Has the panel come off, or is it stuck?
Four things to look at — a gentle lift test, the gap at the bottom, the sound, and whether it leans — tell off-track from a roller, grit or a bent track.
If it leans or lifts a lot: stop, keep clear, get a technician
How this works
A panel on its track sits on two rollers with a small, even gap above the sill, does not lift when pushed up gently, and stands square. Each of those changes in a particular way when it has come off, when a roller has collapsed, or when the track is bent — and that is what the four questions read.
The stop cases are the ones where the glass is under stress: a leaning panel, a panel sitting on a corner, cracked glass, or an impact door. The rest get the one or two things that are safe to try before the technician comes.
It runs in your browser and nothing you enter is sent anywhere. It is a guide, not a diagnosis — door makers differ, so check your manufacturer where it says to, and the technician confirms what has actually worn when they see the door.
Questions people ask
- How can I tell if my sliding door is off its track?
- It leans, it lifts a long way when pushed up gently, or its bottom edge is sitting on the sill instead of a small even gap above it. Any of those means the rollers have left the track and the panel is held by the header alone.
- Can I put a sliding glass door back on its track myself?
- Please don't. The panel is heavy glass, it shatters if a corner lands hard, and the roller or track that let it jump has to be fixed first or it comes straight off again. Keep clear and get a technician.
- My sliding door is stuck but still straight. What is it?
- If it is square in the frame and will not move, look for a lock, a foot bolt or a bar still engaged, then grit or an object in the track, then seized rollers. Clean the track and try once; if it still will not go, stop forcing it.
- Why does it clunk at one spot?
- A bent, cracked or grooved section of track, or a collapsed roller dropping into it. Each pass over the spot is a chance for the panel to jump the track.
Other free tools
Rather have someone look at it?
Phones answered around the clock. Free estimate — the price is agreed before work starts.