Sliding glass doors are one of the most common types of doors in homes and businesses. They are also known as patio doors or French doors. They’re used for both indoor and outdoor entrances, but they have their own specific maintenance requirements.
There are plenty of tasks that come up during spring cleaning that we may not want to do. But if you don’t keep up with maintenance, you’ll end up paying for it with repairs down the line. One example is sliding glass doors. They do require care and upkeep that most find annoying or unpleasant, but it’s better than the expenses you might pay for repairing instead of maintaining. Sometimes as much as repairs in the thousands. There are only a few components to a sliding glass door. There is the frame that holds the sliding door, the glass in the centre of the panels, a handle, a lock, weather stripping, a track, and rollers.
Clean the Tracks of Your Sliding Door
Sliding doors are very convenient and easy to use. They are also the best way to make your home look more modern window design. Sliding doors can be installed in any room, but they are mostly used in bedrooms, living rooms and bathrooms. To clean sliding doors, you need to remove all the dirt from the tracks and frames. The best way to do this is by washing them with warm water and soap.
While cleaning the frame and track, also make sure to clean and repair the rollers. Using a wire brush to clean them and wipe them down is usually enough to remove stuck-on debris from the roller. Depending on the wear and tear you may need to replace them more often. You also should use the same lubricant used on the track on the rollers to give it more of a smooth slider.
How can you fix Your Track?
While you can use an aerosol-based wax spray you may want to use a non-stick silicone-based lube as it won’t freeze in the winter or warp in the summer. The alternative could mean possible rusting, bent or broken tracks, or rollers that would need to be replaced. In Florida specifically, the salty ocean air can cause damage to the rollers which could mean they will no longer glide smoothly on their tracks.
Need replacing more often
Remove the old wheel by unscrewing the screw holding it in place. You may need to use a wrench or pliers to remove it. Remove any other screws around the hole where the wheel was located and pull out any plastic pieces that may be stuck inside the hole.
Hold your replacement wheel over the opening where your old one was located and slide it into place until all of its holes line up with those in your door. Put in the screws to hold it in place, but don’t tighten them completely yet; this will come later when you adjust your new door track properly.
Cleaning the Track
Cleaning sliding doors can be a bit of a pain and time consuming. While cleaning the frame and track, also make sure to clean and repair the rollers. Using a brush to clean them and wipe them down is usually enough to remove stuck-on debris from the roller. Depending on the wear and tear you may need to replace them more often. You also should use the same lubricant used on the track on the rollers to give it more of a smooth slider.
Broken Glass can be Repaired
One of the more common problems and one people are more willing to buy a new door than replace it, is when the glass is cracked or breaks. Some companies can come out and repair small cracks or chips in the windows without needing to replace the glass at all. Or if it is cracked or broken a lot of people will throw the whole thing out and get a new one.
