Is the sliding door in your tiny home not working quite right? In this guide, we explain how to fix sliding glass door issues, such as sticking and latching.
Sliding glass doors are a lovely addition to a tiny home, as they open up the space to allow light in, and make the space appear larger. As you sit inside your tiny house, it doesn’t feel small, because the glass door allows you to feel more connected to the greater outside world.
While sliding glass doors are useful in many ways, the tracks need to be cleaned to avoid jamming, and sliding door locks need regular adjustments and lubrication to ensure that they work smoothly. Regular maintenance also helps prevent permanent damage in the long run.
When your old sliding glass door stops functioning like it’s supposed to, it’s important to fix it as soon as possible. Not only does a dysfunctional sliding door make it annoying for you move through your space, but a faulty handle can also become a point of weakness for would-be thieves.
Therefore, it’s essential that you know how to fix sliding glass door problems as they arise. In this article, we explain how to resolve the most common issues quickly.
How to Fix Sliding Glass Door Issues
Here are the common issues and problems faced when dealing with sliding glass doors, and what you can do about them.
How to Fix Sliding Glass Door Movement Issues
Fix sliding glass door that’s stuck or difficult to slide
One of the main reasons for a door that refuses to slide is debris build-up. Hair, dirt, fur, or mud can collect in the groove and along the track, clogging the rollers underneath and hindering smooth motion.
Here are steps you can follow in cleaning the glass sliding door track and the rollers.
- Take the door out from the track. Find the adjustment screws and use the screws to retract the rollers and remove the door.
- Check the door’s rollers. Try and see if the rollers are damaged or just need some cleaning. If they’re damaged, replacement is necessary. Otherwise, you can simply scrape off the dirt and clean them using denatured alcohol.
- Reinstall the clean rollers.
- Vacuum and clean the tracks. Use rollers to wipe the top track, and use silicone to spray it.
- Reinstall your glass sliding door.
Fix sliding glass door alignment problems
Another common issue with glass sliding doors is alignment. At one point, you may notice your sliding door knocked off-kilter. To realign it back, remove your door from the track, then reinsert it afterward. Make sure that the top rollers are aligned first, then gradually trace the bottom of the door into place, pushing the top of your door up into its track.
This is a common issue on old sliding doors. In my personal experience, the door hardware seems to get worn out over time, perhaps a bit misshapen, and never works properly again. The only solution at this point is to replace the door hardware, or accept the fact that you’ll sometimes need to lift it back into place. Bits of gravel and sticks can also throw it off and cause it to misalign, so make sure the track is clean, too.
How to Fix Sliding Glass Door Lock Issues
Fix damaged latches on glass sliding door
If you’re experiencing problems with a sliding glass door latch that doesn’t quite catch, it may just need a little oil for lubrication; try some WD-40 or similar. Try this in the first instance.
If that doesn’t work, look closely at how the latch meets the door frame. If there is a misalignment that is preventing it from latching, you may need to consider repositioning the hardware on the door frame (unscrewing and moving it into a better location). If this has happened, you will probably want to inspect your entire sliding door frame and door track, and check the building itself for movement, as major shifts like this should not occur in normal circumstances.
Even despite the extensive care, there is also a possibility that the lock on your sliding glass door may simply stop working or break. In which case, it might be due for replacement. Fortunately, replacing a sliding glass door lock is not as overwhelming as it may seem at first.
If a replacement is required, remove your door lock and bring it to the hardware store with you to make sure that you buy a compatible alternative for your door. Alternatively, this is an opportunity to explore other options for your door lock hardware, for instance, you may like to upgrade to a new keypad lock or key lock for your sliding glass door.
RELATED ARTICLE: How to Replace a Sliding Glass Door Lock on Your Tiny Home
Frozen sliding glass door lock repair
Remember that sliding glass door locks that aren’t protected against outdoor elements such as snow or rain can freeze the lock in position. The lock isn’t broken or in need of repair really, it is just frozen.
You can either wait for it to melt away by itself, or very gently apply warm water or use a domestic heat gun like one of these to melt the ice around the sliding door lock. The heat needs to be very low, so you don’t accidentally crack the glass.
Don’t try to force it open, otherwise you might break the lock or just waste your time trying.
How to fix Broken glass on sliding door
If the door frame is fine, you can just replace the glass yourself. First, you have to remove the trim surrounding the glass and cautiously remove its remnants. You’ll need to purchase a new piece of glass; make sure to make the necessary measurements and subtract at least 1/4 inch from each measurement. Once this is done, install the new glass and caulk it into place.
Full instructions for replacing glass panes are available in the following article:
RELATED ARTICLE: How to Replace Broken Glass Windows Yourself
Sliding Door Ongoing Maintenance
Unfortunately sliding glass door locks can be a bit sensitive, and operational issues may be inevitable from time to time. Fortunately, routine maintenance helps ensure its continued performance.
Sliding Door Ongoing Maintenance Tasks
You should do the following tasks often, to maintain your sliding glass door hardware and prevent movement and locking issues:
- Clean and oil the tracks. It’s important to perform thorough cleaning with your door’s roller tracks and lubricate them regularly. Build-up of debris can cause the door to jam or stick when left unattended.
- Clean the locks. Like with the tracks, the same goes for your sliding door locks. The locks are exposed to the elements and therefore may pick up dust, spider webs and other unwanted stuff, which you can easily clean using a mild detergent or damp rag.
In addition, you will want to occasionally carry out the following tasks:
- Check how the door is hanging. Keep an eye on whether the door is hanging correctly, especially since a door that sags can place pressure on the lock’s bolt or latch. This is more likely to present itself as an issue if the door starts having difficultly sliding or latching, so if your door starts behaving strangely have a look at how it is hanging.
- Check the sliding door hardware. You also need to check the strike plates, screws, and hinges, to prevent any kind of door failure. Like with the door hang, this may only be noticed if there is an issue with the door, so keep an eye on any odd door movement.
Happy DIY’ing!
