Adjusting Screws Can Make Glass Doors Slide Easier

Dear Mr. HandyPerson: The problem is our glass sliding door. It refuses to slide easily. We have to lift and jiggle, and generally lose our tempers trying to get it open or closed. What can we do to get it to slide properly as it once did?

- Joan, Redmond

Dear Joan: Lifting, jiggling and losing one's temper are time-honored handyman tricks that Mr. HP has employed for years! However, there are better alternatives.

Most (but not all) sliding doors have adjustment screws somewhere on the door edges, usually one near the top and one near the bottom on both edges of each sliding panel. These are used to raise and lower the doors off the track for easier sliding, and can be used to remove the doors from the tracks if needed for some other repair. Over time, the rolling and vibrations of some moving doors can cause the screws and rollers to gradually change position, usually lowering the door onto the track and making it harder to operate.

Sometimes the adjusting screws are easy to find and adjust with either a standard or a Phillips screwdriver. Other times they are hard to find, hidden under metal or plastic plugs, and require a special tool or a hex wrench to adjust the rollers up or down. Not having the opportunity to eyeball your doors himself, it is hard for Mr. HP to give you more specific advice. But if you can find the adjusting screws, squirt a little spray lubricant on them to help loosen them up and make them easier to turn, as they sometimes freeze up after years of not being touched.

If you can't find the adjusting screws or figure out how to make them work, a call to a patio-door repair and installation company should clear this up quickly and at minimal cost. Over the years, Mr. HP has adjusted dozens of different sliding doors and windows, and it is usually not time-consuming or complex once you figure out where the adjusting mechanisms are and how they work.

Dear Mr. HandyPerson: Even though I'm all thumbs and can sometimes only marvel at the projects you and readers discuss, recently I was on the receiving end of an incompetent paint job - splatters on the hardwood floors, a fine, sprayed mist on books and papers - and neither the landlord nor the painter would take responsibility. So I asked myself, "What would Mr. HandyPerson do?" Then (daring for me since I am usually intimidated by these people), I went to a local paint store and a hardware store and asked for advice. And there was something I could do, 10 thumbs and all!

I've now started to implement the labor-intensive solutions, bit by bit. The splatters on the floor are gone, the books are carefully drying, and thanks to Mr. Xerox, most of the papers salvaged.

I know that had it not been for the gentle encouragement in your writing, I would never have considered that I might be able to fix these problems myself. I'll never be any good at handy work, but I know there are some simple things I can do for myself. Thank you!

- Dianne, Berkeley, Calif.

Dear Dianne: Thank you for your gracious and supportive letter. Knowing when we don't know something and seeking help and expert advice are useful first steps in any learning process. It's the people who are reluctant to ask questions or seek help, for fear of looking stupid, who often make the worst blunders. You are well on the road to being a great deal more handy than you may think. And if at all possible, don't use those painters again.

Mr. HandyPerson wants to hear your home repair questions, funny experiences and useful tips to share with other readers. He tries to respond personally when a stamped, self-addressed envelope is included. Write to: Mr. HandyPerson, c/o Universal Press Syndicate, 4520 Main Street, Kansas City, MO 64111.