Why Your Patio Door Handles (or Locks) Keep Breaking

Patio door handle replacements are not particularly expensive, and even making the repair is fairly straightforward. On top of that, it only requires basic tools and a little bit of your time. Sure, it takes specialized replacement parts and you need to ensure compatibility, but over that, anyone can do it.

But, considering that, why would you want to replace your patio door handle (or lock) more frequently than you need to when the case is more than likely that you’re doing something that’s causing it to break in the first place? 

Save yourself the expense, time and effort. Identify the reason (or reasons) your door handles or locks are failing in the first place and fix the issue at the root, rather than just treating the symptoms. 

You’re Jerking or Forcing the Door 

Far and away, this is easily the number one reason for the vast majority of broken patio door handles. 

Now, to be fair, technically this is a symptom and not the root issue. There is a reason your door is sticking (which will be probed further in this article), but all the same, the effect of forcing it is that the patio door handle will more likely than not break. 

Here’s the thing: your sliding door should require no more than a pound or two of force (at most) though this depends also on the weight of the door, to slide it open. Any more than this, and you’re applying undue force on the handle and its fasteners. 

The other thing is that an otherwise properly-hung door might experience a failure of the handle if it is jerked in a direction other than that in which it is supposed to move. That is, the door should only move along one dimension - the line created by the sliding track. 

If you’re pulling on the handle in such a way that it experiences a force in a direction other than along this line, you’re also increasing the odds that the handle or the lock will break. 

So give it a breather and give your patio door handle a rest. You don’t need to force it. Open and close it consciously and deliberately and it will break less frequently. 

The Fasteners Are Rusted

Sometimes, it’s not the handle itself that breaks but the fasteners that secure it to the door - the screws, that is. 

This is more often a problem in hot, humid areas, such as those in the south or along the coast, especially in the southeast. 

There is a small silver lining here. If the fasteners failed because of rust, there is always a chance that you don’t actually need to replace the handle itself, and that all you need to do to make a proper fix is to replace the screws. 

This is cost-effective and very easy to fix, as long as you get screws of the proper length and thread pitch. 

The downside is that if the rust is particularly bad, it can sometimes migrate into the door itself; if the channel that receives the screw is steel, that part can rust too, meaning that in some extreme cases you need to replace the entire patio door and not just the handle itself.

The Rollers Aren’t Rolling (They’re Seized)

If your patio door has rollers, it’s imperative that they are moving smoothly along the track. If they are seized, either as an effect of corrosion, or because there is debris that’s physically jammed the rollers, the issue needs to be remediated. 

If you don’t, then you’ll be forcing the door to skid along the track rather than roll when you open or close it, which will put excessive force on the handle and (you guessed it) increase the likelihood that you’re going to break it during routine use. 

Checking the door’s rollers, cleaning them, and lubricating them lightly as a matter of routine sliding door maintenance is necessary to ensure proper functionality. If you do so you’ll be likely to catch an issue before it balloons into a broken door handle.

The Sliding Track Is Full of Dust and Dirt (Or Worse)

All things considered, this is probably the most likely reason that your door is sticking, causing you to force it, thereby breaking the handle. 

It is also a condition that disproportionately affects those that live outside of urban areas. If you live along the shore, the wind blowing the sand and salt will accumulate in the track. If you live in the suburbs or the country, leaves, dirt and mud will accumulate there over time.

Also, the sliding track or runner may rust, which will increase the force required to slide the door open. As a result, you should clean the track and remove corrosion periodically, after which point you should apply a light lubricant. 

The Track Is Warped or Door Alignment Is Bad

The issue could also be a fault with how the door was installed, or with the track itself. If the door alignment is off, you’ll need to apply too much pressure to open or close the door. You may be able to fix this by properly adjusting the rollers. If the rollers are adjusted too high, it will create friction at the top and cause resistance when opening and closing the door.

Over time, the sliding track can warp, creating a bow which will increase lateral pressure on the door, making it harder to open and close.

Another issue is that the frame of the door can sag, which also creates a bow that will increase pressure on the door. 

In any case, you need either to replace t the track, if it has warped or adjust/ replace the rollers so the door slides properly. If you don’t, you will continue to have a hard time opening and closing the door, and the patio door handle will eventually break. 

Here for a Patio Door Handle Replacement?

Whether you’re looking for a patio door handle replacement, a lock, or a whole assembly, we carry an exhaustive inventory of options. Take a look through our full collection of sliding door handle replacements and get in touch with us if you need help or have questions. You can even give us a call at 727-386-4629 to get a real person on the phone who can help you out.