My patio door is hard to open, can it be repaired?

The sliding patio door has been installed in homes across the UK since the late 1930’s. The design allows maximum light into a room with lots of glass while keeping the functionality of a wide access doorway – it’s the multi-tool of the door world!

Here at The Window Doctor, we love sliding patio doors! They are long lasting, timeless in design and most importantly are manufactured in such a way that if something does happen to break, in most situations’ repairs can be undertaken saving you time, hassle and money!

In this guide, we look to answer the most common question we hear… My sliding patio door is hard to open, can it be repaired?

Sliding patio door frames are usually constructed of UPVC or Aluminium. Both these materials can be heavy in large quantities, to add to this, the biggest part of a sliding patio door is the glass unit – adding even more weight.

In short, sliding patio doors are heavy, really heavy!

As a result, the weight of frame and glass, together with years of use, result in the rollers at the base of the frames wearing down, or sometimes collapsing due to the weight. Don’t despair if this is what’s happened in your home, the majority of rollers will wear down over time even if the door has been well maintained over its lifetime.

At The Window Doctor our philosophy is simple… Why repair, we replace! And so, the answer is YES!

The problem of a stiff or difficult to open sliding patio is most likely caused by worn or collapsed rollers. The fix which is needed is the replacement of the faulty rollers with new ones, giving a new lease of life to your patio door at a fraction of the cost of replacement (we will come onto costs in more detail later on)

The repair is not too difficult but does require the time of 2 engineers due to the weight, and the knowledge of what rollers systems are needed for each manufacturer. But, overall, a replacement of a roller set can be completed in 1 – 2 hours by trained engineers – and just like that, your door will be good as new!

The costs involved to replace faulty patio door rollers ranges from £240 - £340. This process includes the removal of the patio door, the stripping out of the faulty rollers, installation of the new roller set and reinstalling and realigning your patio door ready for years of smooth operation!

The process is quick, efficient and involves little to no mess in your home, making this repair the most pain free way to getting your patio door back to full working order.

We hope the above has been useful for you in understanding the reasons behind a stiff patio door and most importantly, how it can be repaired over replaced.

If you have any further questions about sliding patio door repairs or wish to speak to a member of the team then don’t hesitate to get in touch with us on 01455 850282 or shoot us and email!

We look forward to helping you soon, and remember - Why Replace... We Repair...