Patio and bi-fold door roller repair
Dragging, sticking or jumping the track. Realigned and re-rollered.
A sliding or folding door that has become hard to move is nearly always running gear, not the door. Rollers wear flat, bearings seize, or the track fills with grit that grinds the rollers away every time the door moves.
Caught early it is a roller replacement. Left long enough, the worn rollers chew up the track — and a damaged track is a much bigger and more expensive job.
Diagnosing it
- Heavy but smooth — rollers worn or out of adjustment.
- Grinding or crunching — grit in the track. Clean it now, before it destroys the rollers.
- Drops or jumps off — a roller carriage has failed, or the track is damaged.
- Bi-fold will not fold squarely — top guides and hinge alignment, not the rollers.
- Draughty when shut — the door is not pulling onto its gaskets. Alignment.
Don't wait on this one
This is the repair where delay genuinely costs money. Worn rollers running in a gritty track cut into the aluminium. Replacing rollers is a modest job. Replacing a track means taking the door out, and on a large slider that is a different order of cost.
Keeping it working
Vacuum the bottom track every few months — that single habit prevents most roller failure. Do not grease it; grease holds grit. A dry PTFE lubricant on the moving parts is right, and nothing at all in the track.
A photograph is worth ten minutes on the phone. Send one on WhatsApp and we will tell you what it is and what it costs.
Questions
Why is my patio door suddenly so heavy?
Worn rollers or a track full of grit. Clean the track first — sometimes that alone transforms it.
Can rollers be replaced without removing the door?
On some systems yes, via adjustment ports. On most, the leaf comes out. Either way it is a repair, not a replacement.
My bi-fold has started catching — same problem?
Bi-folds run on top-hung rollers and bottom guides, so also check hinge alignment and the guides. The symptom looks the same and the cause often is not.
Should I grease the track?
No. Grease traps grit and accelerates wear. Keep the track clean and dry, and use a dry PTFE lubricant on moving parts only.
How long do rollers last?
Ten to fifteen years typically, much less if the track is never cleaned or the door is used many times a day.