What to Do when Your Screen Door Is too Short

Over time, certain situations may contribute to making your screen door short. Constant operation of your screen door may cause the wheels to become worn, or cracks in the door's structure may cause it to shorten. Other issues such as balance and rolling also have an affect on your screen door. Fortunately, a shortened screen door doesn't necessarily mandate a replacement door. With the proper materials and instruction, you can repair your screen door to operate like new.

Step 1 - Inspect Door Tracking

If your screen door struggles to stay on its track when you open it or if it simply falls out, a careful inspection of why the problem is occurring is needed. Check the tracks at the bottom of your door to see if there is any debris such as twigs and other debris hindering proper operation. If there is debris in the track, your problem is simply solved by removing the debris and you can wash the track to ensure there is no gunk left behind. However, if debris in the track is not the issue, continue to inspect the door itself.

Step 2 - Inspect Door Frame

A close examination of your screen door's frame could reveal the issue. Remove the door from the track and place it in front of you so as to look down the top edge of the door. Check to see that the top edge of the door is perfectly straight. Repeat this action for the bottom edge of the door and on both sides. You may find that your door is warped in one of these four places and straightening it with your hand if the frame of the door is aluminum will suffice.

Step 3 - Check Angles

After inspecting and correcting in warp in your screen door, check each of the angles on the corners of the doors to ensure that the angles are indeed 90 degrees. There are times when the seams of the angles separate and cause the door to be improperly shaped. If the angles are separated, place your screen door on a flat surface and push the opposite corners of the door to bring the seams back together. Soldering the corners together will prevent separation in the future. Once you have soldered the corners, check the door again for any warp.

Step 4 - Inspect Rollers

Depending upon how old your screen door is, the rollers that operate in the tracks of door frame may be worn. If this is the case, your screen door will appear to be too short. With your screwdriver, remove the old rollers and install the new rollers on your screen door's frame. Ensure they are properly secured

Step 5 - Place Door Back in Frame

Once you have made all adjustments and replacement of hardware, place your screen door back in its frame. Check to see that it slides properly and that the door is secure in its frame.