# Sliding Glass Door Sticking



## ivanl3

Over the winter, my sliding glass door suddenly is sticking (or something) very badly. It is to the point that my wife is not even strong enough to slide it open or closed and I have to bear down to move it myself. 

Thoughts on likely root cause and remedy?


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## Jackofall1

The lintel the door frame is sitting on has expanded or heaved causing the door to bind top to bottom, you could try and see if there is any adjustment left in the guide rollers and see if you could adjust down, to ease up on the OA height of the door.

Mark


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## Just Bill

What he said, or.......the rollers are bound up or worn out. Replacing or cleaning them usually involves removing that door section. Usually not too difficult, but the door is heavy. How, depends on the manufacturer.


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## gma2rjc

I have the same problem with my slider in the winter. Especially on the coldest mornings. 

I'm not saying this is what's wrong with your door, but mine does it because there is a buildup of ice under it, in the track. 

I tried a few things to get rid of the ice, but what works is spraying de-icer on it. I was worried it would cause damage, but I've been doing it for 3 winters now and there hasn't been a problem.

The seal at the top of my door isn't sealing properly, so there is condensation at the top of the frame that drips down and gets in the track and freezes. Pella is replacing the door this spring.

Good luck with it.


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## Mojojojoe

I need to replace the guide rollers on my door, but I can't figure out how to get the door off of the track. I saw that most people have enough clearance to simply lift door off track, but it seems like my door doesn't have enough clearance at the top to lift over the track.


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## spinfisher

Make sure your rollers are fully retracted, this may give you more room.:yes:


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## Ron6519

Mojojojoe said:


> I need to replace the guide rollers on my door, but I can't figure out how to get the door off of the track. I saw that most people have enough clearance to simply lift door off track, but it seems like my door doesn't have enough clearance at the top to lift over the track.


What door manufacturer? As spinfisher said about the rollers or some companies (Andersen) have a cleat along the top. You unscrew the cleat and the door tips in for removal.


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## Jackofall1

If you have lifted the bottom guide rollers to their highest adjustment and you still don't have enough room to get the door out, there is a good chance this is why the rollers wore out in the first place.

If the above is true chances are the header over the door is sagging causing the openning to become smaller (vertically) putting pressure down on the door, wearing out the rollers rather quickly.

I know sounds bad, and for the most part it is, you can pry the door out, and replace the rollers then pry the door back in, but in a couple of years you will be doing it again.

You could replace the door with a standard door or french doors and while you have things apart strenghten the vertical support and or header, all of which is a huge pain in the rear end.

Mark


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## Mojojojoe

I don't know where to find the brand... It's my first house. Built in 1957, but these doors are in the edition which is estimated at 15 years old. There is a quality control sticker that is worn on the left side of the inside track. What I can make out is architectural alluminum. Towards the end of the sticker is has code 66-1 stamped on it. Will I need to take off the screen and the middle stationary door? I see no other way that this sliding door can even make it over the track let alone the inside lip. There is two screws at the top of the door, one on each side and when I adjust the bottom roller screws I can drop the door completely so that it is sitting in the track and scraping.


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## oh'mike

Post a picture of the top track and another of the bottom of the door,showing any adjustment holes.

Roller adjustment holes are in the inside of most doors and on the narrow end of others.

Most use an Allen wrench others use a Phillips screw driver.


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## Mojojojoe

oh'mike said:


> Post a picture of the top track and another of the bottom of the door,showing any adjustment holes.
> 
> Roller adjustment holes are in the inside of most doors and on the narrow end of others.
> 
> Most use an Allen wrench others use a Phillips screw driver.


 
These are phillips head screws, 
top left 
bottom left 
top right 
bottom right.


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## oh'mike

Pry the door up a bit to take the weight off the rollers-----try to spray some W-D-40 up under the door to soak the roller mechanism..

See if you can get the bottom adjustment screw to turn---lower the wheels and lift the door off the track.

That's an old door---the adjustment mechanism might be frozen.

I suspect you have a broken or stuck roller --it looks like the track is worn in one of the pictures.

If so plan on replacing the bad wheel.


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## Mojojojoe

Alright thanks... Counter clockwise should lower correct? Also, do I need to take it off towards the outside? If so will I have to take the other two doors off, or should the door pry over the lip on the inside. It looks pretty much impossible to lift to the inside the lip is easily 1/2 inch taller than the track. The top screws are just to hold the window in place right?


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## oh'mike

You are going to have to figure this one out ---that's an old door---it might even have top rollers that can be lowered---typically the bottom is pulled into the room.

Usually there is an adjustment for each wheel also---

are you sure that there are not two holes on the bottom face of the door?


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## oh'mike

Mojo---I just noticed you are from around here--Welcome---_I"m over near the Fox river--Mike--_


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## Mojojojoe

oh'mike said:


> You are going to have to figure this one out ---that's an old door---it might even have top rollers that can be lowered---typically the bottom is pulled into the room.
> 
> Usually there is an adjustment for each wheel also---
> 
> are you sure that there are not two holes on the bottom face of the door?


There is the hole on each side for wheel adjustment and the other screw is to pull the bottom frame off to get to the wheels. Also, I remember the door got stuck once and when I forced it there was a blue plastic guide wheel that snapped and fell out of the top part of the door. I'm going to the bears game today, but I will have to get a friend over here tomorrow to help me lift that door and see which way it will go. I'll wd40 soak it today though. I'll play with those top scerws also and see if infact they can lower any sort of guide pieces left up there.


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## oh'mike

Have fun at the game---I'm going to fix some french toast and then mow the lawn!

--Mike---


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## spinfisher

Those old doors can be a real pain, get some help. when you get the doors out a good glass shop should have replacement rollers. good ideal to lube once a year to help them keep from locking up.:yes:


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## etbrown4

*Need help adjusting rollers on a Pellla slider*

I have a 4' Pella slider and it has similar adjustment screws/holes as the pics in this post.

I've adjusted some Pella rollers like this before, on other doors, and had to use an 8" Phillips screwdriver.

On the 4' door I'm working on now, the Phillips screwdriver won't find a screw in there! 

Any chance that Pella uses Allen screws for their rollers? 

It's so deep in there that you just can't see the screw head. Just get a metal on metal sound when inserting a screwdriver.

Tips appreciated.


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## Jackofall1

Look something like this"

http://www.swisco.com/Pella-Patio-G.../Patio-Glass-Door-Single-Wheel-Rollers/81-098

Mark


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## etbrown4

I'm familiar with the Swisco and have used several on other houses.

The problem here is the present rollers are jacked to about the highest setting, and as mentioned earlier, when I try to feel the phillips screw just as pictured with the swisco, I feel nothing....just metal to metal, but nothing like a screw head. Other pellas have had a phillips screw.

It's too dark to see. Curious if anyone has ever seen a Pella slider with allen screws, though I have no allen wrenches that long to even try!

otherwise I'm up a creek without a paddle, and the door is non removable with the rollers set so high as you can't push it up and swing it out! yikes:whistling2:


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## Jackofall1

Sounds like its time to purchase on of those flex cams to see what is going on in the hole


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## IslandGuy

I've never met a sliding glass door I liked. It's french patio doors hinged in the middle with a standard knob and deadbolt into the JAMB only for me.


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## etbrown4

I like the flex cam idea. 

It might be a challenge initially as the opening is likely just over a quarter of an inch. Could do some drilling, but I hate to go too big. Not sure of the cam sizes.

If it's not an Allen screw, I suspect that the roller might have settled upward into the wood door a bit more that the desired depth and that could put the screw slightly out of alignment with the hole! not sure though

I suppose a slightly larger hole, even without the cam could be worth a try too.


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## etbrown4

I talked to the field service rep for Pella today and he says my door appears to be trash.

Viewed from the outside it looks fine however he feels that rot is the likely suspect here.

He has seen misalignment between the access hole and the roller adjustment caused by rot. He says 100% of the Pella sliders have phillips screws for for the roller set adjustment. No allen screws.

Funny thing here is it looks fine from the outside. it is a triple 4'0 unit and I estimate the cost at north of $6000 plus labor.

That is a hard pill to swallow for Pella's Architectural Series, where I first noticed a problem at about the 8 year mark.


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## Windows on Wash

Most require lowering the rollers so that you can lift the door up and out of the track.


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## oh'mike

Anderson doors have a removable strip at the top---what brand is the door?


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## Amadauss

examine around for a place to adjust the rollers to get the door out. On anything that sticks, use silicone on the track.


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