How to fix the screen in your storm doorWritten by Adrian Dunevein
If you are getting tired of seeing ugly hole in screen of your aluminum screen door perhaps its time you tried to fix it yourself.The big problem with aluminum screen doors is sometimes people paint them and screen frame just wont come out of door easily without damaging paint job or damaging screen frame. No problem, you can fix it without removing it from door. You still have to get glass out from door frame. Usually that involves lifting it up all way, pulling out bottom edge of glass slightly then pulling it all way down and out. If you have got that far you should have complete access to screen from inside of storm door. Pull out old plastic spline that holds screen it, saving it if possible. Pull out screen material. Cut a new piece of screen cloth three inches larger than opening all around and take four two-inch pieces of spline. Use a flat blade screwdriver to poke spline into screen frame to hold cloth in at each of four corners of frame. Be careful if you are using aluminum screen cloth, push in spline gently so as not to rip cloth.
| | REPLACING YOUR SLIDING GLASS DOOR ROLLERSWritten by John Rocco
If sliding glass doors in your home are more than 10 years old, you might notice that they are becoming harder to slide open. This problem is even more common on aluminum frame dual pane doors. The reason is because doors are heavier due to dual pane glass, but many of aluminum units did not use stainless steel rollers. So, in many cases, rollers get rusty from moisture and they start to bind.In order to replace rollers, you have to remove sliding panel from opening. In most instances, fixed panel must be removed in order for sliding panel to come out. There is a simple way to determine whether or not your fixed panel has to come out as well. If slider is on inside track and fixed panel is on outside track, you have to remove both panels, because slider will only come out from outside. There is a lip on bottom of track inside your house. That lip keeps water from coming in. Unfortunately, that lip is also too high to lift sliding panel up and over. So, you have to remove fixed panel first, then lift and swing out slider from outside. If you are one of few people who have a slider on outside track, then you can lift your slider out without removing fixed panel. But, let's assume you need to remove fixed panel first. Here is what you do: Remove your screen door if you have one. The screen door will have two rollers on bottom. Lift one end of door frame with one hand while using a flat screwdriver to lift roller off track. Do that on both sides, then take out screen door and set it aside. Now, look for a metal piece on bottom track that runs from bottom corner of fixed panel all way across to bottom of side jamb that has door lock hardware. If your door is really old that piece might be missing. If you have one, you can pry it up from track. It is snapped in place even though it looks like it is a part of track. Once you have that piece removed, you want to look inside house where fixed panel is against wall jam. Look for screws holding frame to jam. They usually have one near top and bottom corners, and one near center. Remove these screws and put them where you won't lose them. Now, you should be able to pull fixed panel out of side jam. There is a very good chance that it will be stuck. If it is, grab center rail near bottom and lift up as hard as you can. If you feel panel go up, pull it back down. Do this a couple of times, then try to pull it out of side jam again. This usually loosens it enough to pull it out. If it still won't come out, you will have to put a thin screwdriver between fixed panel frame and side jam and pry while a helper pulls panel away from jam. Once you get it free of side jam, grab fixed panel side rail and have a helper grab other rail. Lift panel up into top track and swing bottom out of bottom track. Remove panel from top track and set it aside with screen door. Now, you can try lifting slider up and out, just like you did with fixed panel. If slider won't clear bottom track, you need to do a couple of things. First, look to see if it's old rollers protruding from bottom that is preventing door from coming out, or if actual bottom of door frame is hitting track. In almost all cases, it will be old rollers. But, if opening is 8' wide, sometimes wood header that runs across opening has sagged just enough to make it tight in center of opening. If it's rollers, you need to adjust them all way up into door. Look for a hole on bottom side where you can put a phillips screwdriver and find adjustment screw. Then turn that screw counterclockwise as far as you can. Do that to both sides, then try lifting out door. If you are still getting stuck, have your helper lift one side and pull outward while you try to pry frame and roller over track. If you get one side out, have your helper hold that side with his or her foot to prevent it from going back in while he or she lifts other side for you to pry free.
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