A screen door that sticks when you are trying to close it can be a nuisance, and you may even end up having to replace the door completely if parts wear out or break. Ideally, you should be able to operate any screen doors in your home with just one hand, and the gliding motion should be smooth. However, many screen doors just won’t open or close smoothly and here at The Handyman Co we have some useful tips if you are having that problem. Following these tips means you can enjoy the great weather, and not have to struggle with your door every time you slide it open or closed.
Pet hair, dust and all sorts of other debris can collect in the track, making it dirty and clogged up and of course, making it so the door won’t slide smoothly. If you are having trouble with your sliding screen door, this should be the first thing you check. Scrubbing the track gently using a stiff brush and vacuuming using the crevice tool on your vacuum can often fix the problem.
Repeated use often means the lightweight metal frame around the screen door can bend or warp. You’ll need to remove the door from its track to check whether the door is bowed or warped, and that can be done easily by lifting the door carefully off the track and then pulling it towards you, to free it from the frame.
The tension on the wheels can be adjusted by turning the small screws which are on the top or bottom of your door, near the wheels. In effect, turning the screws in a clockwise direction actually raises the door slightly, and you can also lower the door by turning the screws counterclockwise.
Once you have removed the door by following the directions above, you are able to replace a broken spring load or wheels. The wheels can be eased out carefully using a small screwdriver, and your local home improvement store should carry replacement wheels that fit your screen door. If the spring load is broken, it’s sometimes possible to drill the rivets out and then put in a replacement part. Be sure to clean out the tracks before replacing any parts and putting your door back together.
Dust, dirt and insects will end up in your home if your swinging door doesn’t close all the way, and if that sounds like yours, these tips from Mr. Handyman can help you.
Before you come up with a solution, you need to know where exactly the door is sticking to prevent it fully closing. Tightening the hinges on the bottom, middle or top of the door and the frame can solve the problem if the door’s edge is rubbing against the frame.
Removing thin layers of wood from the part of the door that’s causing the problem is easy with a wood plane, once the door is off its hinges. But be careful – you will have the problem of a loose door if you take off too much excess wood.
It’s easy to replace the pneumatic closer on your door if it’s this component that is causing the door to not close fully. If the closer isn’t pulling the door all the way closed, it just may not be working as it should; it’s purpose is to keep the door locked when open and to stop the door from being slammed closed.
If your door isn’t working as it should and you need help or it’s time to replace it, or you need help with another project inside or outside your home, call your local Handyman company in Melbourne for expert and friendly advice, on 1800 411 811.
The Handyman Co did a great job installing my clothesline – reliable, friendly and great follow up when they came back to remove the support posts that he put in place to secure the line while the cement was setting.
Mick was very friendly in his interactions and super efficient in dealing with the handy things we needing fixing around our business, to create an impeccable space!
Truly appreciate their dedication — he did an amazing job with fixing the door knobs and that too pretty quickly — we were struggling with that from past two months and he fixed it in less than two minutes. He arrived on time committed by him after being busy for the whole day, empty stomach and did the work with the polite smile on his face — Awesome job Handyman Co! definitely recommended…
The Handyman Co sent out a happy “can do” handyman to repair our bathroom floor, where the floorboards underneath the tiles had rotten away and fallen through, leaving a very in the way, very ugly hole, right in front of the shower. The handyman crawled in the tiny space under the house, and braced a new floor, that he built up with new material, waterproofed the area, and re tiled the floor and shower base to help stop it happening again. The pricing was fair and he did an amazing job, you almost can’t tell there was ever a hole there!
We had many individual tradesmen renovating our house recently, one of the carpenters who was employed to build the deck, vanished after building the frame at our front door. Unable to access the building properly we had to find somebody quickly to source the right wood and finish the deck. The Handyman Co came to our rescue and had it done within 2 days of making contact, they did a great job and we couldn’t be happier. We ended up getting the handyman to finish off all the tasks that either didn’t fit into a regular trade category or that nobody else wanted to do.
He did a fantastic job and we can’t speak highly enough of these guys!
Originally The Handyman Co came around to help with one small job that was I was in need of fixing. I was so impressed, I asked them to come back to fix some plastering up, then just decided to get the entire flat redone. Must say I’ve been very impressed with the friendly customer service and top notch work.
The team was prompt, they did a good job, and left the place tidy, would recommend to everyone.
