Key takeaways
- Fixable: small tears, worn rollers, a dented or gritty track, a worn bottom seal.
- Not worth fixing: a bent frame, and mesh torn along a whole edge.
- Cut patches with rounded corners, glue the patch not the door, press from the centre out.
- A sagging panel is usually one failed roller - check that before anything else.
- A bent frame will never slide true, however many rollers you replace.
Four problems are worth fixing yourself: a small tear, a panel that sags, a jammed track and a worn bottom seal. Two are not: a bent frame and mesh that has torn along a whole edge. Knowing which you have decides whether this is an afternoon or a new door.
Fixable in an afternoon
A tear smaller than a hand, a roller that has worn flat, a track with a dent or a build-up of grit, and a bottom seal that no longer touches the floor. All four are cheap parts and simple tools.
The patch kit, done properly
Cut a patch that overlaps the tear by half an inch on every side, with rounded corners - square corners lift first. Clean the mesh around the tear with a dry cloth. Apply the adhesive to the patch, not to the door, and press it on from the centre outwards so you do not trap air. Let it cure for the time on the packet, usually a day, before you slide the panel.
The sagging panel
A panel sags when one roller has failed or the track is out of level. Replace the roller first, because it is cheap and it is almost always the cause. If the panel still sags, check the track with a level - the fix is packing the track, not bending the frame.
If the panel sags because the track is out of level, the fix is the same as the one in the installation guide.
What is not worth fixing
A frame that is bent out of square, and mesh that is torn along an entire edge. A bent frame will not slide true no matter how many rollers you replace, and re-screening a whole panel costs more in time than the door is worth for most people.
| Problem | Fixable? | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Tear under a hand | Yes | Patch with rounded corners |
| Panel drags or sags | Yes | Replace the roller, check the track |
| Track dented or full of grit | Yes | Clean it, or straighten and pack |
| Bottom seal worn | Yes | Replace the brush or seal |
| Frame bent out of square | No | Replace the door |
| Mesh torn along a whole edge | Usually no | Re-screen or replace |
The bottom line
Tears, rollers, tracks and seals are yours to fix. Bent frames and torn-out edges are a replacement. Check the roller first, because it is the cheapest part and the most common fault.
Related reading
- How to install a garage screen door
- How to clean a garage screen door
- Garage screen door buyer's guide
If the repair list is longer than the replacement list, the one we make is our 16x7 ft sliding garage screen door.