Repair or Replace Your Sliding Door?
Most sliding doors that feel finished are not. The frame is usually fine and the worn parts are replaceable. Here is how to tell which situation you are in.
Repair is almost always the answer when
- The door is heavy, sticks or grinds
- The lock will not engage properly
- The glass has fogged between the panes
- There is a draught along the edge
- The handle is loose or broken
All of those are parts. Rollers, tracks, locks, seals and glass units all come out and go back in without touching the frame.
Fogged glass surprises people. It looks terminal and usually is not. The sealed unit is replaced and the rest of the door stays where it is.
Replacement starts to make sense when
- The frame itself is damaged, rotted or corroded through
- The opening has shifted enough that nothing lines up
- Parts for an old or unusual system are no longer available
- You want a different configuration, like going from two panels to three
- You are upgrading to impact glass
Notice that most of those are about the frame or about wanting something different. Very few are about the door being broken.
The question worth asking
Is the frame sound? If it is, repair is usually the sensible route. If it is not, no amount of new hardware will fix it.
Be wary of the instant replacement quote
If someone looks at a sticking door and immediately quotes a full replacement, get a second opinion. A sticking door is the most repairable problem a patio door has.
Age on its own is not a reason
Older doors are often built more heavily than new ones. A twenty-year-old aluminium door with a sound frame and new rollers can easily outlive a cheap replacement.
Need a hand?
Stuck Door repairs sliding glass doors across Orlando and Central Florida. Rollers, tracks, locks and glass. We are family owned, licensed and insured, our parts carry a two-year warranty, and phone estimates are free.
Call or text (407) 900-9412, or send us a message.