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How to Adjust Sliding Patio Doors

There are many little day to day things in life that can be annoying, but one of the more irritating things is a sticking patio door. The good news is that as long as you have a bit of general repair knowledge and basic common sense, this can be a repair handled on your own.

Patio doors can be removed quite easily by simply lifting straight up. The door should be able to be lifted up and swung out of the bottom aluminum track, and then the top should come out equally as easily.

Sometimes the sticking door is the result of the door's gliding system malfunction, or the hardware is corroded, or has tightened. This can be fixed by adjusting the bottom track roller or glider. A screw that holds the wheel in place may need to be loosened slightly but be careful since this hardware is often brittle and can break easily. Replacement glides or rollers can be purchased at your local hardware store but be sure to take the old one with you so that a proper replacement part is purchased. Once the wheel has been adjusted, re-install the door to see if this solves the problem. If not, it may be time for a trip to the hardware store to get a replacement glide or roller. It is also recommended to grease all working hardware to prevent further sticking or keep any of the metal parts from rusting up, making more issues down the road. Make sure that you do this before replacing the door in its frame.

Often the sticking door is the result of a dirty track, which is also a quick and easy fix for homeowners. Again, remove the patio door from the frame and put it somewhere safe from accidents. Use a broom or a whisk broom to clear the large debris away from and out of the track. Once that is done check the track for holes that have been made by the manufacturer. These holes are purposefully put there to help keep water drained away from the track. With a small piece of wire or an opened up paper clip, clear any dirt from those holes. Now it is time to find the vacuum cleaner or dust buster and give the tracks a quick vacuuming to make sure the smaller bits of dirt are all cleared out. Wash the tracks out and off using a mild detergent and water and rinse them with clear water once the first washing has been completed. Once the washing has been completed, let it air dry or wipe dry with a lint free cloth. To help prevent further sticking, rub the track with a waxy door lubricant or simply use a candle to coat the tracks with a light waxy coating to help keep the tracks easy to roll on. Now you are ready to re-install the door and give it a test run!

Sometimes the door is hard to slide because the rollers or glides have become dirty. You can choose to replace them, but with a minimal amount of effort, it may be just as quick and easy to clean them instead. You can use kerosene or charcoal lighting fluid or mineral spirits to clean off dirt and gummy materials from the rollers with the help of an old toothbrush. Make sure that you work in a well ventilated area when using these products and wear rubber gloves to protect your hands and goggles in case you scrub a bit too vigorously! Again, once they are cleaned and dry, add a touch of lubricant to keep them working freely and prevent any corrosion from building up on them.

In each instance make sure to check the doors movement after the re-installation to be sure your repairs did the trick, then sit back, and feel proud of a job well done.

About the Author

Quality windows doors manufacturer offers a large selection of the
best replacement windows
, vinyl windows and
sliding patio doors
. All backed with our Stellar Lifetime Warranty that's transferable from builders to home-owners.

my sliding screen door that is very hard to slide has no wheels,just on a track.Should I adjust the screws?

Cheap door at the apt complex.... it's just on a track, but has 4 screws. Are they for tension or something?

Call the apartment office and tell them it does not roll properly. Most have wheels, yours just may be gone. The four screws you speak of are just holding the frame together. If you have called and they "fixed" it, call back and explain in more detail. If they come back and it still does not work, call again. Eventually they will get someone down there to fix it correctly if they don't the first time. The soap idea will help but this is a temporary fix that you pay monthly to have repaired. Good luck...

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