The way to Lubricate a Sliding Door
A sliding door relies on a upper and lower monitor, together with rollers that keep it in place, to slide back and forth. If the trail is gummed up with dirt and grime, or the monitors and rollers are broken or damaged, no quantity of lubrication will resolve that problem. Successfully lubricating a sliding door may only be achieved when each of the parts are clean and have not been compromised at all.
Wash the monitors, both upper and lower, before applying any sort of lubrication. Vacuum the tracks out to remove hair, insects, stones or whatever else which may impede the trackways. An old toothbrush works well for breaking up clumps of dirt prior to vacuuming. Spray some lubricant onto a rag and wipe down the tracks as soon as they’ve been vacuumed. A petroleum-based spray lube will remove oil and grime deposits faster and more efficiently than water and soap.
Check and adjust the rollers if applicable. If the door goes “bump, bump, bump” since it’s being opened or closed, among the lower roller wheels is broken. It will have to be replaced before the doorway may be successfully lubricated. If the door grinds on the lower monitor when it’s being moved, the roller needs to be adjusted lower so that it pushes the door upwards. To do so, turn the adjusting screw at the base of the door between the track rails. Turning the screw clockwise enhances the wheel and increases the doorway. Turning the screw counterclockwise enhances the wheel and lowers the doorway. Backing out the screw completely lets you take out the wheel entirely for replacement.
Spray lubricant on the tracks and wheels but do not wipe it off. A oil based lube will work better, but it is going to also pull dirt. A silicone-based lubricant will probably be adequate and won’t attract dirt. Should you clean your sliding door tracks and rollers regularly, choose a petroleum-based lubricant. If you don’t clean the sliding door tracks and rollers regularly, or the sliding doors are not used very frequently, choose a silicon-based lubricant.