How to Repair a Sliding Door

The most common problem with sliding doors is sticking. While that can be caused by a variety of things, it's not a difficult thing to fix. Here's a checklist.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Denatured Alcohol
• Crevice Tool Vacuum Attachments
• Rags
• Vacuum Cleaners
• Weather Stripping
• Paraffin Waxes
• Screwdriver Sets
• Vacuum cleaners

1. Check the floor track for dirt, leaves, pebbles, mildew or other junk that can obstruct the rollers. Also look for dents or dings that may cause the door to stick.

2. Squirt a little bit of powdered graphite into the rollers.

3. Rub a block of paraffin along the tracks.

4. Check the alignment of the latch if it's not catching properly. Loosen the screws and align the mount with the latch.

5. Replace the door if condensation causes fogging. It's not cost-effective in most cases to replace just the glass.

6. Check the weather stripping. Pressure-sensitive or stick-on weather stripping can be applied around a leaky sliding door.

Tips & Warnings

• Clean the frame with denatured alcohol on a rag before applying weather stripping.

• Vacuum the track periodically with a hose attachment.

• If the door continues to stick and jar after these steps, call a glass company to have the nylon rollers replaced. This will run about $60 but is much less expensive than a new door.