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A piece of this bi-fold closet door has warped, and as a result many of the slats have pulled out of one or both of their end-points. It seems like it should be possible to repair this with clamps, wood glue, and/or a reinforcing bracket. However, there's more than a dozen loose slats, and they all have to work their way precisely back into their grooves while the edge is being clamped back into it's original shape. They all just keep wiggling around.

How can I line the pieces back up and restore the door shape all at once?

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    use lots of patience
    – jsotola
    Commented Jun 30, 2019 at 22:52
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    have another look at your door ... it looks like the slats did not fall out because of warpage
    – jsotola
    Commented Jun 30, 2019 at 22:54
  • Mine did the same thing. I took it down and laid it on sawhorses, carefully got everything positioned, applied wood glue to frame corner where it had pulled out and to each slat, then clamped it. It has been good as new ever since.
    – Jimmy Fix-it
    Commented Jun 30, 2019 at 22:57
  • Take it off, lay it on a flat surface with a plastic tarp underneath, reglue and clamp or weight it. The break at the top is not likely because it "warped".
    – DrMoishe Pippik
    Commented Jun 30, 2019 at 23:34
  • Finished the repair, and commenting here for anyone who sees this and is trying to do the same thing in the future: I found it much easier to do this with the door standing on it's side than laying down totally flat (as some have suggested). Lying flat, gravity makes the slats flop back out. On it's side, the flats are just standing on their ends so gravity isn't working against you.
    – David Tresner-Kirsch
    Commented Jul 22, 2019 at 18:26

1 Answer 1

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Apply glue and clamping pressure from the center and work slowly upwards. As you gradually tighten the clamps, fit the slots back in place working upwards as the space between the stiles closes. It should slide back together. You might add a mechanical fastener to the top to strengthen it.

I've fixed similar doors this way. Be patient and don't rush it.

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  • Thanks, Greg. This worked out, with the help of a couple extra pairs of hands to align a few slats at a time. I did indeed add a couple mechanical fasteners.
    – David Tresner-Kirsch
    Commented Jul 22, 2019 at 18:24
  • Good to hear! Always good to have some help. Hopefully neither one of us will have to do that ever again....
    – gnicko
    Commented Jul 23, 2019 at 19:18

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