Installing a screen door
Tips and Techniques

Installing a screen door and getting it to slide nicely means you have to check a few things on the door. The rollers have to be in good shape, the door should be properly aligned and the tracks it rides on should be good too.

What follows is advice I have given to a number of website visitors who have sent in questions over the years about how to go about making their screen doors work.

Patio screen door doesn't
want to move

by Sandy
(Minnesota)

We bought our townhome a year ago and the patio screen door has always been sticky. The screen itself also needed to be replaced.

When my husband tried to remove the door to clean the rollers and replace the screen he wasn't able to get the door out. With the help of a neighbor he was able to get the screen door out of the track.

He replaced the screen and cleaned the rollers and track. When he got the screen back in place (again with the help of the neighbor), it became nearly impossible to open or close the screen door.

We now leave it open because if we do get it closed, we can't get it open again. Needless to say, this renders the door useless.

Can you give us any ideas about what to do short of replacing the entire door? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Hi Sandy;

One common problem is that rollers dont spring back over the top or the lower track.

It might look like the door is on correctly but if one roller has slipped beside the track instead of on it then the panel becomes hard to open.

This problem is common when you have a track at the top. The top rollers can easily slip off the track when you are trying to slide in the bottom of the panel

Lift the frame a little and see that each roller is straddling the track.

Hope this helps

Busted screen

by Eve
(Chicago, IL)

So this condominium unit is older than God and infested with squirrels, one of whom chose to chew through the bottom of the screen.

There is a small hole - the screen it chewed through is still there - that looks like it could be patched with tape. What would you recommend? I believe the screen is some kind of plastic.

The entire door also falls outward from the track when it is open. This has resulted in some comical accidents such as me accidentally smacking my boyfriend in the eye with the corner of the frame. Any advice?

Hi Eve;

I've seen all kinds of things used to repair squirrel holes. The best one was old pieces of paneling with drywall screws sticking out. But the most popular method is duct tape.

If the door is falling out as well it's probably because there are no rollers left. It's sounds like its time for a new slider.

Change slider from left to right

I just bought a house with sliding patio doors in the back. I would like it to open from the left rather than the right. Is it possible to just switch this around somehow?

If the screen door lock or handle is located in the center of the vertical bars, you can just flip the screen door over and make it an opposite hand.
The top rollers will probably be in much better shape too so the door will roll nicely. (hopefully!)

If the the latch or handle is not in the dead center it is going to end up being too high or too low when you flip it around. Sometimes you can move the handle, and if you dont use the screen door latch much, having it too low might not be a big deal.

How do I remove this screen door ?

by Lorri H

My question is how to remove the screen door so I can change the screen. It appears to just sit on the track, no wheel.

There is a screw at top and bottom but the top won't come out. I thought one could just lift up and out like a window but this one is aluminum and 1960's era and doesn't seem to want to come out.... Please help.

Hi Lorri;

There are some types of slider that use nylon glides instead of rollers. The glides are usually spring loaded, just like the roller.

First loosen the screws a little to see if the glides start to move up and down

Then try lifting the glides up with a flat blade screwdriver until they clear the bottom track. First on one side, then the other.

Florida Screens

I have sliding door screens on a condo in florida that need to be replaced. There are hurricane shutters infront of the screens so I can't lay them flat on the ground.

I have to install the new screen in a vertical position. Any tips?

Screens can be fixed in the vertical position, as long as you have room to clamp the screen material all around the frame.

You will need someone to help by standing behind the scrren door and supporting it while you roll the screen material in

Slider just wont come off

by June
(Mt Sterling , KY)

Cant get the screen door off to repair the screen.

Hi June;

Sometimes screen doors can be a problem to remove, especially if the patio door frame is sagging. Try measuring the patio door frame height at the left, at the right and in the middle to see if it is sagging down at the top.

If it is that will explain why the screen door is broken. The patio door frame will need to be fixed first.

On some doors i have to jack up the center of the frame with a 2x4 post and a hydraulic jack. Its sometimes the only way to get the 1/4" more height you need to get the door out.

You can also pull gently on both sides of the screen door in the mkiddle of the vertical bars. You can spring them out a little bit often enough to get the door out. You may have to shorten the frame a little to get the door back in and working properly again.

Installing a Screen Door

by Mike Brewer
(Sultan, WA)

I can't get my screen slider out. I thought it would come out like the windows (opne, lift up and pull out at the bottom), but there's no slack in the upward direction.

What's the trick?

First loosen all the rollers, top and bottom. There should be adjustment screws that control the height of each roller or glide. Just dont remove the screws, undo them until you get slack in the door.

If loosening the screws does nothing, check to see if a roller has broken and got jammed between the track and the screen door. Slide the door to the middle, see if you get more slack in that position.

If its still tight the problem is more likely with the patio door itself.

Installing a screen door
from the inside of a tall building

by Jessica
(Chicago, IL, USA)

I'm having a tough time getting an existing screen door's rollers back on track because I live on a third floor and am working from the inside of the house. This is basically a screen door that overlooks the street and there's no patio to stand on outside the doors. I removed the screen to do some window cleaning, and it's possible it hasn't been removed since the house was built 10 years ago.

All the guidelines I've researched suggest getting the top rollers into place, then forcing the bottom rollers to retract from the outside with a phillips head screwdriver in order to get them on the track. This isn't currently an option because there's no patio balcony, so I've tried using twine to pull the door in. Unfortunately, I can't reach around the outside door to the furthest roller with my screwdriver.

I really don't want to rent & transport a 3-story ladder to push the screen door into place, so do you have any suggestions on how to pull it in?

Thanks!

This is one application where the side screws are not much help. If its possible, I would bring the screen door in through the patio door and drill 2 new vertical holes at the bottom horizontal rail directly above the roller housings.

Then I would take 2 screws, grind the sharp points of their ends flat and then install them in the holes to act as roller adjusting screws. With the patio door open, you should be able to access these screws on both sides without resorting to any dangerous climbing.

Screen door cant be removed

by Harry
(Romeoville, Il.)

I cannot get the screen door off the track after
loosening the top 2 screws.

The screen door should be able to move up and down enough to remove it after loosening the the top and bottom screws.

Sometimes patio doors sag and prevent the screen door from being removed. Usually though you can still get it out even if you have to bow the frame out a little to get it off the track.

To get it back on though, you will have to either shorten the door or fix the problem that is causing the patio door to sag.

The screen door hangs up when you try to slide it open or closed.

When I try to open or close my screen door it hangs up. I have put new plastic rollers on the door and the problem is still the same. I was thinking about replacing the plastic with metal. I just took steel wool and went back and forth inside track. What do you think? Gary

Hi Gary;

If the corners that hold the screen door together are worn out or broken, then replacing the rollers will often make no difference.

Whenever you try to open or close the door the frame will twist out of square slightly and jam against the track.

You can stiffen up the frame by replacing the screen cloth with aluminum instead of fiberglas cloth.

You can check to see how sturdy the frame is by holding the bottom of the door in place with your foot and gently pushing the door to one side or the other. You should be able to "feel" if the door frame is loose.

Another problem that can cause the door to jam is if the patio door frame is sagging or twisted due to settling. Are ther any cracks in the concrete sill ?, Is the height of the door frame lower in the middle than at the adges ? If so you may need to re-square the patio door frame.

Hope this helps,

Adrian D.

Stonewall

by Dick J.
(Elk Grove Village, IL)

Question:

Have typical alum sliding patio screen door. As you can see door is in fine shape. It will not be forever..can't figure how to remove the sliding screen for cleaning or potential replacement.

Notice the track in the picture. The bottom is the same. Usually one lifts up the screen and the springs on the wheels give to enable removing. This is not how these are made. The track encloses the door top and bottom. There are adjustment screws but that only changes (?) the tension on the wheels. There is no clearance for the door to come out. Can't figure it out!

It was made by Republic Window & Door in Chicago, they are now out of business. Was installed by suburban Ohare Airport noise abatement "blitz" 3/4 years ago. Independent contractors were used to install doors and windows a few blocks at a time.

My neighbors have the identical question, and door.

Would appreciate any help.

Thanks
Stonewall

Answer:

Hi Stonewall, Thanks for the question.

The screen door looks pretty standard to me, its a nice heavy extrusion, a good quality door.

But it appears to me that the top of the door is sitting right on top of the screen door and the patio door. This is not normal. There should be enough clearance to lift the screen door out of the frame with the rollers loosened off.

I think the house frame has settled on top of the door. The first thing I would do is remove the top casing on the inside of the patio door and take a look to see if there is a gap between the patio door frame and the header.

Sometimes you can pull the shims out between the header and the patio door and the frame will pop back in place and your gap will be back again. Then the screen door can be removed easily.

Worst case scenario the header will have no gap and you will have to remove the whole patio door and have the opening reframed. Then put it back in again.


Hope this helps

Jim "The Handyman"

by Jim L.
(Rosemount MN )

I can't seem to loosen the screen door rollers enough to lift the door out of its track. What next?

Is the top track pushing down on the screen door ? Measure the track to track height on the left, right and in the middle. If its less in the middle the patio door is sagging and that ought to be fixed before tackling the screen door.

To get the screen door out in the meantime, you may need to pull gently on the middle of the door to spring out the frame to get it over the track.

Putting a screen door in its tracks

by Anna Marie
(Bushkill, PA)

I removed the screen door and had the screen replaced. I cannot pop it back onto the rollers. There are 2 rollers on top and 2 on the bottom. It is a metal door which slides on rollers on grooves in the top and bottom door frame.

I have lubricated the wheels and checked for obstacles. The wheels are working. If I fit the top in, there is not enought room to pop the bottom in, and vice versa. There must be some trick to putting the screen onto the rollers - HELP!



Hi;

Before putting the screen door back in check to see if the rollers can be pushed up into the screen door frames.

Usually they have springs attached to them which push the rollers back out when you try to push them into the screen door frame.

If they wont move, there is usually an adjusting screw you have to loosen. One for each roller. It's often located near the bottom of the frame. You will see an open hole big enough to stick a phillips screwdriver inside.

Some screen doors have adjusting screws that can be plainly seen sticking out of the frame above the roller. These often get rusty and break off when you try to adjust them. Other times a little squirt of penetrating oil or WD40 can loosen them and make them work again

It's best to check the roller adjustment screws before getting the rescreening done because if there are any problems with them, the frame may have to be taken apart to install new parts.

With the screws loosened and rollers free to move up and down a little, there is usually enough room to push each roller over the bottom track when you try to reinstall the door.

After reinstalling the door you will need to tighten the adjusting screws back in, to raise the door up so it glides nicely. By adjusting each of the two bottom rollers, you can also get the door to sit perfectly square in the frame.

Can't get the door back on

by Jim
(Wisconsin)

Question:

We had our screen door re-screened a few weeks ago. When I pulled it out to take it to the store, I really had to yank at it to get it out of it's runners. Once we got it back, I had the same problem getting back in place. Today, it came off when my wife tried to open it.

There are two "screws" at the top and bottom which seem to have something to do with recessing the wheels. Even when they're all the way recessed into the door frame. I'm still having a problem getting it back in.

Is there something I'm overlooking when I take it off and put it on?


The screws you mentioned control the height of the rollers. Usually you release the screws so the rollers have more play so that its easier to pull the door out of the tracks.

Once the door is back in, you adjust the screws to raise the door and get it rolling nicely.

How do i put it back in?

by Sean

so my screen door is in between two doors the inside and the outside i got it out with out removing the glass doors but now i can't get it back in is there any way i can put it back in without removing the glass doors?

Usually you have to remove the 2 outside glass doors so you can install the screen door properly

Screen door falls off

by Tom M.
(Tewksbury, N.J. USA)

We have Anderson Screen Door assemblies on 2 of our entrances. One of these has become something of a problem as the door when slided, falls off. It would seem that the curved springs at the top of the door do not give enough pressure to hold the door in when it is slided. Have you any suggestion as to how we can preserve the door assembly by increasing that pressure?

I would slide the door across very slowly so I could see if the gap at the top of the door increased as the door was slid over.

Then I would measure the height from bottom track to top track on the left, the right and the center of the patio door to see if these heights were all the same.

If they were, I would try replacing the rollers. I the heights were different, I would know that it was the patio door causing the problem.

Many patio doors sag over time due to the movement of the wooden frame of the house or a concrete sill cracking.

unable to remove
screen door for repair

by Tim
(Bolingbrook, IL)

Hello. In checking various websites, they say you only need to lift the screen door up and the bottom will be higher than the bottom guide rail so you can slide the door out that way. In looking at our screen door portion of our sliding glass door, the bottom does not come close to clearing the bottom rail. I cannot find any way to remove the screen door. There are no screws/connections on the frame to open it wider that I can find. Your help is appreciated.

Hi Tim;

There are some occasions where the bottom rail has to be removed before the screen door will come out. That usually happens where people have installed extra storm windows in front of their existing patio screen door.

Its also possible the patio door frame is sagging. If the left and the right side of the screen door look they would clear the track when the screen door is pulled all the way across, this might be the problem.

Pictures would really help here too, showing the top track and the bottom. They might give me some clus about what might be causing the problem.

sliding screen door

dog knocked down the sliding screen door. Therefore i need to know how to put it back in place

How do you remove a
sliding screen door

by Donna K
(Garwood, New Jersey )

Question
We have an Anderson sliding patio doors, the screen is filthy, we would like to remove it to clean it, but we can't get it off the top track.

probably original with the house 1959. Screen door has a bolt on L and R, outside face, at bottom of door. I can see 2 wheels at top, but no adjustment screws anywhere for those. Removed bottom bolts which loosened door, but even when pushing the top wheels in by raising the door, there isn't enough room to get bottom of door up and over either side rail. Help!?

Answer
I could give you a better answer if you could include a picture of the top of the door but it sounds like this might be a top hung door.

With these, first you loosen all the screws holding the top rollers, then you need to swing the bottom of the door out almost 45 degrees to the house, before you can unhook the rollers from the top track.

Can't get a screen in a
crooked door frame

by Amy
(Kansas)

We've lived in our house for 2 years now and haven't been able to have a screen door on our back sliding door. We bought one, but the frame is crooked and it wouldn't stay in. I'd really love to have a screen back there, is there any way to make that work with such a crooked door frame? Thanks.
Amy

Hi Amy,
Many houses have patio doors that sag. Most often its due to the wood frame of the house settling and distorting the patio door frame.

Many times this can be fixed by removing the casing on the top of the door and pulling out the screws and the shims across the top of the door.

That allows the frame to snap back into a straight position.

Worst case, the settling is so bad that even this wont help but at least its worth a try.

Me Vs. Door

by Sarah
(Dover Plains, NY)

So I was out hanging laundry on my deck at dusk and realized that I forgot something inside the house. Because I usually leave the screen door open during this task (as I am in and out a lot), it didn't occur to me to slow down.

I ran into the screen door taking it out of the frame (surprise! not tearing the screen at all). Both the door and myself were found confused on the floor and a bit embarrassed. It seems that the frame is bent and now I can't get it back on track. Should I buy a new one or is there a way I can fix it?

Hi Sarah, the door cant really be "unbent" without taking out the screen cloth and applying some gentle persuasion to the bent parts of the frame.

I used to unbend doors by levering the frame pieces in between the trailer hitch and the back bumper of my work van. Worked like a charm so long as the frame was not bent double.

Check the rollers too because they can break when someone walks through the screen.

It's probably fixable, but you can certainly buy a new screen door too, I am not going to say no!

This kind of accident is what keeps me in business but if it makes you feel any better, teenage drinking parties are best for out-and-out absolute screen door destruction !

Bent Screen Door?

by Travis
(Pittsburgh, PA)

Hello;

I just found your website and was hoping you could help me. Someone tried to walk through my screen door. Instead of the screen just tearing the whole frame bent pretty bad in multiple spots.

I would really rather not replace it. Do you have any idea of how I can get it back to its proper form? Or at least know if there are places I can take it to that may be able to fix it?

Any help would be much appreciated. Thank you.

Sometimes I was able to bend on old frame straight by trapping the bent frame piece between the trailer hitch and the back bumper of my work van.

By carefully pulling in the right direction, I could get the some of the bends out. So long as the frame is not bent double, this can work.

Look around for two strong posts you can wedge the door frame piece into, so that you can have leverage for bending.

Bent screen door

by Charles W.
(Park Forest ,IL)

some one walk into the patio screen door now it is bent and doesn't roll on the tracks properly or lock because its not in line with the latch.

Need tips on how to straighten the door.

I often put the bent rail between the trailer hitch and the back bumper of my work van, Then pull carefully on the rail to take out the bend.

If you can find any two metal posts anchored to the floor or some solid object, you can get the bends out of a screen door.

Sliding screen door has come apart

by Julius
(Toronto)

My screen door was not sliding easily and my daughter pushed it hard and the edges just came lose. I need to tighten the edges and have no clue how to.
Please advise. JT

You need to have the sliding problem fixed. Sounds like the door needs to be taken apart and have new corners and rollers installed, then rescreened. If the door is too far gone you could also replace the whole screen door.

Sliding Door

My sliding door has just started to stick and makes a dreadful grinding noise when opened and is hard to push the door open. Then sometimes it dosen't happen and is back to normal again.

I think it is rubbing and you would think it is warped for no reason. This just starting happening out of the blue, but can't find out why..can you help please.

Regards Christine

Usually this is a sign that one or both of the rollers have broken on the bottom of the door. You will need to remove the the door and take a look to see what the condition of the rollers are.

Most screen doors have nylon rollers that become brittle over time and eventually just break or fall off.

My Screen door is impossible !

by Karin
(Gaithersburg, MD)

Hello, my name is Karin and I have lived in the same house for almost 10 years. Our screen door that accompanies our sliding glass door has never been fully operational.

It will not slide smoothly, it is like pulling teeth to try to get it open and closed. We replaced the door once and it still did not make much of a difference. Please help me in finding a way to solve this 9 year problem. Thank you


Hi Karin,

First of all are there scrape marks on the top track or the bottom track or both ? This is usually evidence of the door rubbing. If there is, we have to figure out why.

Start by measuring the height from bottom screen track to top screen track at 3 positions. On the extreme left, on the extreme right and in the middle of the door. Are these 3 heights the same or is middle measurement smaller ? If it is your patio door frame is sagging or getting squeezed.

Is the door rubbing on the patio door somewhere. Over the years the glass doors can come out of alignment or the tracks could be slightly bent making the the screen door rub when it closes. Anything rubbing on the screen door can destroy it in a hurry.

Would love to see pictures, send them to the email on the home page of all about screen doors. If any of the above does not help, I will work with you to find whats wrong.

Screen door stuck in between
sliding glass panels

by Joe
(South Boston, MA)

Have a Anderson double hung door (interior wood and exterior alum storm) screen is in between the doors. I can't get screen door out to repair, seems like I will have to take sliders apart? Can you please help.

Screen Door off track

by Rhiannon
(Wisconsin)

My wonderful dog decided to charge head first at the bird feeder and knocked my patio door off the track. How do I get it back on? It doesn't line up at the top and I cannot even push it back in because the wheel on top doesn't go down far enough to be able to push it back in.

Thanks for the photo.

Hopefully the frame is still straight

You will need to loosen the adjusting screws for the rollers to get it back on easily. These screws are usually found above or beside the roller.

Put your thumb on the roller while adjusting the screw to feel if the roller is going into the frame.

At the top the door either rides in a C shaped track, or on a single rail. If its a C shaped track the top of the door just fits inside it.

The rail type is a little tricky because you have to hold the top of the door against the rail to keep it on while at the same time pushing the bottom up against the bottom track.

Helps to have 2 people, so you can kneel down while the other person holds the door in place and lever the bottom rollers onto the track with a flat blade screwdriver.

Then adjust all the screws to get the door riding smoothly back and forth.

Screen door sides bow inward
when rescreening

I have a tall screen door. when pulling the screen material taught the door frame pulls in giving me a sort of hourglass shape door. How do I keep the door from doing this?

Some doors have vertical rails that are cambered outward and you intentionally stretch the material to bring them straight.
Usually, though, you dont want to stretch the material at all, just keep it as flat as you can.

I do this by clamping the material all around the frame with spring clamps. I make sure the material is square to the frame. Then i preroll one side in and then roll the spline in, taking note that the material left sticking out is the same width all the way down.

A bit of it is practice but if you keep the material square and make sure you preroll each side and guide the material without stretching it, the material will not cause the hourglass effect.

You can use an old screen bar or metal rod across the center to limit the pulling but half the time when you remove the bar you end up with puckers in the material.

Hope this helps

Installing screen cloth in
a screen door

Hi ,
ordered a screen door kit from you. I didn't see any instructions with kit. Wondering if you have any tips on stretching the screen. Thanks.

Once you get the frame assembled, lay it on the ground and unroll the screen cloth until it covers the frame from top to bottom.

Attach the screen cloth all around the top, bottom and one side using plastic spring clamps. You can often find these in the dollar store. The clamps keep the material flat and square to the frame. No need to overstretch.

Start rolling in the spline and the cloth in one corner. You should not need to stretch it very much at all, just guide the cloth and the spline with your free hand.

Fiberglass cloth is forgiving. If you get a pucker, you can often pull out the spline and re-roll. So long as you keep the material flat with the clamps, you should get a perfect job each time.

Sliding screen door frame is good,
the rest is wearing out

by Dale
(Denver, CO)

(PS: I ALSO SENT AN EMAIL WITH THIS INFORMATION) I was looking at your website and think you will be able to help me repairing my sliding screen door. The door has probably been in commission since 1974 when my condominium was built and last year the wear and tear finally caught up with the door.

The problems:
Torn Screen
- Will need to replace screen & spline
Broken latch on handle
- It looks like the 'latch' was machined into the frame and a hole was carved in handle. 'latch' pulled out of frame.
Broken roller
- The roller is broken in the corner piece. It looks like the corner doesn't come apart but I didn't want to break it trying. Figure I should go ahead and replace all rollers/corner pieces


The specs:
Height - 79 1/2" (looks like about 80" from top roller to bottom roller)
Width - 48"
Depth - 7/16"


Other than the rollers & handle the frame is sturdy and heavy duty. I have included some pictures for your assessment. Please let me know if you need any other information.

Hi Dale;

Thanks for the great pictures

Those metal corners you have are quite unique. The last time I saw corners that fancy was a machinist who made his own out of aluminum at the machine shop where he worked. Apart from that, all the rest of the hardware is standard stuff.

The only problem is the latch. The bushing that was "permanently" installed in the door has come out, and you need a special rivet setting tool to reinstall a new bushing. Even if you had the tool, you would have to make a new hole and relocate the handles.

Since the door has been in service for 36 years, I think its justifiable to replace it completely.

For $129.00 shipping included I can give you a brand new door to last another 36 years. I will send you a PayPal invoice if thats what you would like to do.

Or I could send you 4 new ball bearing rollers, a new screen door lock (different style) and new handles for about $55.00 plus shipping.

Let me know what you would like to do

Screen door will not slide easy

by Sandy P.
(Hillsboro MO)

Question
Replaced the screen in my patio door and now the screen does not slide like it use to.

Answer

Check the rollers to make sure they are properly located on the top and bottom tracks. You may need to remove the door again and have someone help you put it back on while you make sure all the rollers go where they are supposed to.

If you have to take the door off again, check the rollers to see if any have broken. They have a habit of breaking after new screen has been installed.

To screen or not to screen?

by Liz
(Iowa City)

So I did it...yep, after living here 4 yrs with no problems, I was in a hurry to get outside to the patio, & didn't see that the screen door to the patio was closed. I managed to stop myself fairly quickly, but not before I bent the frame just a tad, & slightly tore the screen from the bottom of the door. The bent frame is of no consequence; it still works fine. It's the screen that's my concern. It's not real noticeable; you can hardly see it. But it's there. I care more about bugs being able to get in than anything.

A maintenance guy that was working on s.th. else here today told me that there wasn't enough screen material on the bottom to be able to fix it. He said I'd have to replace the whole thing; essentially, "re-screen" it.


But then my friend realtor friend Beth told me that she used strong clear tape (packing tape) on the bottom of her door when she did the same thing. She apparently taped the pulled & ripped out area to the frame of the door. She lives halfway across the country; so it won't work to have her show me...

Any opinions?! It's not noticeable really; so it seems odd to replace the entire screen cuz of such a small "pulled out" area.

Thanks SO much!

Have a great day!

Liz

PS to the problem... I'd like to be able to say that I'm into tools & all that... But I am absolutely NOT mechanically inclined. That's probably why the "tape the screen to the frame" idea sounded good to me!

Sliding screen door
keeps falling off

by Jimmy
(Boston)

sliding screen room door keeps falling off runner on top. We try to adjust the rollers ( coasters) to no avail. HELP?

Hi Jimmy;

Sounds like the door may actually be too short.

When you adjust the bottom rollers, you should be able to make the top of the door touch the top of the track.

Then you lower the rollers down a little and it should work fine.

Measure the height of the patio door from sill to top of track, then measure the height of the screen door. If the screen door is more than 1/2 inch shorter then the door is too short.

Torn screen at corner of my sliding patio screen door.

by Carol B.
(Blythe, CA)

I just accidentally put my foot through the bottom corner of my sliding patio screen door. The fiberglass screening material did tear. The frame is intact except for one of the roller wheels on the bottom, which won't retract. The width of the door is 48 3/8" (45 3/8" actual screen width); height is 79 1/2" (screen is 76 1/2") and 1/2" deep. Do I have to buy another door or can I repair it. If I can repair the door what do I need?
Looking forward to your response,
Carol

Hi Carol,

First get the screen door out, look over the instructions in screen door installation and removal, then remove the old cloth.

Before you put new cloth back in be sure to check the rollers and corners to make sure the rollers are working and that there are no broken corners.

If everything checks out reinstall new screen and put the screen door back in its frame.

Replacing screen in sliding door

by KEN
(Stockton)

I want to pay someone to replace a screen in my sliding door

Screen keeps jamming
wont move freely

by Pat
(Omaha, Ne)

Screen hangs up when you start pulling on it and you have to do additional tugging to get it to close. brand new screen just purchased from home depot just a basic screen. adjusted rollers, adjusted screws for height. still keeps hanging up in track.

Hi Pat;

If its one of those adjustable height doors with plastic rollers that ride in slots, take it back for a refund. They just dont work. They are just not worth the bother !

Screen doors need to be custom made to fit the opening and they also need decent rollers that work first time and continue working for 10 to 20 years.

Sliding screen door difficult to open.

by Jim C.
(Brookline, MA)

Question

A friend's sliding patio doors have a wooden framed screen that is difficult slide all the way open. When I pull the side of the frame near the vertical center (at the latch) it wants to tip up the opposite frame edge of the door and so jams at the top (i.e. the frame wracks upward). I can push the door open relatively easily if I hold the frame near the top.

The top of the frame is mounted with wheels that are resting in a continuous track at the head of the opening. The bottom of the frame has just a thin continuous plate or fin that fits down into a slot at the threshold, so there is no support or tension there (as in most slider screen doors I've seen).

I've tried adjusting the top fittings for the rollers, and even taken the whole door off the rollers to check them and the track. The rollers are free to roll perfectly and the slot at the bottom is clean.

I don't see how the original design prevented wracking when pushing to open.

Jim C.

Answer

It sounds like that one or more of the corners that hold the frame together has worked loose with use or broken completely.

Is the door entirely made of wood, or does it have a wood veneer on the inside over top of a conventional aluminum screen door ?

You can stiffen the frame up by rescreening with black aluminum wire but it will eventually loosen up again.

If the door is completely wood, then scrweing steel "L" brackets at all four corners would help stiffen the frame.

Would be great if you could submit digital pictures of this door because it sounds quite unique


The doors are all wood. I think you are probably right that one or more corners is loose. And using 'L' brackets at each corner would solve the problem. I was visiting the house in question at the time of my post and am no linger there. I'm going to let the owners know about this. Thanks for the help!

Screen door may need adjustment

by Joe
(St. Louis, MO USA)

My screen door has trouble staying closed 100%. There is no difficulty opening or closing it as far as it being on the track, but when I push to close it all the way, usually the top corner of the door doesn't want to stay flush against the frame. It kind of settles back so there is a small gap between the screen door and the frame it closes against. Any ideas what could be the problem? Could it just be the rollers are bad, or the back one is uneven causing the top of the door not to completely close?

Screen door frame broken fell apart

Question:

Our metal/aluminum screen door frame came apart when we removed it to replace the screen. Can this be repaired and how?


Often the corners that hold the frame together break in half. You have to dig the old broken pieces out of the frame and save them so you can get the right part.

If your local glass shop wont help post a picture of the corner here and I will source them for you

Screen Door Busted!

by Frankee
(Redding, CA)

My wonderful little puppy at the time kept scratching at the screen door until one day she she decided to make her own personal doggy door out of the screen.

Good thing it was about to turn fall and keeping the door open was not necessary. Today I decided I would try to fix the door myself, seeing that I have seen the kits before.

I went to Home Depot and asked some questions, they showed me what I needed and also said that they can fix the door now for about $3 bucks per sq. foot plus cost of materials.

I asked what the average price was per door.. $50 plus materials. EEPS! I just gathered what I thought I would need. Went home, found this site... and went to work. Less then an hour later... My door looks brand new!

All for under $10. I am very impressed with myself! If your intimidated by this project.. don't be.. it was very easy!

Thanks for sharing this!

Screen door won't slide any more

by Paul
(Bridgewater NJ)

The rail on which our screen door slides is broken and recessed into the wood. As a result, the door does not slide properly any more. Is there any way to put in a new rail? Is there another door I just put over the old one?

You can buy small aluminum angles which will replace the broken or worn bottom track.

If the old track is recessed into the base or threshold, its sounds like that will be to be fixed before the track can be replaced though.

How to fix screen door frame

by Tina
(Canada)

I changed the screen but when I try to put the frame back in it's place I couldn't because there is a gap in every corner of the frame and frame looks like it's been twisted.What should I do?

The screen cloth is too tight, remove it and start again. The key is to keep the material nice and flat but not stretched.

I do this using simple spring clamps. The video on my window screen page shows how I use the clamps to keep the material flat.

Sliding Screen cannot
Be Put Back on Track

by Steve W.
(Surprise, AZ)

Our sliding glass door screen came off and for the life of us, we cannot get it back on the tracks. It fits in the top nicely and on one side of the bottom (right side) but using a metal object to try to lift it into the track on the left side we cannot get it on. Any ideas?

Start by moving the screen door to the center and trying to get the left hand side on.

Maybe the reason it popped off in the first place was that the frame was starting bend.

You may have to fix the cause of the patio door frame bending before you can get the door in.

Share your experiences here

If you would like to share your own experiences with removing and reinstalling your screen door why not share them here. You can upload pictures as well as write about how you solved a problem with your slider.