Make sliding patio doors open smoothly with this easy to follow guide. It is frustrating when you can’t open your patio door, especially if it leads to a patio area where you would like to go to relax. With repeated use and exposure to weather, sliding doors take a lot of abuse. There are a variety of reasons why the door might not slide open easily. But with a little time and the proper tools and materials, you’ll be able to fix some problems on your own.
6 Not all patio doors are alike. Some doors have rollers only on the bottom and just slide in a track at the top. Other doors have rollers on the top and bottom. You can find powdered graphite, paraffin wax, penetrating oil and silicone lubricant at a hardware or home-supply store. Attempting to remove the glass door on your own to check the rollers could result in damaging the door or breaking the glass.
Wipe the track clean with a damp cloth. Rinse the cloth in a bucket of clear water and repeat. Move the door back and forth on the track and listen to see if you can detect any grating sounds that would indicate sand you can't see. Keep wiping the track area until you have removed all grit and sand.
Spray the rollers with a penetrating oil to loosen them. Spray silicone lubricant on the rollers to keep the rollers lubricated.