Tips for Stress free life  >  Expert Zone   > Home Improvement      

 Home Improvement Tips


How To Replace The Rollers On Your Patio Door


Have you noticed your patio door is getting harder and harder to open? Maybe it's time to change the rollers on the door. They generally last from ten to fifteen years but they do wear out and its a job that a do-it-yourselfer can accomplish with a little advice and some strong arms to get the door out!

Sliding patio doors are usually aluminum but there are many wooden and vinyl models on the market. All of them use ball bearing rollers to slide easily back and forth. The aluminum and some vinyl doors have a door bottom that is held in place by 2 screws on either side of the door near the bottom. Beneath the screw is usually an open hole in which there is an adjusting screw to raise the roller up and down. The wooden doors often have pairs of rollers due to their extra weight. The adjusting screws are accesible through plastic caps covering holes in the front of the door bottom.

I mention the adjusting screws because you need to check them before deciding to pull the door out and replace the rollers. Slide a big flat blade screwdriver underneath the door on one side and lift slightly to remove the weight from the roller. Use another screwdriver to turn the adjustment screw. See if that makes the door slide better.

Sometimes thats all thats necessary but if the adjusting screws wont turn or are totally missing, you will have to lift the door out of its track and remove the large screws holding the door bottom on and pull the door bottom off. Get help to lift the door out. Two people are needed to safely handle even the smaller patio doors. The door bottom may not pull off easily especially if the door is old. Check for any metal tabs that may be holding it on and gently work the bottom off.

Some old aluminum and vinyl patio doors have rollers that use one screw both to mount the roller and to adjust it. These types of rollers can often be changed without removing the bottom of the door. Look carefully at the bottom of the door in case there is room to pull the roller assembly out.

Wooden patio door rollers are somewhat easier to change, although the door itself is much heavier. The rollers are often screwed in to the wood door bottom. Remove the screws, and out come the roller.

Some Vinyl patio doors are glued together. They were never intended to come apart. You may not be able to remove the rollers if you see no visible screws holding the frame together. Also vinyl doors are often brittle with age and crack easily as you try to pry off the door bottom. Take extra care if you have a vinyl patio door.

Once you have the bottom off the patio door it should be easy to see how the rollers are held in. Usually, removing one screw or bending a metal tab is all thats necessary. Remove the rollers and take them with you to your local glass shop to get the proper replacements.

To reassemble everything start by adjusting the new rollers so they are up as high as they can go. You dont want them getting in the way when you reinstall the door on its track. Make sure you cover the roller retaining screws with cork or rubber if they come near the bare glass in the door bottom. If the metal screws touch the glass, it will crack.

Replace the door bottom, reinstall the screws that secure it and lift the door back in to place. Follow the instructions gave earlier for adjusting the rollers. You should now be able to see the door move up and down when you turn the adjusting screws. You will also be able to align the door with the frame using the screws. Your patio door lock may need to be adjusted to compensate for the new door height.

Try the door and you should be amazed at how easy it is to close. It should only require a couple of pounds of force to open and close. No more fighting with a heavy door and you did it all yourself!

About The Author

Adrian Dunevein runs a self help website for people who want to do their own window and door screen repair. The website is a complete resource for anyone needing to repair or replace any type of screen.

adrian@all-about-screen-doors.com


MORE RESOURCES:

Group advocates tax increases and non-user fees for sewer debt relief
The Birmingham News - al.com, AL - 21 hours ago
A group of community activists and State Rep. Mary Moore said today the Jeffrson County should increase property taxes and impose non-user fees on water ...


Staying On Track with Your Debt Relief Plan
3x24 - Your Newspaper and News Magazine, Germany - Aug 29, 2008
All these things, however, pale in comparison with the importance of sticking to and staying focused on your debt relief plan. Sticking with a debt relief ...


All you need to know about online bankruptcy
Thrifty Scot (press release), UK - Aug 27, 2008
A recent report confirmed that as of next year a new form of filing for bankruptcy online would be introduced, and this will be known as a Debt Relief Order ...


It's unfair to give lawyers debt relief
Chicago Daily Herald, IL - Aug 23, 2008
Cook County State's Attorney Richard Devine, in his support of the forgiveness bill for attorneys engaged in public service (Fence Post, Aug. ...


Go Debt Relief, Now a Member Lexington Chamber of Commerce
PR.com (press release), NY - Aug 20, 2008
Go Debt Relief is assisting people struggling with their high interest rate credit cards, medical bills, collection accounts and many other types of ...


Mozambique: Mozambican government negotiates foreign debt relief ...
Macauhub, Macau - Aug 19, 2008
Maputo, Mozambique, 19 Aug – The Mozambican government is negotiating with Libya and Bulgaria the relief of its debt to those non Paris Club countries ...


Law students being offered debt relief for picking public service ...
Norman Transcript, OK - Aug 18, 2008
By Julianna Parker Law students who want to pay off debt quickly now will have an incentive to enter public service. A measure recently signed into law will ...


Banks to get Rs 250 bn for farm debt relief by Sept end
Myiris.com, India - Aug 14, 2008
As per the senior finance ministry official, the government will provide first tranche of Rs 250 billion to banks by the Sep. 30, 2008 for Rs 710 billion ...


IRS Debt Relief Specialists Resolve Real Life Tax Cases at ...
PR.com (press release), NY - Aug 14, 2008
Tax Resolution Specialists take IRS negotiation skills to the next level at special seminar on tax relief strategies like offer in compromise, ...


Zee News

Banks to get Rs 25000 cr for farm debt relief by Sept 30
Zee News, India - Aug 13, 2008
New Delhi, Aug 13: The government will provide first tranche of Rs 25000 crore to banks by the September end for Rs 71000 crore debt waiver and relief ...

Debt-Relief - Google News

You are here Home > Tips for Stress free Life > Expert Zone > Home Improvement


| Home Improvement  | Home Improvement - Complete list 

| Main Home | | Meditation Corner

                |Health Tips  | Workplace Tips  | Soul Tips  |Expert Zone  |

Recommend us  |

 Books, DVDs and accessories on meditation & yoga  |

[About us] [Contact] [Privacy Policy]

Copyright 2006, Meditation is Easy.com, All rights reserved