Sliding Door Do's & Don'ts

My number 1 rule :

Do not grease or oil your tracks.

Wheels are designed to turn not slide.

Many clients wrongly assume that if they lubricate the track it will help the door slide.

It is only a temporary fix and will absolutely speed up the deterioration process and cause more lasting damage.

The problem with 90% of lubricants on the market is that they have an incredible ability to attract dirt and dust and this then clogs the wheel and it will jam up and stop turning.

All sliding doors have wheels which need to turn if you lubricate the track they will slide and this will wear a flat spot in the wheel which will then damage your track.

The only areas on a door that need to be lubricated are where there is metal on metal. So at the top or head of the frame and the bottom or base of the frame along the inside edges where there is friction.

Do : Use silicone spray. (not on the track)

Don't : Use WD40, CRC, Innox machine grease or as I have found recently Canola Oil or Olive Oil

Not all doors are repaired the same way. Some doors require the removal of the fixed panel before the sliding panel can be taken out and repaired. Not a simple exercise. This may incur extra cost.

Do : Speak to an expert before attempting to pull your door apart.

Take some photos of the track and the doors and send them through and we can attempt to guide you through the process over the phone.

Don't : Pull it apart and find yourself in trouble and expect someone to be able to drop everything to solve your self inflicted problem.

We are not at this point a 24hour service. However please do call if you are stuck and we can try and help you over the phone with some guidance.

My second best clients are well meaning husbands and handymen.

Do : Keep your tracks as clean as possible this is your best form of maintenance long term.

Don't : If possible let your pets sleep near the sliding door.

Encourage them to use an alternate entrance if at all possible.

My best clients are people with pets.