How To Repair A Sliding Pocket Door

This article will show you how to supervene upon the screen in a sliding screen door.

When the dog, kids, and others, endeavour to walk through the screen door, here's what happens.

I'g not certain the cost to supervene upon the whole door, every bit ours not only needed a new screen, but it had a bent frame likewise from people going through information technology. Hey information technology happens to the best of us. Certain is startling too!

Step 1: Remove the sliding screen door

Almost screen doors are removed past loosening the screws that adjust the height of the rollers on the bottom edge of the sliding screen door. Your adjustment screw might be in another close by location. Basically you loosen the screws (2 rollers on the bottom), and then y'all should be able to catch the screen door past the sides and elevator up and and so lift the lesser off of the track the lesser rollers are on. You may have to loosen the tiptop rollers too.

Step 2: Place the screen door on a flat surface work surface and remove the handle.

Unscrew the 2 screws holding the sides of the handle together.

Push down on the inside part of the handle with the slider tab. The slider tab should pop off.

Remove the metal latch by sliding information technology out of the frame.

Step three: Removing the screen and screen spline from the frame aqueduct

Property the screen in place is what's called a "spline". It's stuck down in a channel in the door frame and holds the screen in identify. Apply a screwdriver, awl, or nail to piece of work a free end of the spline out of the spline channel.

One time yous get an finish free, go around the door frame pulling up the erstwhile spline. Yous can reuse the spline with your new screen if it'southward in good condition, just spline is cheap so information technology might be amend to become new spline.

Footstep iv: Measure for your replacement sliding door screen

Measure out both height and broad from the outer edges of the metal door frame. You'll need to buy a roll of replacement screen that is at least that size.

Step 5: Buy the replacement screen, new spline and other materials

Here's what you'll need from left to right: Newspaper towel (to clean the spline channel), Rubbing alcohol or denatured booze (to clean the spline channel), a whorl of replacement screen door screen, new spline (match your size or if your not certain past ii sizes, and return the incorrect one), a splining tool, an utility pocketknife or razor blades, a screwdriver, scissors, a measuring tape, and duct tape or other tough tape.
The replacement screen and spline tin be establish at your hardware store, or dwelling improvement store. Bring your screen measurements, and your old spline. On the spline package (upper right) they might have a "actual size" graphic that you can lucifer your one-time spline to. If you are going to install a thicker screen, as I am (run across below), you volition have to use a spline that is 1 size smaller than your original thickness.

On right is a sample of the original screen. I've purchased a "pet proof" new screen, that as you can see is much thicker than the original. The package says information technology's vii times stronger than typical screen. Nosotros have a dog and young kids, so I thought this might be a good replacement screen. It is much tougher, merely the downward-side is that information technology's also quite a bit darker and more noticeable. Besides, If someone were to walk through the screen door, I'm thinking that rather than the screen ripping, the sliding door frame, or rollers will nigh probable take the brunt of the force. We'll encounter.

Step half-dozen: Fix other issues with the sliding screen door

Now is a skillful fourth dimension to replace or repair the screen door rollers. Mine were in fairly adept shape, only this 1 was a chip rusted upwardly, so I saturated information technology in a skilful dosing of WD-xl to loosen upwards the rust. You can also remove the rollers (each roller is different in information technology'due south removal) to really clean them upwards. Dwelling house improvement stores carry some of the major door proper noun rollers, but they didn't have my version, otherwise I would have replaced this one. If you demand to supervene upon your rollers or the door latch for patio doors or sliding screen doors, Prime-Line seems to have many replacement parts.

A few salubrious squirts and this roller was back in action. If all yous want to exercise is lubricate the rollers and you don't need to remove rust, then information technology is recommended to utilize a silicon spray lub. rather than WD-40 as it doesn't attract and hold dust and clay, which rollers done like. I didn't have whatever on hand, so I used WD-40 only (not as good).

About likely if your screen door has been walked into a few fourth dimension, it will as well have some frame damage, similar I had around the latch. With a apartment screwdriver and a pair of pliers, I was able to straighten out about of the harm. St ep vii: Cleaning the spline channel and laying out the new screen.

You'll need a apartment work surface, similar this sheet of plywood on sawhorses, or you can piece of work on floor surface area.

Clean out the channel where the spline goes, with denatured alcohol, or use rubbing alcohol (that's all I had, and I retrieve it's a similar substitute to denatured alcohol).

Scroll out the new screen and cut it to about the outer size of the sliding door frame. Be careful not to cut likewise much off. When yous put the spline back in channel it will suck in quite a bit of the screen. I got close to cutting too much off (shown above).

A few articles I read before doing this chore suggested using clamps to continue the screen in identify, but the roll of replacement screen said to use "sturdy tape". I used duct tape dotted around the perimeter. I wasn't certain how tight I should have it, and possibly information technology will differ for your screen equally I was using a very tough screen cloth, but I constitute it best to just lay it and record it, with little to no tension on it at this signal. The screen will get much tighter when y'all put the spline back in the channel. I also thought the material would be hard to work with to avert uneven tension, pulls, sags, ect., just I found it to be very forgiving and it simply seemed to go well into identify all the manner around the starting time time.

Step eight: Rolling in the new spline, with a spline tool

Here's a close upward of the finish you lot'll employ, information technology has a concave channel on the white roller, that y'all'll apply to roll in the spline. This is a must have tool for the job, and it cost under $three at the hardware.

I'm rolling in the new spline hither. I'm besides removing the tape before I become to it to relieve uneven tension right at the record. My other hand was shooting the photo here, just with your other hand you can hold the edge of the screen and ensure a overnice fifty-fifty fit. Yous'll notice you lot'll accept to practise a few runs around the entire channel to really snug in the spine to the channel.

When you gone all the manner around, you can cut the remaining spline of with a utility knife.

It's hard to push the corners in with the splining tool. I gentle convinced the spline down in these areas with a flat head screwdriver.

The screen is in place, nice and tight and everything looks not bad! But wait, I've made the mistake that I'm sure nearly rookies (like me) do. I put so much tension on the screen, that I've really bowed the side of the sliding screen door frame in. It'south hard to see in the photo, only I've put the measuring tape next to information technology, to show yous have bow it got. It's easy to make this error, as quite a bit of screen cloth goes into the channel when you put in the spline, which really tightens upwardly the screen. It's easy enough to fix though. I removed the spine from that side and a fleck on the top and bottom, released the tension, and rolled it in again. This time the frame didn't accept tension on it, and the screen was also nice and snug.

Pace nine: Trimming off the extra screen

I tried to trim the extra off with a utility knife, without much luck with this thick screen I was using, just plant it much easier to utilize a new razor bract. But be very careful, encounter my mistake below!

Just as I was rounding the last corner, and was fix to be done with this project, I went too fast and cut into a bit of the screen with the razor blade!!! Take your time... A little bit of super glue and everything was patched.

Stride 10: Reinstall the sliding screen door latch.

Simply the metal slider dorsum in, then but the two sides back in place, so you'll observe with the tap piece y'all accept to movement the metal slider around a scrap and then that the tap can slide into a aqueduct. Hard to explain, just you'll get it.

Replace the latch screws once it'south all assembled and your are washed!

Stride 11: Installing the sliding screen door back into place
I couldn't shoot this and do it at the same fourth dimension, but it goes back in just like you took it out. Put the top roller back onto their runway, press upwards and you might need a flat head screwdriver to button the bottom wheels up and onto their bottom track. The last footstep is to adjust the roller adjustment screws until the door glides well in information technology's rails and is firmly in place besides. If you desire to lubricate the rollers and track, utilise a silicon spray, as it doesn't attract and hold dust and dirt. I used WD-40 (not recommended), as it was all I had.

Also now is a good time to clean upwards the tracks for the sliding screen and the sliding door. Again, denatured booze, or rubbing alcohol is a good pick for this. Paraffin wax can exist used on the sliding door runway every bit well equally a practiced lubricant.

Back in place, and ready for another summertime of abuse!

Resources
Popular Mechanics: Repairing A Screen Door Is Easier Than You Think
Prime-Line: Removing Sliding Screen Door Rollers
Prime-Line: Replacement rollers and latches for patio doors and screen doors

My Standard Disclaimer: This is what I did. This does not mean this is the best way, the right way, to edifice lawmaking, or fifty-fifty safe for your needs. So you are on your own with your project. I brand no promises most the information presented here. I'm but a practice-it-yourselfer, not a professional at all, sharing my story. And so if something goes incorrect with your project, you lot are on your ain. Proficient luck, and have fun!

All content and photos, copyright 2009, Dover Projects
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Source: http://doverprojects.blogspot.com/2009/04/how-to-repair-sliding-screen-door.html

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