Question: We have an original patio door on a Geneva home that is about 15 years old. It is getting very hard to open and close as we have a dog and use it more often than perhaps most people. We have cleaned and sprayed the track/door and made minor adjustments yet it still is difficult. It is not terribly noisy, but does occasionally crunch. We had someone look at it and were told there is not much we can do besides replacement. Any suggestions for improvement? Is there a service provider who is familiar with our product who could be more helpful? Appreciate any help you can offer.
Answer: Start by cleaning the track on the door sill where the door rolls. Dirt accumulates on this track and inhibits the free rolling of the wheels under the door. The best tool for this is a soft brass wire brush shaped like a toothbrush. A little Soft Scrub will hasten this cleaning. When the track is clean you will need to lubricate it. Use silicone spray made for garage doors or WD40. Lay newspapers on both sides of the track to catch any overspray so it doesn’t get on the floor. Do not use regular oil as it will attract dirt.
Next you need to adjust the height of the roller wheels. If you look at the edge of the door about two inches up from the track you will see a one-half inch diameter hole. This hole may have a plastic plug. If so remove the plug with a knife. Inside this hole you will see a Philips head screw. With a Philips screwdriver turn this screw one revolution clockwise. Clockwise rotation will usually lower the wheel and raise the door. Slide the door to see if this helps the door to slide easier. If not, try turning the screw counterclockwise. This is a trial and error process to get the door sliding smoothly. There is another adjusting screw on the other side of the door the same two inches up from the track. Turn that screw the same direction and amount as the first one. If the door now slides freely you are done, but usually you will need to adjust the first screw a little bit. Go back and forth making small adjustments to the roller wheels until you get the best door sliding motion.
If you have suggestions for future tips or have questions about maintenance around your home, submit them to ask.the.woodchucks@gmail.com
