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Whether from small children, family pets, or simply wear and tear, sliding screen door repairs are common. Sometimes, sliding doors will not roll on the track properly, sometimes they become stretched out of place, sometimes they tear, and so on. Instead of spending money to buy a new sliding screen door, you might first try repairing it. Now, if you are in the market for a new sliding screen door, we suggest you purchase a fiberglass screen, which will not puncture nearly as easy. The reason is that if it experiences pressure, the fiberglass stretches.
If you find that your sliding screen door is not rolling on the track properly, you can lift the screen up and tilt out the bottom. Depending on the design of the screen door, you may have to lift the wheels up and over the track as well while pulling the door out. Then with the use of a screwdriver, try to reinstall it back into the track again. Many times, just taking it out and putting it back in is all it takes to fix the problem. A sliding screen door also gets dirty, which can cause problems with rolling. In this case, open the sliding screen door and then use a soft brush or vacuum to clean out any dirt and grim. Push the door to the other side, again cleaning. The result should be the door sliding easily and smoothly. You might also try to lubricate the tracks for the sliding screen door. For this, all you need is to use a little bit of silicon spray directly onto the track. If you find the track is bent, then use a block of wood and a hammer, tapping against it to straighten it out. Another option for the sliding screen door repair is to remove the roller. For this, you might find that the door’s roller is not spinning, as it should. First, try to remove it by snapping it out of the channel and freeing it by prying from below. Again you will find that different doors are made differently so you may need to check for screws. If you cannot actually get the sliding screen door rollers off, then revert to cleaning the track to see if that helps. A common problem seen with a sliding screen door is a tear, which can be caused by the nails of a jumping dog. For this, use a thin line of clear silicone caulk, smoothing it out with the back of a plastic spoon or your finger. If the tear cannot be fixed, you can remove the sliding screen door from the track so the screen can be replaced. In this case, lay the door flat on the floor. Locate the end of the spline holding the screen into the groove. Pry it out with a screwdriver, and then pull it out with your hand. Cut the new screen for the sliding screen door with a utility knife, making sure it is about two inches wider on all sides from the actual door size. Then, starting at the corner, use the screen installation tool, working the screen into place, being careful not to tear it. Replace the spline to hold the screen into place. When the screen is in the sliding screen door all the way around, use scissors to trim off excess screen and replace the door into the door track. |
Exterior Doors