Need a Sliding Patio Door Handle Maintenance Tips

Sliding glass and screen doors are great, and convenient, especially since they give your room an unobstructed view of the patio, deck, or yard, and easy access to outdoor areas.

But here’s something that’s less than appealing. Broken patio door or snapped screen door handles.
They do break, more often than not because an excess of force is needed to slide the door open or closed.

We’re going to take a look at some common causes of these issues in this article, and if all else fails, and you’re already starting this article with a broken door handle in your hand, we’ve got you covered with our selection of patio door handle replacements.

But, once you do fix the broken handle, here are a few tips to keep the thing from breaking again.

Check the Rollers

Pretty much all sliding doors, including glass and screen sliders, slide along a track. Most of them have rollers along the top or bottom (or possibly both) that form an interface with the track.

These are, quite literally, small wheels that help move the door along the sliding door track when you go to open or close it. They are self contained assemblies and should not be oiled with any type of lubricant as it will wear them out much faster and leave a grease mark on the sliding rail and track. Lubricants attract dust and dirt which will wear the roller out.

Like any other type of wheel, lack of maintenance can cause the wheels to seize - meaning they won’t roll anymore. When the wheels seize, you need to drag the whole door along the sliding track, which will increase friction, wears the door track and, you guessed it, vastly increases the chances that you will break the door handle.

In some cases, cleaning the track free of dirt and debree ) can restore their function, but if they’re in bad shape, it’s better to replace them. If you do, replace them with a set of stainless steel rollers which will last longer (and which are better able to resist corrosion which can cause them to seize in the first place).

Cleaning Out the Sliding Door Track

The track should be fairly clean and the top of the rail should not have any dents. If it isn’t, you need to clean it out. Common obstructions include dust, mud, dirt, leaves, sand, salt deposits, and rust. If your track is steel, clean the track with a brass wire brush to help remove the dirt and grime and then vaccum the debree so the track in clean. If the track is vinyl, vaccum the dirt and wipe the track clean with a wet rag.
DO NOT put any type of lubricant on the track as it will attract dust and dirt and will wear your rollers out faster.

Tighten the Hardware

One more trick that will preserve your patio door handle replacement, although it won’t actually make the door slide more easily in the track, is this. If the handle is loose, tighten the hardware; the bolts or screws that affix it to the frame.
If these are loose, every time you slam the door closed or wrench it open, you’ll be placing immense stress on the part, which can cause either the hardware or the handle itself to break.

Last but Not Lease...Dont Force It, Ever

No need to beat this one to death. If the door is sticking, fix the problem before you try to wrench it open or closed - or you’ll be needing a patio door handle replacement sooner rather than later.

 

We Have the Patio Door Handle Replacements You Need

Here because you’re already past the point of no return? Already broken one and need another screen or patio door handle replacement? We carry them. Just give us a call if you have questions about parts, compatibility, or installation.