How to Repair Lift and Slide Doors
Before we start, let’s explain what a lift and slide door is.
A lift & slide door refers to the way in which your sliding doors open. Rather than a static rail and small rollers as you would find on an inline door, with a lift & slide door, the sash is lifted. It hovers above the frame, giving you an effortless, smooth opening movement.
The wheels engage when the handle is turned – which also means if you wanted to park your sliding door at any point along the rail, rather than fully open or closed, you can turn the handle which will engage the wheels and fix the door in place.
The Tools required
- Laser Level
- • Hammer
- • Pry Bars
- • Utility Knife
- • Screw Gun
- • Applicator Foam Gun
- • “J’ Roller
- • Tape Measure
- • Caulk Gun
The Installation Process
Checking the Opening
The opening which the door is to be fitted will often not be completely plumb and level. However, it is imperative that the outer frame is fitted plumb and level in the opening at all points; there should be no bowing or twisting in any position.
There should be up to a 10mm (nominal) gap between the outer frame and the wall at the tightest part of the opening.
The lintel above the opening must be structurally sound; no more than 2mm deflection can be allowed for. Also the wall into which the door is to be fixed must be strong enough to support the full weight of the door.
The four internal faces of the aperture including the lintel and the floor should be flat, even and in line with each other. Please use a laser or other suitable tool to confirm that this is the case and to locate the fixing points.
Assembling the outer frame
STEP 1
Unpack the outer frame taking care not to damage the painted finish (particularly if using a knife). It may come pre-assembled or in four pieces which need to be assembled on site.
If the outer frame is delivered already assembled, it is still necessary to make the following checks:
• Firstly check that all the screws at each corner are tight
• Then check that the seal between the track and the side jambs is not
damaged. It is a good idea to reseal this joint with silicone.
Removing the door panels prior to installation
If the door has been delivered to site with the door panels in place, please remove the seal blocks, covers and interlocks.
Installing the outer frame
STEP 9
Measure the actual size of the outer frame and compare it to the size of the aperture.
STEP 10
Consider the required threshold height and finished floor height and calculate the amount of packing that will be required to make the threshold perfectly level.
NOTE: It is important to ensure that the sill is level and secure in the aperture to give a level base to install the outer frame.
STEP 11
Position the outer frame in the aperture, making sure that the drainage holes are to the outside. If a projection sill is required, run a line of silicone along the length of the of thermal break on the underside of the threshold, ensuring that no gaps exist between the outer frame and sill.
STEP 12
Secure the frame to the walls either using lug fixings or by fixing through the aluminium profile. However no screws should ever penetrate the threshold profile or the thermal break on any side.
Fixings should be no more than 200mm in from each corner and at the centre of no more than 700mm.
STEP 13
Use suitable packers around the frame and check that the screws are tight.
STEP 14
Secure the bottom track. To avoid water ingress, it is critical not to pierce the chambers in the bottom outer frame.
STEP 15
Once all the screws are in place, go back and check that the frame is completely plumb, level and square. Check the diagonal measurements too.
Installing the panels
STEP 16
Fit the panel that goes on the inside track first. Engage the panel in the top first and then swing the bottom into place. Make sure that the door gearing is in the closed position to avoid it clashing with the wheels.
STEP 17
Ensure that the guide blocks are installed the correct way around; as the cut outs in the meeting sections are different.
STEP 19
Repeat the process for the other sliding panels.
Installing the buffers
To prevent damage when the door is opened, a buffer should be fitted at the foot of the door. The chosen handle will determine the exact location of the buffer. If the door is tall and narrow, an additional buffer should be used (top and bottom) to prevent the door jumping off the track. Typical width to height ratio is: height = pane width x 2.5
If you have any questions for us about our installations, get in touch with our friendly team today.