What we do
- Bottom rollers removed and replaced with a matched pair
- Tracks vacuumed, deburred, and capped with stainless where dented
- Height adjustment set so the panel glides level
- Mortise latches, keepers and handle sets replaced
- Sliding screen doors re-rolled and re-latched
- Foot locks, charley bars and anti-lift blocks added
In Alhambra homes
About 77 percent of Alhambra’s homes were built before 1980, according to a city housing report, and many of them traded wood French doors or windows for aluminum or vinyl patio sliders during later updates. Those doors are now old enough that their rollers have worn through, which is the most common slider call we get.
Get a quote in one text
Send a short video of the door sliding, a photo of the bottom track, and one of the handle and latch. Our number for photos is (626) 684-3505, and the price comes back before any work is booked.
Roller wear
Rollers carry the full weight of a heavy glass panel on wheels the size of a coin. Their bearings fail, the tires flatten, and the door ends up riding on the metal housing. That grinding sound is the frame scraping the track. A fresh pair of rollers usually makes the door glide again.
Tracks
A bottom track packed with dirt and leaves, or one bent by a dropped object, will chew up even new rollers. We clean it out, file the burrs, and fit a snap-on stainless cap where the rail is damaged.
Lifting the panel out
Most sliders come out by raising the panel into the head track and swinging the bottom free. Some have stops or screws that must come off first. Heavy dual-pane panels take two people, and we bring a second person when the door needs it.
Latches and security
Once rollers are adjusted, we line up the latch so it catches with an easy push. A loose handle set is replaced with one made for that door, and we can add a foot lock or a bar in the track for extra security.
Matching parts
There are many roller styles. When a door’s brand is unknown, we pull a roller first and match it, so the replacement fits the pocket and the track profile.
What we hand off
Broken or fogged glass goes to a glass shop, and replacing the door or frame goes to a door installer.
Signs it is the rollers
The door is hard to start moving, scrapes or grinds, jumps at one point in the track, or sits lower on one end so the latch misses. Each of these points to worn or misadjusted rollers rather than a problem with the glass or the frame.
After the repair
We show you how to keep the track clear with a vacuum and a dry cloth. Avoid oil on the track; it collects grit. A small amount of silicone spray on the rollers is all a door needs.
Sticking in summer
Vinyl frames expand in heat and can bind against the jamb on hot afternoons. Adjusting roller height and the frame gap often cures it.
Screens on sliders
The screen panel on a patio slider has its own rollers and latch. We replace those along with the main door, and rescreen it if the mesh is torn.
Sources: City of Alhambra, housing needs report (age of housing stock).
Repair guides for this job
- Why original wood doors stick, and how we free them upWhy solid wood and arched-top doors in Alhambra's older homes stick or drift open, the simple hinge fixes, and how we adjust them without harming the wood.
- Keeping original built-in cabinets and hutches workingHow we repair original built-in hutches, linen cabinets and cupboards in Alhambra's 1920s homes: sagging doors, sticky drawers, worn catches and glass.
- Getting the house ready for Santa Ana windsHow to get ready for Santa Ana winds in Alhambra: doors and gates, loose screens, outdoor items, power outages and the small repairs that keep dust and drafts out.
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