Most people love their folding doors. The large glass doors let in tons of natural light, allow you to open up the room to the great outdoors, and provide reliable protection from the elements. Let’s just say that one day you walk into your sunroom and find that the folding door is jammed or worse – completely off of the track!

Should you call a handyman? The manufacturer? Or should you just try to fix it yourself?

In today’s post, we’re going to answers all of these questions and more! We’ll also go over how to prevent any future mishaps. So, let’s take a look at how to get your folding door maintenance taken care of.

Options For Repairing Your Folding Door

When it comes to repairing a folding door system, there are a number of different options that you can choose from. Let’s go over them, so you can decide which option is best for you.

1) Call The Manufacturer

If it looks like the problem is the result of a manufacturer’s defect, then your best bet is to try and call the manufacturer and get the problem worked out with them. Many folding door companies feature comprehensive long-term warranties on their folding door systems and may replace or repair the damaged door free of charge.

Of course, this may not always be an option. Your door may be out of warranty or may have never been under a warranty, to begin with. Even so, it’s never a bad idea to call the manufacturer. If nothing else, they may be able to give you some helpful tips on how to get the problem fixed!

2) Folding Door DIY Repair

If you have a lightweight set of folding doors or the problem appears to be caused by something simple, then you might try to get the door back on its track or clear up the cause of the jam by yourself. You may just need to lift the door’s roller back onto the track or clear out some debris that’s preventing smooth motion.

Should You Try To Fix A Folding Door Yourself?

Generally speaking, we recommend that you call a professional or the manufacturer for most repairs. Unless you’re an expert on folding doors, you could end up damaging the door by accident, or worse- injuring yourself!

When you contract a professional to complete the repair, you’ll also have the added benefit of the job being covered under an insurance policy. This means that if they accidentally break your doors, that it should be covered under their insurance policy. Conversely, if you mess up the doors, you’ll have to pay for the extra damage out of pocket.

3) Call A Professional Door Repair Company

If the problem looks like it’s not such an easy fix and there’s no warranty covering your folding door, then your best bet is to reach out to a professional. The problem could be caused by a misalignment of the track or the door’s frame and could involve some heavy lifting and detailed repair work.

4) Call The Company That Installed Your Door

If a third-party company helped install your doors, they may offer a folding door maintenance service. Often, this will be your best resource as they’ll likely have experience working on your specific brand of doors. They may also have all of the parts needed to fix your door, which means it’ll get fixed a lot faster!

Why Would A Folding Door Come Off Of The Track?

So, what are some things that would cause a folding door to become jammed or come off of its track? Knowing what caused the damage is the first step to preventing the problem in the future. So, that being said, here are some of the top reasons why your folding door may be malfunctioning.

Debris In The Track

The most common cause is excessive dirt, small rocks, or other debris trapped in the door’s bottom track. Thankfully, this is easy to prevent by vacuuming or brushing out the track once a week.

Heavy Impact

Maybe somebody (or even your dog) hit the door head-on and knocked it loose from its track. Try to discourage your family members and pets from playing rough around the folding doors. The same problem may also be caused by high winds from a storm.

Improper Installation

Last but not least, there’s always the chance that the door itself was improperly installed or misaligned. This is why it’s always a good idea to pay a licensed, well-reviewed professional to install and perform folding door repairs!

Final Thoughts

Generally speaking, repairing a jammed folding door or a door that’s come off of its track is a relatively simple and easy process. By following the instructions outlined in this post, you should be able to get your door opening and closing smoothly again in no time!