Aluminum sliding doors can be located in various sections of a house or any building for that matter. Sliding doors are usually large panels of glass that run along a track as opposed to doors that swing on hinges. Another noticeable difference is that they have latches instead of locks. They add elegance to your home or building and give you a good view of the surroundings. However, the most common problem you?ll have with them is sticking. We?ll address this issue and others related to it as we go along.
Fixing Sticky Sliding Doors
In order to fix a sticking aluminum sliding door you?ll need a few cleaning materials. You?ll need a vacuum cleaner, rags, denatured alcohol, paraffin wax, screw drivers, and stick-on weather stripping.
The first step to fix a sticky aluminum sliding door is to inspect the track. The problem can be caused by anything that can get caught in between the railing. Look for dirt, pebbles, leaves, mildew, and other possible impediments. Another thing that you should be looking out for is dents on the railings themselves.
If there is a lot of dirt stuck there you can vacuum the dirt away. Put a few drops of denatured alcohol on a rag and wipe any mildew off the railing. Next, rub some paraffin wax along the tracks to make them slide easier. You should also examine the weather stripping. You can apply stick-on weather stripping if needed. Be sure to clean the aluminum frame using a rag sprayed with some denatured alcohol before you apply the stick-on weather stripping.
Latch Alignment
Another problem that you might encounter with an aluminum sliding door is that the latch won?t catch properly or it just won?t latch on at all. You can be sure that the latch mechanism is out of alignment if that is the case.
The first thing you should do with this kind of problem is to remove the screws using the appropriate type of screwdrivers. Once you have that disassembled, align the mount properly and then screw it back on.
Tips
The best way to fix aluminum sliding doors is to prevent any type of problem before anything occurs. Be sure to clean the sliding doors at least on a weekly basis. You should vacuum the track regularly to get rid of anything that can get stuck in them. This will also prevent any build up of any junk in that area.
You can get a hose attachment for your vacuum designed to fit into small nooks to make cleaning more efficient. In case you?ve done all you can or you discover damage on the rollers or on the track you should seek professional help to replace the damaged parts like nylon rollers, glass, or aluminum.
