Sliding doors are a beauty worth adding to any home. This presentable beauty of the sliding door, however, comes with some heartbreak when they refuse to either open or close smoothly or when they don’t easily open as expected. When you have such challenges in opening or closing your patio door by sliding it, this could denote that there is something which is not right with the track that needs to be checked and fixed.
Amongst the things that could easily cause such problems of malfunction are dirt trapped in the track, loose screws, denting of the track, or some breakage of the track. Such breakages in the track, presence of debris in the track, or any bend in the track could need repairs or at the best replacement of the whole track. Dents in the track are mostly caused by constant wear or feet that always step on the track. This can as well other damages like breakage of the track. If you have problems with your patio doors, wheels or locks don't estimate to call or email us and receive a quote.
Before you consider buying and replacing a full set of the sliding door, you could consider the option of repairing or only replacing the track. To fix a damaged or malfunctioning sliding door track, you can do the following:
- You should first inspect and assess the track for any damages. This would help you know whether you need to replace the entire sliding door or just repair it. Damages that you may notice in your sliding door track include bends, breakages or cracks or the presence of debris in the track. After rightly identifying the issue, you can then easily make conclusions on the best way to salvage the problem you have noticed. Bends and the presence of debris in the track can easily be taken care of by mere repairs. Breakages, on the other hand, may force you to a complete overhaul of the sliding door to acquiring a new kit.
- If the diagnosed problem is the presence of debris and it is ascertained, then there is a need to clean the track channel. Open your door fully and use a flat-headed screwdriver to remove any debris trapped in the track channel as a way of cleaning it. Much attention needs to be put in the areas where the track meets the door jamb. You can as well use a vacuum cleaner that has a crevice to clean the track of any debris. Check for any loose screws as these can also cause the sliding door not to open or close easily. Tighten any such loose screws. For any screws that cannot be tightened, you will have to replace them .you may need to use larger screws in cases where smaller ones will not tighten. You also have to replace missing screws as well. Proceed and test your sliding door before going to the next step in case the problem is not yet fixed.
- In case you notice any dent or bend in the track, you can use some straight scrap wood of equal length and size as the track and use it to mend the bend. Beginning from the undamaged portion of the track (the undented or unbent part), slide the wood slowly into the track toward the dented portion. With gentleness, use a hammer to tap the wood to straighten any bends in the track.
- If you do all the above and your sliding door still has some malfunction, it may force you to replace the track with a new one. A new track can be purchased from a hardware shop and installation be done as per a manual of instructions.