Sliding glass doors work on a horizontal track located on the top and bottom of the door. The bottom track is hidden by the baseboard.
In order to remove sliding glass doors you should all hardware like bolts, screws, brackets and tracks as well as discard the old doors. This is more difficult as opposed to removing a stationary door or sliding screen door and you may need a helper.
To remove the glass sliding door and hardware, start at the top of the door jamb or frame and work your way down. Remove any screws holding track-end caps in place; if they won't budge, pry them off with a flat-blade Philips screwdriver. Locate and screw any brackets holding the top of the door to wall studs, then pull out or cut off any nails or screws that are securing the vertical, upper track of the door to the ceiling joists. You'll have to dig into some drywall with a putty knife to loosen these screws if they're rusted or painted over with wallpaper paste. Next, pull down on clips at both sides of each track until they come out free from their mounting holes in either side of the frame. You may need to cut through paint, caulk or other debris that's holding them in place. Remove both end caps at each end of the bottom track, then pry it free from its mounting holes in the subflooring. If necessary, remove the screws from any ceiling-mounted track hangers before removing tracks. Be careful not to damage the subflooring when using a pry bar. Either use an old stationary door as a spreader or screw together scraps of wood with even gaps between slats to make your own. You can use thick foam sheets to protect the floor from scratching.
It can be quite easy to remove a sliding glass if you have the right tools. You will need to get something under the door in order to support it while you remove the tracks. If possible try to get someone to assist you with holding up one side of the frame down the middle to tilt it while you take out screws from underneath it.
If that isn't possible, then you will need to get something under the door to tilt and support it securely. You shouldn't have to worry about hinges. Remove all bolts at this point along with any nails or screws holding it down. Then, simply lift the door straight up making it stand so as to pull the door and free the bottom track. Leaving even one screw can make the process messy.The same method can be applied when removing a sliding screen door or patio door. However, a patio door has a thicker frame requiring more caution than it takes to remove a sliding glass.
You will need the usual drill and screwdriver. You can remove screws and pull the door with your hands but having a screwdriver would make it much easier, especially when trying to wrestle a larger door or frame off track. Moreover, it also depends on the material of the system; an aluminium frame will require both a hammer and drill bit set to cut an opening window. It is also possible to rent tools such as a reciprocating saw and cordless drill.
C-clamps
Reciprocating saw
Tape measure
Drill or driver with standard bits
It can take up to an hour or more. You will need to remove and replace any damaged panels and rollers as you go, be it a fixed panel or sliding panel. Also, if door tracks are involved, it will be necessary to fully dismantle and reassemble the door system. Usually, it is necessary to remove any existing door stops, replacing these during installation. It might also be advisable to lay down a bead of exterior grade caulk before re-installing the frame if there is an existing gap or opening between the frame and surrounding material at the head or bottom of the frame to open a window for the frame. If you want to remove a sliding glass or stationary panel in order to replace it with a new door, this job may take less time than when you are simply removing it for painting purposes or some other restoration effort. Remember that once you remove a sliding door, it is impossible to return it back into its original position without causing damage. Therefore, installers must pay close attention to measurements and get them right the first time.
It's quite a challenge to remove the door without removing the entire frame. There are some cases when the installation of plain vinyl panels can be done on top of an existing frame. In fact, this option might prove to be cheaper than installing a completely new system.
Generally speaking, any kind of physical damage should be addressed promptly. Surfaces with large cracks or other significant problems will likely force you to remove the door, take out the whole system and install something new.
However, smaller damages can often be repaired more easily. For example, if only the sliding door itself is damaged but the rollers are still functional, you might consider replacing just the door or hiring a professional to fix it for you rather than installing an entirely new system. If the seal is split along one edge of your sliding glass door, this can be fixed by applying some caulk. However, if there are multiple cracks in several separate areas on your sliding glass door, or the surrounds have broken or cracked, then a replacement will likely be necessary as it will not stand for long.One idea is it may be too heavy. You could install an automatic opener if the situation is dire enough. But this isn't always a practical solution. Another cause of "sticking" sliding doors happens when there is dirt and grit in the tracks, especially the top track. Make sure you clean these thoroughly on a regular basis (at least once every few months) so they continue to run smoothly. Sometimes just a quick spray with some lubricant on the rollers and tracks will do the trick and make the door slide smoothly, but replacing the wheels is usually necessary if they are cracked or worn out.
You should have two adjustable wrenches, a mallet, and several screwdrivers at the ready when detaching your sliding doors. You may also want to invest in a special tool used for removing tracks called a "door puller". This is a great investment if you plan on doing this type of project very often because it can make this process much easier. A pry bar might come in handy as well, particularly when trying to detach trim that has been caulked into place. While you may not always need all of these, it is wise to have them at hand in case you run into problems. Even if you are very adept at this type of project, it is always better to be safe than sorry as you can never predict when something unforeseen might happen that requires an extra tool.
Start by removing the doorstop or molding that holds it in place. Next, use a screwdriver to detach any screws that are securing the sliding door tracks. Then, carefully try to lift the door on one side of the door frame while an assistant pulls outwards on the other side or edge- this should cause the rollers holding the track to "pop" free so you can remove it from its channels. When reinstalling your vinyl sliding doors, make sure that they are evenly balanced before installing new rollers and reattaching them into their original positions. You might have trouble getting everything back into its proper space if you don't take care of this first. If your new sliding doors seem too heavy for your existing system to handle, you can purchase new rollers that are stronger or install new tracks on your sliding doors.
You can lift the door if you tip a bar down the track provided there is enough room below for this. The weight of the door can also be reduced by removing it completely. If the obstruction is due to dirt or debris on the edge, simply spray some lubricant in an attempt to work it loose. You might have more luck cleaning out any obvious dirt on your own, especially if you are already replacing the rollers. On wood tracks, use sandpaper if lubrication does not help. Be sure that you wear protective goggles while doing this because bits of wood are likely to fly up at high speed when sanded. You can also use a metal file instead. Slide foam sheets between the doors and floor to prevent damage to the floor. In many cases, a stuck sliding glass door may just mean that the rollers need to be replaced.
Yes, you can replace a single sliding panel. However, it is not recommended that you remove the entire door for this sort of minor repair unless it makes more sense. For example, if one pane sustains more damage than the other or if one is older and doesn't run as smoothly- replacing just one pane would probably be more efficient in these cases! Most people are nervous about removing a sliding glass themselves because they think it will be quite difficult to detach them from the doorway without breaking them. If you have an average-sized door with standard rollers, however, this should pose little difficulty. That being said, sometimes removing the entire door just doesn't work out. One problem with removing most sliding doors is that it can be quite hard to get them back into place without spending several hours on the project or hiring a professional. The door's weight may also pose some problems if you are not an experienced DIYer or have never removed a stationary door or sliding screen door before.
In order to replace your sliding doors, you will need to pop out the panels from the door frame. This step is very easy- there are tabs that can be carefully pried off with appropriate tools (like a screwdriver or drill bit set). If the tab begins to get stuck, simply spray it with WD-40 before trying again. Once you have managed to pry out one panel, replace it with the new one and press the tabs back into place. If they feel loose, use a screwdriver or flathead screwdriver to bend them upwards so that the panel will fit securely inside of the track. Use adjustment screws if the need arises. In order to replace both panels take apart the first one like you would for cleaning and make sure not to scratch your door frame. After you screw it back together (with a new panel) follow the same steps as before until you've replaced both panels.
This should be done by professionals unless you know what you're doing and will not give up down the middle. You have to be the one to screw everything back together unless you hire an expert for the job. Sliding doors are extremely heavy and take up quite a bit of space. If you want to make sure that your old or broken panel is going back into place properly, create a diagram to locate each piece before you remove the door. This way if anything goes wrong when you screw your door back together you have a map to follow.