My Sliding Glass Door Is Hard to Open & I Can Hear a Grating Sound

Rollers Adjustment

• The rollers on the bottom of the sliding glass door make sliding the door with little effort possible. The wheels should give the door plenty of clearance between it and the track so only the wheels contact the track. Over the years, though, the door’s wheels can come out of adjustment, reducing the gap between the door and the track. Adjusting the rollers does not involve removing the door. You only need an Allen wrench, which you use to turn the screws on the inside of the door until the door rolls smoothly.

Removing the Door

• If you find that you need to clean or lubricate the door’s rollers, you must remove the door from the track and frame so you can access the rollers. You must remove the screws that hold the door’s molding place, since the molding helps keep the door in the frame. You then must grab the door by the edges and tip it into the house by a foot or more before you can lift the base off the track. With the door removed, lay it on a tarp in your house before you begin your work.

Dirt Accumulation

• Debris such as dirt and hair falls into the sliding glass door’s track on a regular basis as people walk over it and even spill food. This debris accumulates in the track, and some of it is picked up by the rollers on the underside of the sliding glass door. Depending on the amount and type of debris, the buildup can eventually gum up the wheels so they do not turn easily and may even produce a grating noise. Cleaning the wheels as well as the door’s track should eliminate the problem.

Lubrication Problems

• Like other moving metal parts, the wheels on the underside of your sliding glass door must be properly lubricated to work properly. The manufacturer originally lubricated the wheels, but dirt and debris accumulation can strip the lubrication from the metal. If you have cleaned debris from the wheels, the cleaning process may have also stripped away the lubricant. You need to use a silicone spray lubricant on the door’s wheels, since silicone will not adhere to debris in the door’s sliding track.