Preserve the life of your sliding glass door and protect other components with some of SWISCO’s upkeep tips.
After years of regular use, sliding glass door hardware like tracks and rollers can get clogged with dirt and debris, or may even become damaged. When this happens, the door becomes difficult to open and can cause other hardware like the handles to break from bearing the pressure to open the door. Preserve the life of your sliding glass door and protect other components with some of SWISCO’s upkeep tips.
Remove & Clean
First, remove the sliding door. Adjust the rollers to retract enough for the door to be lifted up and out of the frame. Open the door to the center of the opening then pull outward at the bottom. Be sure to have someone else nearby to help.
While the door is removed, now is a good chance to clean out any debris from the crevices of the track. Use a stiff brush or vacuum cleaner along the length of the track.
Some sliding glass doors are removed a bit differently, so, if you’re having any doubts about the removal process, ask our experts on the SWISCO website.
Replace Rollers
While the door is out, inspect the rollers for dirt or damage. If they’re in bad shape, remove them for replacement or repair. To determine the replacement roller needed for your door, match its style and dimensions to the options in the patio glass door replacement hardware section of the SWISCO online catalog. Or, let our experts recommend a replacement for you by sending photos and dimensions through our free hardware identification service.
For more information on replacing the rollers, see our How-to Replace a Sliding Glass Door Roller Guide. as well as our guide detailing unique roller characteristics.
Replace the Track or Add a Track Cover
It’s time to replace the track once it’s dented enough to interfere with the door rolling smoothly.
This can be fixed by either installing a new door track or track cover. To install a track cover, cut a stainless-steel channel to the length of the original track, then snap the channel onto the old track. Press it down with a woodblock. If needed, readjust the rollers by turning the roller adjusting screws.
Replacement tracks and track covers can be found in the patio sliding glass door accessories section of the online SWISCO catalog.
For information targeted toward replacing patio door handle sets, see our Legacy guide, as well as an overview of our diverse 82-030 handle set, to help you determine the best style and dimensions needed for your door.
Since all sliding glass doors can work differently, reach out to our experts for advice specific to your door if you’re having trouble at any phase of the project.
Anonymous
2 years ago
your parts are life savers i love buying parts there
Anonymous
2 years ago
What lubricant do you recommend for door rollers? Petroleum, sylacon, lithiu…
Casey Rosevelt
2 years ago
Great question! We actually carry the 75-077 slider slicker track lubricant, which can help the roller wheel slide more easily on the track rail. If the wheel needs lubricating as well, any of the options you mentioned could work. We just recommend avoiding WD-40 since that type of lubricant can cause a buildup of dirt and debris.
Anonymous
2 years ago
Interested in purchasing parts for all Types of Windows.We are a Window .
Repair Company that does Apartment Building work for Building Management Companies.
Casey Rosevelt
2 years ago
Great, we supply many replacement parts that are commonly found in standard apartments. I’d encourage you to look through our catalog and if there is a specific part that you need, feel free to send photo to our experts for identification.
Anonymous
1 year ago
I am looking for this type of solution so long time. Finally I got this website. I am very glad to know about all this thing, All of this problem we are facing most of the time. Thank you so much.
Anonymous
2 months ago
I recently had a patio built to use for our outdoor dining needs since I had it connected to our kitchen, so I need sliding glass doors installed for its entry soon. I appreciate your reminder when you told us that sliding doors can get clogged with dirt too after years of regular use, which can cause problems with opening them. I’ll be sure to remember this and do proper maintenance once I find a glass company to hire for our patio sliding door installation soon.