How to Replace Exterior Sliding Doors

Exterior sliding doors are used to separate the inside of the home to the outside which lead to patios, pools or a garden. Replacing exterior sliding doors is not a hard thing to do when everything is properly set up. Adjusting the replacement door can, however, be a little tricky. The article that follows will teach you how to replace exterior sliding doors easily.

Step 1 - Remove the Old Sliding Doors

Look at the top and the bottom of the sliding glass doors. The way to remove exterior sliding doors is to loosen the adjust screws. Once they are fully down the sliding doors can easily be lifted off the track. Next to be removed is the sliding door frame. This will include the tracks as well as the left and right side of the frame. Use the electric screwdriver, along with the pry bar, to remove the screws on the metal track and then pry them away. Locate the screws attaching the left and right side of the sliding door frame. There may be a nail strip outside under the house trim. Remove the trim to check then remove the nail strip if present. You can simply lift the tracks away from the frame.

Step 2 - Install the Exterior Sliding Door Frame

The new sliding doors will come with a set of new tracks as well as a metal frame. Though most of these are standard, it is a good idea to use the one that comes with the new sliding door. Read the instructions thoroughly and follow them to the letter on how to set paths and adjustments for the exterior sliding doors. Use the screws provided and line the new tracks and trim up with the previously used holes. Use the level to make sure that the tracks are level. Ensuring the tracks are level before screwing them in place will save time and extra work later on down the road. Use the electric screwdriver and secure the tracks and trim in place.

Step 3 - Install the Exterior Sliding Doors

This is the easiest part of installing exterior sliding doors but it can also be somewhat tedious. Lift one of the doors up and carefully place it on the track. You will have to hold it in place as you use the screwdriver to adjust the wheels on the exterior sliding doors. Adjust the top wheels as well until the door can sit in the frame without a possibility of falling. Use the screwdriver to continue to adjust the top and bottom wheels until you achieve a smooth movement on the door over the tracks. Now, lift and place the second sliding door in the track and repeat exactly what you did with the first door. Constantly check the glide motion of the exterior sliding doors to make sure that they open and close easily. Be prepared to constantly be adjusting the wheels until you eventually find the right level for each door.