Old aluminum sliding door not sliding
#1
08-10-16, 02:52 PM
Old aluminum sliding door not sliding
We have an older patio sliding door leading from the kitchen to a 3 season room and you have to really "muscle" it to slide it open. I'm thinking the wheels are shot. Should I repair it or by another door?
I don't even know the brand, but it's just an unpainted silver door that I'm assuming is aluminum.
I don't even know the brand, but it's just an unpainted silver door that I'm assuming is aluminum.
#2
08-10-16, 02:58 PM
Group Moderator
No way to tell until you take the door out and examine the rollers. Taking the door out isn't usually too hard, but it often requires two people, a couple pry bars and a couple thin putty knives to help the rollers over the tracks.
Once it's out, you can use wd40 or similar to clean the rollers and see how they roll. But my advice would be to blow the wd40 off so it's dry before you put it back in. Oils just attract dirt, which is self-defeating. Be sure you clean the track as best as you can, a dirty track is the best way to lead to the early demise of those rollers.
You can also look to see if the rollers are adjustable... it's always possible the rollers are just out of adjustment and you are dragging it instead of rolling it... see if the rollers can be adjusted higher. (Making sure that as you adjust them, you are keeping the door vertically plumb with the masterframe.)
Fuzzy weatherstripping can get full of dirt and make the door tight, so you could also clean that good with soap, a scrub brush and a bucket of water.
Once it's out, you can use wd40 or similar to clean the rollers and see how they roll. But my advice would be to blow the wd40 off so it's dry before you put it back in. Oils just attract dirt, which is self-defeating. Be sure you clean the track as best as you can, a dirty track is the best way to lead to the early demise of those rollers.
You can also look to see if the rollers are adjustable... it's always possible the rollers are just out of adjustment and you are dragging it instead of rolling it... see if the rollers can be adjusted higher. (Making sure that as you adjust them, you are keeping the door vertically plumb with the masterframe.)
Fuzzy weatherstripping can get full of dirt and make the door tight, so you could also clean that good with soap, a scrub brush and a bucket of water.
