Sliding Glass Door Repair

[brnhornt]

Hey folks...gotta question for you.  I'm working thru my list of honey-do repairs and this one has been boggling me a bit.  Exterior sliding glass door.  Problem presented itself last year where the sliding screen would pop off the track nearly every time you opened it.  Figured it was something to do with the ageing bearings of the screen so I didn't think much of it until this year.  What I've noticed is that the wheels are ok....but the bottom rail (as if it were a rail/stile door) of the stationary half of the window/door has started to separate from the glass and is moving outwards....which in turn puts pressure on the screen slider and knocks it off it's track.  My guess is the seal has failed and allowed water in which turns to ice in the winter and boom...problems.

Think that's a repairable issue?  If I put my body weight against the rail I can see it move inwards around 1/8"....my first thought was some epoxy...but I'm not sure how I would get any kind of clamping pressure from the outside pushing the rail back IN towards the glass and inside.

Any thoughts?

[giradman]

Hello - hard to make suggestions w/o some pics - can you post any?  Dave

[brnhornt]

Absolutely...I hope this helps:

   
 
In the picture the abrased paint is where the screen slider was making contact and caused friction on the paint.  Behind that, against the glass itself, you can see where the caulk has failed and the piece has pulled away about 1/8th of an inch.  I wouldn't worry too much if it were just that 1/2 inch thick piece of trim that was moving...but judging by the lower section of the door coming in contact with the screen slider makes me thing that even it is moving as well...has me wondering if this is repairable.

Thanks!

PS - mind the splatters...just had concrete poured the other day and haven't been out to clean everything up yet.

[MarkSingleton]

Take the slider out of the track and you can use clamps to push it back
together. Epoxy is probably not a bad idea. I have a feeling you are
due for a new door though.

[crokett™]

Take the slider out of the track and you can use clamps to push it back
together. Epoxy is probably not a bad idea.   I have a feeling you are
due for a new door though.

My thoughts exactly.  Mark just posted before I did.

[brnhornt]

Take the slider out of the track and you can use clamps to push it back
together. Epoxy is probably not a bad idea.   I have a feeling you are
due for a new door though.

I can see where that would work on the side of the door closest to the slider...but what about the other side where I wouldn't be able to get a clamp on it?

[crokett™]

If you take the door out of the track, why cant you get get a clamp on both sides?

[brnhornt]

It's not the slider that's separating...it's the fixed panel.  Or perhaps I'm just being a bone head and can't picture this in my head 

[JosephP]

I'd take it to the local glass shop...I'd bet it can be repaired and is probably worth that expense if the other panel and the frame are all in good shape. If they are not, replacing the whole thing is probably the best option.

If you have to replace it, hope it is a standard size. Ours was not and that made it quite a bit more expensive to replace...I ended up deciding g it was more cost effective to increase the size of the opening rather than getting a custom sized door. I have no idea why they did a custom sized door originally...there was plenty of room for a standard size.

[crokett™]

It's not the slider that's separating...it's the fixed panel.  Or perhaps I'm just being a bone head and can't picture this in my head 

Ok. It's separating on both sides of the glass? In that case I'm thinking you should start budgeting for a new door.