How to fix double pocket doors so they stays in the center when closed?

Question

I have a double pocket door installed that closes together. It is installed by connecting both tracks together. Now each door can freely go from its wall to 2x to the other side.

In hindsight, I should have ordered the Johnson 1555 CONVERGING DOOR KIT.

It is too late now. In my situation, if the 2 doors are closed and locked. I can still shift both doors to the side freely. They just become a 2x sliding door. So the lock is useless.

What is the best alternative to fix the doors/track so they meet in the center and allow me to lock them using pocket door lock?

Answer 1

In our high end home the company I worked for built, we never got the converging kit. There was a block of hardwood carefully cut to full the gap in the track, slightly recessed so the cut block allowed the wheels to hit it. It's length was set so each side as it closes stooped just ever so slightly over the centerline of the opening, maybe a 1/16" or 1/32" to insure the doors met well. The block would be about 5-6" long though it could be shorter if warranted. The block was carefully centered and piloted for three screws to secure it in place. Stagger the screws as much as possible in the face of the block to help prevent splitting. Mask off and spray paint the track and block flat black and it all goes away.

Answer 2

Hmmm...the only thing I can think of is a Flush bolt in bottom of one door and an "organizer" on bottom of other door.

Flush bolts come with "closed cap top" mounted in the floor, so when the doors are open it is level across the in-floor receiver...keeps dust, dirt, children's legos, etc. from dropping into the receiver and plugging it up.

The "organizer" (I think that's what it's called) is a "V" shaped accessory that is a 1" wide bar that extends out in front of the other door (you'll need 2 of them, one on each side of the door,) attaches near (about 2-3") from the bottom of the door and "guides" the other door up to (and aligns with) the door that has the flush bolt. When pulled up snug, you can lock the door.

Note: The organizer protrudes beyond the leading edge of the door, so when the door is in the closed position it will protrude beyond the face of the jamb by 1-2". This may be objectionable to some...