Sliding Patio Doors

[HuskyHawk]

We haven’t had one of these threads in some time. Still summer so I thought I’d see if anyone has had good or bad luck.

We use our slider from Kitchen to the deck all the time. We replaced an old door that wasn’t working with an expensive, fancy JenWeld door about 3 years ago. I’ve tinkered with it. Hired contractors to take it out fix it and put it back. The slide weight is probably north of 30 pounds. Wife and daughter need two hands go move it. Tried cleaning and silicone lubricant and the roller adjustments. Nothing works.

So we are going to chalk it up as a costly mistake and currently are looking at Anderson 200 series. I don’t want a repeat. Any experiences with it? Any others to recommend? It’s a mid grade door. I don’t want another super heavy high grade door like the one I have. Home Depot installer is coming next week. Current door was from Lowe’s and I’ve had bad luck with their installers.

 

[dogpause]

Renewal by Anderson is CRAZY overpriced. I’m talking 2-3X more expensive than what most people pay. Get yourself a good Harvey sliding door and find a contractor to install it for you. Harvey makes a great product. Most of the builders I know won’t use anything else for windows and doors.

IMO, Renewal by Anderson is Anderson's way of biting the hands of the independent contractors who buy and install Anderson windows and doors. "We'll sell to the retail market, but we'll charge a much higher price so that you can still compete." The customer loses.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I would try just adjustments initially. Drop the ruler of quarter inch and see if that helps anything. You might need someone to lean against the top of the door to take a little of the weight off it.

I have an equivalent Anderson and the movement on it is effortless.

I've done all that. For a couple of years now. We're just tired of it not working. Even paid professionals and it's back the way it was again.

 

[NJHusky]

I've done all that. For a couple of years now. We're just tired of it not working. Even paid professionals and it's back the way it was again.

We have the same door I think…and I agree it’s pretty heavy. Was hoping u would find a cheaper solution for me than replacing the door, which I’m not willing to do. I’ll send my wife to the gym instead.

 

[CL82]

I've done all that. For a couple of years now. We're just tired of it not working. Even paid professionals and it's back the way it was again.

Got it, just trying to think of easy fixes. When you do the adjustment, does it help?

 

[Hoophound]

Could be a bent track.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Got it, just trying to think of easy fixes. When you do the adjustment, does it help?

Not really. Minor improvement. I’m probably doing it wrong but the contractors had no luck either b

 

[NJHusky]

We had the rollers replaced another door with stainless sleep ball bearings and the improvement was dramatic. Not a jeld wen door and that one was old but I was shocked at how easy it opens. Other than friction from the air seal it has to be the rollers

 

[Vancat]

Marvin here. Had the rollers replaced once, they were very corroded.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Well it's out of my hands now. Wife is done with the door, so it will be a new one. You guys know how that is I assume.

 

[jibsey]

Well it's out of my hands now. Wife is done with the door, so it will be a new one. You guys know how that is I assume.

You assume correct kemosabe.

 

[NJHusky]

Well it's out of my hands now. Wife is done with the door, so it will be a new one. You guys know how that is I assume.

Lol. U had your chance…..

 

[mussels]

Saw a T that said “If I said I’ll fix it - I’ll fix it. I don’t need to be reminded every six months”

 

[HuskyHawk]

Lol. U had your chance…..

I didn't know there were sliding door "pros". In hindsight I shouldn't have hired the contractors we use for other stuff to take a look at it and try to fix it. But it seems that was my one shot.

 

[jibsey]

Just remember that marriage is like a walk in the park. Jurracic Park.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Wait, now a late save. Wife's co-worker has a guy who is a sliding door guy. Evidently she is willing to try to see if he can fix it. When it was just me (and I said all of you) that wasn't convincing, but her, her she believes.

 

[Scrutineer]

We haven’t had one of these threads in some time. Still summer so I thought I’d see if anyone has had good or bad luck.

We use our slider from Kitchen to the deck all the time. We replaced an old door that wasn’t working with an expensive, fancy JenWeld door about 3 years ago. I’ve tinkered with it. Hired contractors to take it out fix it and put it back. The slide weight is probably north of 30 pounds. Wife and daughter need two hands go move it. Tried cleaning and silicone lubricant and the roller adjustments. Nothing works.

So we are going to chalk it up as a costly mistake and currently are looking at Anderson 200 series. I don’t want a repeat. Any experiences with it? Any others to recommend? It’s a mid grade door. I don’t want another super heavy high grade door like the one I have. Home Depot installer is coming next week. Current door was from Lowe’s and I’ve had bad luck with their installers.

CL82 has the right approach. YouTube videos and company videos show just how easy it is to fix many things.
The doors come as a unit with the casing so everything should have been aligned and fitted properly when they installed it.
Any required adjustments are easily made while the door is in place, if the door is fully on the rollers........more on that later.
What did the contractors you hired do to "fix it"?
One or two people can easily lift a door off its tracks to set it aside to work on it, if it's necessary to replace the roller units, but it sounds more like an adjustment problem or its not seated properly on the rollers and the contractor may have done little or nothing if it doesn't slide any better.
We had a door that was operating much like you describe and we kept adjusting it and nothing improved until one day I lifted the door and replaced it on its rollers and found it moved so easily it was like a miracle. The miracle was it was finally fully on the rollers whereas formerly we only thought it was.
All it takes is one of the rollers to be seated improperly.

 

[Scrutineer]

It appears to be pretty easy to do


Before I bother taking the door off and swapping out the rollers, I would see if just raising them up solves your problem. If it's always been that way, it seems more like an adjustment issue.

Also making certain all rollers are aligned properly and seated on the track properly.

 

[August_West]

Also making certain all rollers are aligned properly and seated on the track properly.

Who wants to deal with that?

 

[HuskyHawk]

Who wants to deal with that?

Not me. Paying someone else whether it is fixed or replaced.