The sliding glass door that leads to my back patio has gotten harder and harder to open. It wasn’t operating great when I first moved into my house, but as it got worse, I decided it was time to figure out how to get it to slide correctly before I couldn’t open (or close!) it at all. I was worried I that instead of just some sliding glass door repair, I might actually have to replace the whole door! Here is what I learned about how to fix a jammed sliding door.
First, it was obvious that no one had cleaned the track for a very long time. I guess that’s not an area you think about when cleaning the floors, so this was the first thing I tackled. No wonder my sliding door sticks!
Sliding Glass Door Repair, Step 1: Clean the Track
I vacuumed out all of the loose dirt, bark, and other debris that had built up over time.
I then used a cotton rag and multi- purpose cleaner to wipe out the track, paying special attention to the silver slider in the center of the track. Most sliding glass doors have this track and there are rollers on the bottom of the door that roll on top of the metal track.
I then tested the door, and I couldn’t tell much difference in it’s ability to slide. At least the track looked better!
In case you run into an area that is gummy or sticky to the touch within the door track, I would refer you to my article on household solvents to select something that will be better at dissolving the sticky stuff better than general purpose cleaning spray.
Sliding Glass Door Repair, Step 2: Clear Out the Hard-to-Reach Location
There is an area in the center of the sliding door track where the stationary window and the sliding door overlap. I realized that there was a bunch of crud there that I couldn’t get to with my cleaning rag.
I got a bamboo skewer, and wrapped a small piece of paper towel around the end, then I saturated the towel with cleaner. Plain water would also work.
Ewwww!
Bamboo skewers are one of my top DIY tools - they are so useful for cleaning, reaching into tiny places and for detail work when staining, painting or caulking. This link takes you to the 8" variety that you commonly see in my images, but it also links the 12" variety which is a handy size to have on hand for things like fishing something out that dropped between car seats.
I worked the skewer under the door and eventually worked a big plug of debris out from underneath the center section of track. This picture only shows about 1/4 of what was jammed between the door and the track! I kept working at it until nothing else came out and my paper towel stayed clean.
What the Door Professionals Do
People who are in the business of fixing doors just lift the door that moves out of the track. That of course makes it easier to clean out the track and check the condition of the rollers. Unless you are very strong and know what you are doing, I would caution against this method in a DIY situation.
How Much Does a Sliding Door Weigh?
A LOT! Okay – so here is a quick way to know what your door weighs. Measure the door in feet, then use a factor of 6.5 pounds per square feet to estimate the weight of a typical door that has two panes of glass. In the case of my door:
2.5′ x 6.5′ x 6.5 = 105 pounds (approximate)
There is no way I can lift my door out of the track by myself. Once it is out of the track, how would I even set it down or get it back in there? I’m liking my bamboo skewers even more right now.
Sliding Glass Door Repair, Step 3: Adjust the Rollers
Now my sliding glass door started sliding a little better, but I decided I would also adjust the position of the rollers to see if I could get it to not require as much effort.
Most sliding glass doors have two rollers on the bottom – one on each side of the door. You can adjust how far the roller extends from the bottom of the door by turning the adjustment screw on each side.
Look at the bottom of your door and you should see two screws on each side near the bottom. Leave the top screw alone – it is holding the roller housing in place! You should be able to turn the bottom adjustment screw.
In my case turning to the Right Raised my door a bit and turning to the Left Lowered my door a bit. I’ve read conflicting instructions on the ‘web, so perhaps door rollers differ. In any case, you can adjust the screw on your door by about 1/2 of a turn and be able to see how yours works.
Play around with the adjustment on each side of your door until you get it to slide to your liking.
If your adjustment screw(s) will not turn, or will not raise/lower the rollers, don’t panic! The roller assemblies can be replaced. That is out of the scope of this article, but don’t assume you need a whole new door.
Tips for Adjusting the Rollers when a Sliding Door Sticks
Sometimes the weight of the door makes it hard to turn the adjustment screws on you sticky sliding door. Here are a couple of ideas that might help:
- Sometimes you can tip the door a bit with your other hand. For instance, when my door is open, it slides up to a rubber stop. Pushing at the top of the door tips it against the stop. It is a lot easier to turn the adjustment screw without the weight of the door.
- In the door closed position it is harder to tip the door as described above. I just put a sturdy screwdriver underneath the door and lifted to get it to tip a bit. I then adjusted the roller screw with part of the door weight removed.
- You can also close the door against a sturdy object (I used a shoe) placed across the track and then tipped the door by pushing towards the top of the door frame.
- If the screw won’t turn at all, consider that you might be at the end of the adjustment range for the roller. Try turning the other direction to determine if the adjustment screw will turn at all. If not, it may be time for a roller replacement. Roller replacements need to be done by people who can lift very heavy doors out of the track (may no longer be a DIY project).
I hope these ideas will help you with your own Sliding Glass door repair – especially the detailed steps for getting the entire track clean and dirt free.
Is your sliding glass door not very private? If you have a door that is too close to a public walkway or a neighbor’s window, you might be interested in this tip: Convert any window in your home into a Privacy Window.
