Aaaargh!! My dog has totally destroyed the frame of the screen door on our sliding patio door. When we went to get a replacement we found that all the available doors are taller than ours and won't fit. We've been told that the standards have recently changed... true or BS?

I have no idea who made our door, so I can't contact the manufacturer.

There is a removable track at the bottom of the frame. It has a ridge that the slotted wheels would ride on. The track reduces the clearance I have by about 1/4 to 5/8 of an inch. 1) is it necessary to have the track there; 2) do the tracks come in various heights, i.e., can I replace it with a shorter one to get more clearance?

Any ideas?

 

So, we've been told that we do, indeed, need the track at the bottom for the rollers to ride on (interesting that there is no ridged track in the top channel, yet the doors have slotted wheels both top and bottom).

Both Lowes and Home Depot sell the same brand replacement doors, the shortest of which is 1/4 inch too tall I can' t seem to find any info online re: specs from other door manufacturers, and local door dealers are rare. How can a less than $50 item cause so much trouble?

The most useful suggestion has been that we may need to replace the entire unit to get a screen door to fit.

I know it seems like such a small thing, but am I destined to never feel the breeze though my back door ever again? I need help, suggestions.

I looked at one of those retractable screens last night but a 40" wide one was $160! Nice idea, but it was coming apart top & bottom and was way expensive for something I'm not sure it would stand up to my pets, anyway.