Does your sliding glass door have to slide? Then something must be wrong somewhere. Read this post to learn about the causes and fixes for hard-to-slide glass doors.
After reading through it, you can troubleshoot and address such problems. Without any delay, let’s get on with our discussion.
My Sliding Glass Door is Hard To Slide Open
A sliding glass door in your home can make you feel more expansive. Besides having elegant looks, it’s practical and can provide your home with natural light.
Plus, it allows fresh air to circulate throughout your house. However, these doors require a significant level of maintenance. That way, they can keep rolling smoothly and efficiently.
What Causes Sliding Doors Hard to Slide?
Did you try sliding your glass door and get stuck in the track?
Several factors can cause your door to become challenging to open and close. Among them are broken tollers, misaligned sliding doors, worn rollers, and heavy buildup.
Other causes are deteriorated seals, cracked or shattered glass, ripped screens, and broken latches. Sometimes, a settled wall and sagging header can cause such doors to become hard to slide.
Let’s review a few of these causes.
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Significant Buildup in the Tracks
Heavy buildup on the rollers or in the door tracks can make it challenging to open or close. Such buildup accumulates in many shapes and forms.
It could be regular dirt, hair, food scraps, or pebbles. All these substances can be deposited in the tracks and cause problems over time.
In most cases, cleaning significant debris buildup in sliding door tracks can be challenging. The door must be removed for deep and effective cleaning.
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Roller Issues
This is another factor that can cause your door to swing hard. When one of your rollers stops working, it will cause the wheels to get jammed, making you trip over and ruin your perm.
When this happens, you’ll have trouble opening and closing your sliding glass door.
It’s pretty simple to fix roller issues once you have a professional team. They’ll remove the bad rollers and replace them with brand-new ones.
Until then, the sliding door has to be removed.
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Alignment Issues
At one point or another, your door might get knocked off-kilter.
It’ll be challenging to open or close your sliding glass door when that happens. In that case, you’ll have to realign the door in the tracks at the top and bottom.
Then you remove the door and reinsert it.
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Broken Hardware
Over time, the hardware on your door may get broken or degrade. You’ll have trouble opening and closing the door when that time comes.
All the damaged hardware must be replaced before you can enjoy smooth operation. These include tracks, guides, handles, rollers, bumpers, and
more.
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Deteriorated Seal
Sliding doors are usually designed with seals. This keeps debris, clogs, and elements out of your home. When those seals deteriorate over time, it can lead to water damage and insects in your home.
In addition to that, it’ll make your door difficult to open and close.
How to Make Sliding Glass Doors Slide Easier
Knowing the causes of difficult-to-open sliding glass doors is critical. However, you must learn how to fix those problems.
If not for the experience, you’ll significantly reduce the cost of repairs. You’ll need to read on to address a sliding door with opening and closing issues.
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Clean the Door Tracks of Debris
Remember, your door tracks can accumulate dirt and debris over time, obstructing the operation.
To continue sliding your door smoothly, such buildup must be removed. A vacuum cleaner can suck up any heavy or loose debris and dirt.
Once done, use a stiff-bristled brush and scrub the track thoroughly. Until then, apply a cleaning solution to the door tracks or brush as you wash.
That way, you’ll remove the remaining dirt and grime. Wipe off any residual cleaning solution with a rag and scoop up any leftover dirt with a vacuum cleaner.
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Adjust or Replace Broken Rollers
Sliding doors are typically designed with adjustable heights to align on the track. When the rollers get thrown out of alignment due to wear and tear, it’ll hinder their performance.
In that case, you’ve realigned them. To do so, you’ll need to locate its adjustable screws. They’re often found on the side of the door, next to the rollers.
Usually, these screws are concealed with plastic plugs. Remove a small prying tool and remove them. Once exposed, use a screwdriver and turn the adjustment screws clockwise.
This will raise the rollers. But if you adjust the screws anticlockwise, the rollers will be lowered. So you must change the rollers on both sides to ensure evenness.
However, if the rollers are broken, you’ll need to remove them and replace them with new ones. As for dirt, you’ll only need to clean out the debris and put it back.
But before you do that, apply some lubricant to all moving parts.
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Fix Bent or Damaged Tracks
As earlier highlighted, bent or damaged tracks can cause sliding glass doors hard to slide. In that case, you’ll need to get it fixed.
Usually, channels with an inward bend pinch and grab the door as it slides along the track. Then outward bends can throw them out of alignment and possibly derail them.
For minor bends, you can handle it yourself. Use a pair of pliers, a hammer, and a wood block for the repair. As for significant arcs, you’ll have to call for professional help.
Such requirements will require more than just a hammer and pliers.
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Repair Broken Screen
A wrinkled or broken screen can hinder the performance of your sliding glass door. Therefore, you’ll need to get the screens back in shape.
You can remove the screen and lay the door on a work surface. Next, slip a 1×4 block under each end. Once you’ve done that, clamp the middle of the door to put a slight bow in the frame.
Attach the new screen to one end of the frame using staples of rubber spline.
Go to the other end and pull the screen snugly and flat. Ensure it’s tight enough before fastening it. Release the clamps so the door frame will remove the screen as it strengthens.
Having a hard-to-open or closed sliding glass door can cause serious inconveniences. In other cases, it can pose a safety risk to your household.
If that’s your current situation, right above you are some causes and fixes. You can follow these guidelines and address the problems of your door.
But if you cant do it yourself, seek help from experts.