Repairing a Tilt and Slide door

Usually the first thing that our engineers will do is try to determine the manufacturer of the tilt and slide door mechanism. This can usually be found on the actual rollers (bogies) that sit at the bottom of the door by removing the covers and covering strip. This can be difficult as sometimes there are no markings on the rollers.

In some cases the manufacturer’s logos can be found on the actual mechanism strip that run along the edges of the door. However this can be difficult because when our engineers go in for repair in many cases the doors are jammed shut.

Once the engineers have figured out the make, they will then try to repair and if beyond repair then the defective part would need to be ordered from the manufacturer. This can typically take about 4 weeks as the majority of Tilt and Slide door parts are made by companies based abroad, most of them in Germany.

Different companies make different types of mechanisms to their own design and specifications of the doors. Our engineers are experienced in repairing all of them.The image above are specific to Roto

Once the rolling mechanisms at the bottom (Bogies) have overtime been worn to the point where they have been lowered by the weight of the door then in most cases it is usually time to change them. The rollers can be adjusted to push the door up or down but this function is not usually to repair any degradation over time with wear and tear. This function on the rollers is put in for when the bogies are initially installed to help with alignment and once set should not be adjusted.

As a general rule once the bogies start to deteriorate then it is better to change them totally rather than try to repair which in most cases would just be a short-term fix. However if it is an acceptable adjustment than it is advisable to do. This is something that our engineers can assess during the survey. From our experience in the industry of repairing tilt and slide doors, the lifespan on the bogies usually tends to be between 8 to 10 years but if used correctly can be double that.

Here are some things that you can do yourself to check that your door is working correctly

• Check that the door is opening and closing smoothly and not jamming when sliding.
• When tilting the handle to open or close, check that it does not jam
• When closed or upon opening check that the handle is in the correct position. That is, pointing straight up, pointing to the side or pointing straight down. Nowhere in between.
• Check that the tracks are not damaged or dented at any point. Also check that there are no particles or dirt that would obstruct the rollers.
• If the door is not locking properly then put the door in the open position and turn the handle up and down to see if it moves freely and that all the bolts on the side of the door are moving up and down. This can help to determine wether there is damage to the locking mechanism or instead if it might be a problem with the alignment of the moving door.

Tilt and Slide Door Maintenance

It is important to keep the sides of the doors and the bottom track clean and dirt free. It is a good idea every now and then to give any visible moving parts a squirt of WD-40.

Our Engineers have years of experience in the repair and maintenance of all makes of Tilt and Slide doors. Call us now to arrange a survey.