How to Make a Glass Track Door Slide More Easily

Sliding track glass doors add light to a home and provide a large view of the world outside, but getting through the door can become a hassle when the track begins to stick. Rough-sliding track doors can become clogged with dirt, grime and mud, causing the door to hesitate and jerk when it is pulled or pushed. Common household cleaning products and spray lubricant can solve this annoying problem.

Things You'll Need

• Cleaning product in a spray bottle, such as Formula 409
• Spray lubricant, such as WD-40
• Paper towels
• Nylon scrub brush

Instructions

1. Lift the door toward the upper track and pull forward from the bottom to disengage the door from the lower track. Get an assistant to help; sliding glass doors are heavy. Set the door down lengthwise on the floor, leaning it against a wall to reduce the chance of knocking it over and shattering the glass.

2. Spray a cleaning solution on the top and bottom rollers of the door and along the upper and lower tracks of the door frame. Let the solution soak in for five minutes.

3. Wipe down the cleaner and the dirt from the top and bottom of the door with paper towels. Scrub the tracks with the nylon brush to loosen grit and mud. Wipe down the top and bottom tracks with paper towels to remove all dirt, inspecting the lower track for pieces of gravel, twigs or other debris that can fall into the channels and clog the track.

4. Spray the upper and lower tracks and both ends of the door with a silicon-based lubricant, such as WD-40.

5. Reinstall the door by placing the upper edge in the top track first, then tilting the door inward to align with the lower track. Slide the door back and forth several times to lubricate the rollers and test the movement.

References

• This Old House
• Home Tips