housing cracks and the door begins to sag. this is not always an issue until the door is pushed in a bit or over a high spot in the track and because of the wear or damage in the roller unit, it cannot respond and rise up fast enough and drags on the track.
The company lis ted below my name has the wheels and track in stock. until a year almost a year ago, we serviced only bottom rolled units such as yours but after turning many people who had top hung units, this past March we were given the opportunity to service the top hanging pocket doors in the montauk club, so we had to source the parts and learn a little and 8 months later their doors are still working great.
$2200 is not unreasonable to take out the old system, add a track to the top (a modern johnson system; keep in mind, the man doing this work has to charge more as this works encompasses a higher skill set), make adjustments to the doors and close the gap in the floor. If these are big, the track system will be wider than the stock units and will require extensions; these doors are bigger than what is usually encountered in modern construction. $2200 is a good bit more than the cost to repair them.
Steve Cymbalsky
www.thetinkerswagon.com
GreenThinker | 5 years and 11 months ago
Sounds kinda steep to screw in a metal channel and some rollers on top of the doors. First, i’d check if your current doors are properly aligned with the bottom track, it could be that over time they’ve dislodged themselves and aren’t perfectly parallel or on top of the track. I’ve personally had this issue with my doors, you simply lift them up a bit and move them towards you or away from you and check if they glide in better.