Troubleshooting a Sticky Sliding Patio Door
Updated: Nov. 10, 2023
Need a bodybuilder to get your sliding patio door open? Over time, dirt and grime buildup and faulty rollers can make sliding doors difficult to open and close. Troubleshoot a sticky sliding patio door with these tips.
Clean the Track
Sliding door tracks are magnets for dirt, dust, pet hair, bugs, grass, food crumbs, you name it. The tracks are notoriously difficult to clean so you’ll have to pull out all the stops. First vacuum loose debris so you can see what you’re working with. Next take a dry, stiff scrub brush and work through, corner to corner. An old toothbrush will work wonders, or invest in a grout brush that is narrow enough to fit in the track. Vacuum again and wipe clean with a damp sponge or cleaning eraser. Be sure to open and close the door a few times between steps to loosen up dirt caught in the hard to reach rollers. While you’re at it, try these 13 quick cleaning tips.
Buy this product on Amazon now.
Photo: Courtesy of Oxo/Amazo
Lubricate
Once the patio door track is nice and clean, lubricate the track with a silicone-based lubricant, spraying and rolling the door back and forth to work in the lubricant. A silicone-based product will help the door glide without attracting dirt and grime like standard oil lubricants will. If you’re looking for an alternative, more natural lubricant, try rubbing clear paraffin wax along the track instead. Use wax to lubricate your tablesaw too.
Photo: Courtesy of Blaster/Amazon
Adjust Rollers
Most sliding patio doors have one or two small holes at the top and bottom of the door for adjusting the roller height. These hole are often covered with a plastic plug. Remove the plug and use a screwdriver to tighten and loosen the roller height, making very small adjustments and testing each time. With some trial and error, you can often adjust the roller height just right for a smoother glide. It may be helpful to work with a partner, and have one person hoist the door up while the other adjusts the roller height. Here are more in-depth details on adjusting sliding door rollers.
Check Your Warranty
If cleaning and lubricating the track and adjusting the rollers did not solve the problem the next step will involve some heavy lifting, so check the warranty information on the sliding patio door first. Often doors and windows have long warranty periods and service or replacement parts may still be covered.
Remove Door
Once you’ve checked for warranty coverage, you may want to remove the door entirely and check the rollers and tracks for issues. Sliding doors are very heavy, very breakable and very expensive—this is a two-person job. First, slide open the door completely and remove the head stop. Then lift the door up and out of the track, laying it down carefully across two sawhorses. Never leave the glass door unattended. Pry the rollers from their pocket with a flathead screwdriver and check if they are bent or damaged and need replacement.
Clean Rollers
Remove rollers and clean with water and a hard-bristle brush. This is also a good time to add some silicone lubricant to the wheels. Replace the rollers by lining them up with the adjustment holes and install them at their highest placement to make installing the door easier. You can always adjust again once the door is back in the frame. If it’s time for a brand new sliding patio door, here’s how to install a new one.
Buy this product now on Amazon.
Photo: Courtesy of Prime Line/Amazon
Check Weather Stripping
While the door is removed, check all weather stripping for loose or damaged areas. If trim or weather stripping is not secured tightly it could be causing unnecessary friction. Here’s how to replace sliding patio door weather stripping.
Consult a Pro
If you’re troubleshooting hasn’t resolved the problem of a sticking sliding patio door, contact a patio door expert and have them take a look. There could be structural issues that are causing the problem. If you need to replace the door, If you need to replace the door, this step-by-step guide to replacing a sliding patio door is all you need to make it a DIY project.
Disclosure: This post is brought to you by The Family Handyman editors, who aim to highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We welcome your feedback. Have something you think we should know about? Contact us, here.
