A LITTLE CAULK COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE!

Caulking, when exposed to the weather for a number of years, can dry out and chip away.  If you don’t re-caulk the outside edge of your sliding patio door track where it meets the cement, rain water will seep in and rot the wood below.

As the wood softens, the track sinks about 3/4″, just enough for the door to clear the track above. Then, when you open the 200 lb door, it falls on you! We have seen this more than once.

If your patio door track feels a little squishy when you step on it, you might consider a little maintenance before it becomes an issue.

 

WHY WON'T MY SCREEN STAY ON THE TRACK?

Many problems with sliding patio door screens not moving well and popping off the track can be attributed to broken or rusty rollers (wheels)... However, there is a common situation that causes the screen to become repeatedly dislodged... and, there's nothing wrong with the screen.

The screen moves along a small track parallel to the stationary panel of your patio door.  Over the years, this stationary panel can shift slightly outward at the bottom and encroach upon the screen track, interfering with the path of the screen.  When the screen gets to this point, it pops off.

The solution is to move the encroaching bottom corner of the stationary panel back into position and attach a bracket to prevent a reoccurrence.

This may not be as easy as it appears.  Often a utility bar and/or a rubber mallet is needed.

MY TRACK IS SINKING!

When your sliding patio door was new, it moved left and right along a level track.  But, now it sinks in the middle and on one end.
The track is so low at one point that there is now an air gap at the top of the door.  And, every time the door moves across a low point it scrapes.
This type of situation is not uncommon and could have been prevented with $4 worth of caulk.  Now, it will take hundreds of dollars to fix.
The sinking of the track is typically due to the deterioration of the underlying wood foundation support.  You have "wood rot".
Although the edge of the patio door track on the outside may be atop a cement ledge, the majority of the long track is supported below by wood.

If this wood is soaked with water every time it rains, it will soon deteriorate and become so soft that it will no longer be able to support the weight of the door as it rides along the track.
To keep rain water from reaching this supporting wood, a bead of caulk is run from one end of the track to the other along where the edge of the track meets the cement.
Since shifting over the years and harsh weather can cause the caulk to crack and lose it's seal, it needs periodically to be removed and replaced.  While your at it, caulk the joint where the track meets the vertical jamb at both ends.  Sometimes, settling can create gaps that will allow the permeation of rain water.
A sinking track can be level once again in a matter of hours.

The track can be unscrewed and separated at both ends to expose the rotting wood.  Then, the wood and track replaced.  This typically requires a skilled individual.
If the sinking has not yet become severe, composite shims can be used as the track is merely pried up a each depressed location.  Then the caulking must be addressed.


(Also read the posts about Pella Wood Rot and Weep Holes.)

A.D.A. COMPLIANCE

Our experience has shown that the elderly have more difficulty opening the sliding door to their patio or balcony than any other door they would encounter shopping downtown.

That's because all the downtown businesses conform to the A.D.A. requirements that specify no more than five pounds of pressure is required to open or close any door.

We make sliding patio doors compliant with A.D.A. (actually exceeding their requirements) in your own home.  We carry a special tool that measures the force required.  

PAINTING A SLIDER

There is something you should know before you call a painter to spruce up your sliding patio door.

If the operating door is not removed prior to painting, it will be difficult for the painter not to get paint on the weather-seal and this will adversely affect the ability of your door to keep out the cold.  And, after the paint hardens onto the weather-seal, you will likely notice a scrapping sound as the door is moved open and closed.  First removing the door will actually save the painter a little time as well.

Have a handyman or contractor remove the door for the painter, place atop some sawhorses and then return to replace the door when the paint dries.  This will cost you a few extra bucks, but the job will be done right and have a professional appearance.

Without the door being removed, it will be impossible for the painter to reach the seven-foot by three-inch vertical area (from top to bottom) on the operating door and the stationary panel where they interlock.

You may not notice the unpainted strip when you go in and out, but your guests will notice it.  It is apparent from inside and out when the door is opened at least three inches.  Additionally, there are other areas on the door that cannot be reached to paint, but they are not usually seen when the door is in place.  However, having the ability to access these other areas can help reduce the deterioration of un-clad wooden doors.

If this was never done years ago, take the opportunity to paint these sections and replace the damaged weather-seal the next time the door is removed for service.

DOOR SCRAPING AGAINST STATIONARY PANEL

Some sliding patio door systems have experienced the problem of rain water seeping behind the exterior cladding at the bottom of the glass.  To prevent such problems, we recommend running a bead of clear silicone caulk along the horizontal seam where the bottom of the glass meets the cladding.

If the water has saturated the wood beneath for some time, the wood will swell and the cladding will bulge out.  This can cause the operating door to scrape the cladding at this point.

To remedy this situation, it is recommended that the edge of the door be trimmed with an angle grinder (enough to clear the bulge) at the level where the scraping occurs.

But, after providing enough clearance to eliminate the scraping, you will find that you now have a slight air gap when the door is closed and interlocked with the bulging panel.

What we need to do is close the air gap with something flexible that will smoothly cross the bulge as the door opens and closes.

We recommend cutting a short piece from a length of door sweep that is designed with stiff nylon bristles.  Close the door completely and screw the "short sweep" to the edge with the bristles fully touching the stationary panel

This "bulging" situation has been observed more frequently on some models of Pella doors.

STATIONARY PANEL PULLS FROM JAMB

The immovable stationary panel(s) of a wood-core sliding patio door system should be secured to the jamb, however, over the years, if not secured properly, it can work its' way out of the jamb revealing an air gap.

These panels are usually kept in place by angle brackets at the top and bottom of the panel edge where it meets the movable sliding door.

Often, these angle brackets are missing, broken or bent.  Small galvanized angle brackets found at the hardware store may not be a sufficient replacement to secure the panel.  We recommend using brackets supplied by a sliding door manufacturer.  They do not necessarily need to be from the specific manufacturer of your door.

Some vinyl systems have nylon brackets where the panel meets the jamb at the top and bottom on the room side of the system.  These often break and, if they are from a "Republic" door, they are no longer available and must be retrofitted with a stronger alternative.

Once the panel has been re-set in the jamb, install the brackets to prevent a recurrence.

THE DANGER OF OLD GLASS

In the mid-1970's safety glass became the required standard for all sliding glass doors, however older annealed plate glass still remains in some homes today and can be deadly.

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2014/02/17/2-investigators-older-glass-windows-are-potentially-deadly/

THERMAL PANE GLASS MOISTURE REMOVAL

Cloudy Glass?

There are a few small businesses, which have the ability to remove the moisture from between the thermal panes of glass in windows for less than $150 each.

Using a special tool, they drill a small hole in the glass at two opposite corners, pump in some chemicals, rinse with a drying agent and plug the holes.  They claim the moisture will not reappear for at least 20 years.

It is important that the business have enough liability insurance to cover the cost of glass replacement should a crack or chip in the glass occur during the procedure.

Please note that this service removes only the moisture and will not remove any milky streaks.

Also, this procedure cannot be performed on tempered safety glass, which includes all sliding thermal pane glass patio doors.

SLIDING PATIO DOOR MAINTENANCE

All sliding doors require periodic maintenance and cleaning.  Each manufacturer provides detailed information about how their products are best maintained.  http://www.steinerhomesltd.com/manuals/windows/jeldwen_vinyl_windows_care.pdf
Unfortunately, home owners rarely take the time to access such information.

PELLA WOOD ROT

If your solid wood core sliding patio door is in close proximity to a pool, pond, fountain, stream, river, lake, waterfall or ocean... it will eventually rot.  It doesn't matter whether your door has external cladding or not.

The deterioration and swelling of the wood core is most apparent at the bottom frame of the operating door(s) and/or stationary panel(s) and, although it can be apparent within 10 years, in most cases, it can take over 20 years for the softened wood to no longer support the rollers.


However, wood rot has been found to be severe in less than ten years with some Pella products and is not covered under their 10-year warranty.  A class-action suit has attempted to address this consumer concern. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QH_G8cIvTb4


If caught in time, the deteriorating lower frame can be cost-effectively rebuilt.

NEW PATIO DOORS LEAK AIR

Some brand new sliding patio doors (usually solid wood core) have been found to leak air where the operating door interlocks with the stationary panel.

This often does not become apparent to the owner until cold weather sets in.

The reason cold air is felt blowing in around this interlock area is because the doors are not fully interlocked and the weather seal is not fully engaged.  This can occur even if the operating door is fully closed and securely locked.

The cause is due to the fact that the patio door system is likely about 1/4" too wide for the opening, the door was installed to be plumb and not square (and a 1/4" was lost)... or, the manufacturer made one or more of the components a little too wide and the installer did not have enough of a financial cushion in the job to take the time to correct the error. http://www.dehavenconstruction.com/vinyl-window/window-installation-errors-problems.php

The solution is to remove the stationary panel, plane the vertical jamb side and replace.

MULTI-POINT LOCKS

Multi-Point locking mechanisms used on sliding patio doors have been manufactured by Truth, Marvin, Fuhr, Hoppe or a half dozen others.  When the door is fully closed, the thumb turn latches at two, three or more points into or around keepers in the jamb.

Fifty percent of the time, maintenance issues with these high-security style locks can be contributed to the keepers, which may just be out of adjustment or alignment.

With these designs, the thumb turn cannot move the latches until the door is completely closed and a "plunger", protruding from the jam, presses against a "trap door" on the face of the mechanism, which releases the latches to move into place... thus, locking the door.

Or, with some manufacturers, the door handle needs to be held down as the door is closed in order to release the latches... and, then the latches can engage the keepers when the handle is released.

The other half of the time, maintenance issues are the result of bent latches or components internal to the locking mechanism.  This usually happens when someone has tried to adjust the keepers or they gradually moved out of adjustment over the years. When the person closed the door and twisted the thumb turn to move the latches, the latches did not fully catch the keepers.  Then, opening the door without twisting the thumb turn back to return the latches to the open positions, the door was closed again and the keepers hit and bent the mechanism which was still in the closed position.

You can take the entire mechanism apart and play with it for a couple of hours and you might be able to straighten out the bent components.  But, you are better off just buying a whole new mechanism for a few hundred bucks.

Note:  When ordering a new multi-point mechanism, you will need to measure the length, width, offset and possibly several other dimensions.  The right one is not hard to find on the Internet.

Replacement of the entire mechanism can take less than one half hour and adjusting the keepers can take up to another half hour.  Suggestion:  Remove the keepers and then replace individually to adjust them one at a time.

WINTER WEATHERSEAL

If you are feeling a draft from under your sliding patio door on those icy winter nights, it is likely that your weatherseal has worn away or been stolen by gremlins.

The solution can be as simple as replacing the weatherseal for less money than it is costing you in heating bills each year.

Here are two images of work that was done to replace old defective rollers and missing weatherseal.

                                          BEFORE

                                          AFTER

YOUR PSYCHIC HANDLE...

YOUR HANDLE KNOWS...

90% of all sliding patio door handles are designed to only withstand the normal pressure of opening and closing the door when the door itself is in good operating condition.

A loose or broken handle is the first sign that something else is not right.  If you replace the handle without determining the underlying cause, which is usually improving the ease at which your door moves, you will be buying another handle in the near future.

A few of the common handle designs can be found at your local home center and the other hundred styles are available to be ordered.  Rarely are handles found to be obsolete.  http://www.allaboutdoors.com/index.php?cPath=74_80&osCsid=937574de2dc41f93bf2bd7eafe30cce5

Most handles are secured by two or more mounting screws.  The distance between the centers of these screw holes is an important factor in locating the correct part.

BROKEN LATCH LEVERS...

Most handles incorporate a latch lever or thumb turn that move the locking latch open and closed.  When the door is rolled to the fully open position, no part of the handle should bump into anything.

A "bumper" (or two) is/are usually installed at the jamb or track to prevent the door from opening so far that the latch lever or handle will hit the frame of the stationary panel.

A latch lever or thumb turn should never require much force to move the latch mechanism.  Don't force it.

DOOR NEEDS A JERK!

A common situation with metal framed sliding doors occurs after a few years when the house has shifted slightly during settling.  It's hard to open.

Metal framed sliding patio doors are designed to open with ease and close snuggly between fiber weatherstrips in the vertical channel on the jamb.  But, if the jamb tilts just 1/16 of an inch, the channel can be cockeyed just enough to "squeeze" the door more tightly than originally designed.

Now, when you unlatch the door and attempt to open it, it takes a real hard tug to release the door from the channel.  This is often too much for the elderly and is often seen in hi-rise condos and 4-season room additions.

There are three different, cost-effective ways this situation can be remedied.

(1)  Using an awl, remove the weatherstrip from one side of the channel.  The weatherstrip on the other side should be good enough to keep out the cold since there is additional pressure being applied to it due to the misalignment of the channel.
(2)  If the vertical channel is securely affixed to the jamb, gently bend the interior channel wall with a "hand-seamer" tool so as to slightly widen the channel from top to bottom.  Do not use pliers.
(3)  If the whole channel moves when trying to bend just the channel wall, then you need to use a heavy duty "spreading tool".  (see video below)

BUILDING A CUSTOM SCREEN

Once the style and color of extruded aluminum framing is selected and precise measurements have been taken, the mitered components are delivered to the job and the screening jig erected for final assembly.

 

 

 

The frame is pressure fit at all four corners.

 

It is important that all corners be square.

 

The frame assembly is complete.

 

Now for the insect screen mesh.

 

The correct spline diameter is selected.

 

The mesh is rolled into place.

 

The spline is pressed into place.

 

The mesh is neatly trimmed and the handles installed.

 

Final adjustments are made to the rollers at the bottom.

 

And, at the top.

 

 

Voila!  A new sliding screen door.





REPAIR OF PLASTIC DOOR TRACK

It is not unusual for someone with a big heel to step on the composition molded track of a sliding patio door system and break off a chunk.

Compatible replacement tracks are virtually impossible to find.  But, alas, these tracks can be repaired in less than an hour and be twice as strong as the original.

You will need just a few things... A length of "stainless track cover" cut to the length of the existing track, http://www.allaboutdoors.com/product_info.php?cPath=57_134&products_id=16501&osCsid=e2ca86430627e4bb42f50a429d748dff a 5-Minute epoxy syringe, a tube of steel-filled epoxy putty, several screws, a painter's sanding sponge block and a utility knife.

First, brush and wipe clean the broken area to be repaired.

Then, using screws with a thread diameter no larger than the width of the original track, partially screw them securely, equally spaced, in a line from one side of the break to the other.  The screw heads should be higher than the height of the original track.

Using an angle grinder with a metal cutting wheel, (or some other efficient tool) slice off the heads of the screws slightly below the height of the original track.

Using the steel-filled epoxy putty, begin to fill in the spaces between the screws.  Full hardening time is about fifteen to twenty minutes. (ambient temperature is a factor)

 

 

Keep building up the putty into the approximate shape of the original track.  The putty shape should be slightly higher and wider than the original track.

Then, before the putty fully hardens, using a utility knife, carefully trim excess putty.  As the putty gets hard, use the sanding sponge block and shape the repair to closely resemble the original track.

 

 

Finally, run the 5-minute epoxy inside the length of the stainless track cover, place it over the entire original track, including the repaired portion, tap into place from one end to the other with a mallet and wood block.  Wait 20 minutes... and, Voila!!

The results are better than the original manufactured product.

SLIDING DOOR GREASE

First of all, "sliding doors" don't slide!  And therefore, don't need grease.  They Actually Roll !  Built into the bottom frame of the door, there are two to four wheel assemblies with ball bearings, called "rollers".  There are over 300 different combinations of roller material, designs, sizes and styles for the various sliding doors that have been manufactured over the last fifty years.  The ball bearings in the center of each wheel last longer when lubricated with dry Teflon.  (This dry lubricant will not attract dirt, hair and fur or get gummy with age.)

IT IS NEVER ADVISABLE TO LUBRICATE, GREASE OR WAX A TRACK.

If the sliding door no longer moves with ease, it's time to just clean the track and replace the rollers.

(It's a shame there are professional appearing people telling you to grease or wax the track and recommending lubricants for the job.)  The photo below is an example of bad information.

PATIO DOORS AND ROOM ADDITIONS

Maintenance reports verify that repairs to sliding patio doors within some room additions can be the most expensive.
The main reason is that the typical room addition is too often not built to the same standards as the original home and will eventually sag, shift and sink enough to make any sliding door repairs difficult at best.
When bare minimum foundation, footings, framing and support beams are used, (to underbid the competition) the stability of a room addition over the years may not meet the owner's expectations.
http://www.bhg.com/home-improvement/remodeling/additions/common-addition-problems/