6 Signs You Can't Go Without Palm Harbor Patio Door Repair

It's no secret that the beautiful weather is one of the things that draws people to Palm Harbor, FL, so a patio, deck, or balcony is an absolute must-have to enjoy the Florida sunshine and fresh sea breezes from the comfort of your own outdoor living space. That's why a sliding patio door is such a nice amenity in Palm Harbor homes. They let in plenty of natural light, can be fitted with a screen to let in air and keep bugs out, and slide open and shut with just a touch—or at least, that is what's supposed to happen.

Is the entryway leading out to your patio in rough condition because it suffered sudden damage or has taken a lot of wear and tear damage over the years? That can make accessing your patio a lot more trouble than it should be, not to mention lower the appeal of your home and cost you a lot more than necessary on your monthly utility bills. If you find yourself struggling with an entryway that's not looking or functioning as it should, it's definitely time for Palm Harbor patio door repair service from a qualified handyman.

Don't struggle with an entryway that doesn't work correctly and is preventing you from full enjoyment of your home when your local Palm Harbor handyman is standing by, ready to help. The team of service professionals at Mr. Handyman serving Palm Harbor, Clearwater, and Largo are experienced with a wide range of reliable handyman services, including patio door repair, in Palm Harbor and nearby parts of the Tampa Bay area. We take pride in delivering the highest standards of customer service and workmanship on every job.

Is a Patio Door the Same Thing as a Garden Door?

Those two terms are often used interchangeably and that's understandable since there's a lot of similarities. Both types are typically found on the side or back of Palm Harbor homes and open onto a patio, deck, balcony, porch, or yard—but there actually is one key difference between them. A patio entry slides open and shut with a track and roller system (and is usually mostly composed of large glass panes, while garden entries swing open and shut on hinges and are usually doubled with a latch in the middle where the two sides meet, like French doors.

The difference is mostly related to style and how you like to use your entries, but it's worth noting that patio entries are heavier, which makes it harder for small children and pets to escape through them, but garden entries are easier to secure against intruders. Regardless of whether you need garden or patio door repair, you can count on our experienced Palm Harbor handyman professionals to get it done efficiently and effectively.

How To Tell When It's Time For Palm Harbor Patio Door Repair

You might be thinking it's pretty obvious if you need patio door repair in Palm Harbor, FL, but the problem is that these issues often start out small and worsen over time, so homeowners don't necessarily realize how bad it's gotten until it's at the point where it simply can't be ignored. If you're aware of the symptoms of an entryway that is desperate for Palm Harbor patio door repair services, you can get the help you need from a reliable handyman before the entry is completely unusable. Here are six common signs of trouble to watch out for.

1. Dirty or Damaged Rollers

Difficulty with opening and closing is probably the number-one complaint that requires patio door repair, and more often than not it's related to rollers. Sliding patio entries typically operate using a track and roller system where rollers, or wheels, move heavy glass panes and frames by rolling along a track on your floor. Needless to say, if you've got damaged or broken rollers it can make moving the entryway to open or close it a much bigger chore than it should be. In that situation, your handyman will likely handle Palm Harbor patio door repair by removing damaged wheels and putting in replacement rollers to get your whole unit moving smoothly again.

But if you've noticed that your entryway has been getting increasingly difficult to open and you're not sure why, you may be able to solve the problem yourself without professional intervention. Sometimes the issue is that the rollers and track have become clogged with dirt, pet hair, and other debris that is interfering with their operation, and if that's the case, all it needs is a good cleaning to be functional again. Here are two steps you can try before you call in the pros:

1. Thoroughly clean the bottom track with a mild detergent and scrub brush. Once it dries, vacuum up any remnants of debris from the track.

2. There should be adjusting screws at the bottom of your metal frame that can raise or lower your rollers. Try using a screwdriver to adjust them until your door is able to move smoothly.

2. Track is Dented or Crushed

Your entry is moving perfectly—right up until you hear a pop or crunch, and then you can barely budge it an inch. This is usually an indication that the rollers have come off the track. Sometimes that's because the rollers themselves have suffered damage, but when it's working fine and then all of a sudden isn't working at all, it's usually due to hitting a spot of track damage. Tracks are pretty sturdy, but it is possible for them to become dented or crushed in such a way that it can interfere with rollers and force them out of alignment. It may be possible for your handyman to take care of minor track repair by hammering the dented part back into place, but usually, this type of Palm Harbor patio door repair is going to require your tracks to be replaced. Our professional handyman team has the skill and experience to get your patio entry "back on track"—pun intended.

3. Cracked, Chipped Glass

It may seem like this should be a bigger Palm Harbor patio door repair issue than it really is—after all, glass is delicate and doors can take a lot of abuse over the years. But damaged glass is usually not a huge problem for glass patio doors. That's because they're made with thick, sturdy safety glass that is considerably more resistant to cracking and shattering than other types. It actually takes a lot to break this glass, so it doesn't happen all that often—but it's not impossible either. If you need patio door repair for cracked or broken glass, replacing your entire unit is probably going to be the most cost-effective solution. It's not worth the expense to buy new glass separately and have your handyman try to wrangle it into your old frame when it would cost less to buy a whole new unit and have it installed.

4. Condensation Between Panes

One of the nicest features of a patio door is the large glass panes that let that beautiful sunshine into your house and give you a view of your neighborhood—or at least of your backyard. But your view can be seriously spoiled by fogging, which is when condensation starts building up between the panes of glass. Floridians are, of course, used to the humidity and the condensation that comes along with it, but it shouldn't be trapped between panes and making your sliding glass doors look unattractive.

Patio entries are made with two panes of glass separated by a small insulating gap and sealed together at the edges of the panes, inside the frame. Fogging happens when that seal is compromised, allowing moist air to get into the gap and condense on the panes. While glass replacement may be possible, a complete replacement is, again, probably going to be the most cost-effective option for this type of problem.

5. Gaps Between Door and Frame

If you don't want to pay more than necessary on your utility bills, it's really important that all your exterior doors, patio or otherwise, fit perfectly into their frame when closed, with no gaps between the frame and the entry itself. Otherwise, you may not be able to latch or lock it properly, which makes your home a lot less secure. But there's another problem—those gaps let in air drafts that change the temperature in your home and force your HVAC system to operate for longer periods of time to compensate, which lowers energy efficiency in your home and results in higher charges for energy use on your utility bill. The gaps can also let in excess moisture that causes serious water damage problems like wood rot.

This Palm Harbor patio door repair problem is usually due to an alignment issue that is caused by improper installation, wear and tear or the house shifting and settling over time. It could also be that the entry is partially or completely off its rollers, and that's causing it to tilt so it doesn't align fully with the frame.

6. Torn Screen Mesh

It's pretty typical for sliding entries to be paired with patio screen doors, especially in places like Palm Harbor, FL where the mosquitoes are always ready and waiting to find a way into your house. You can get fresh breezes coming into your house without worrying about nasty little insect "visitors." But if your screen mesh has suffered damage like rips and holes, they won't have to look very hard to find a way in and make your life miserable. The best way for your handyman to deal with Palm Harbor patio door repair for this type of problem is to simply remove the damaged mesh from the frame, insert a new mesh panel and tighten it up so it's taut in the frame.

Can Patio Door Repair Save Money on Energy Bills?

If your patio entry has become less energy efficient over the years due to a damaged frame or misalignment that is leaving gaps between the door and frame, Palm Harbor patio door repair can absolutely increase your energy savings by reducing the amount you have to pay on your utility bill.

Want to know how that works? It's all about heat transfer. Thermal energy naturally moves from a warmer area to a colder area. That means in the summer when your air conditioner is cooling your house, heat from the sun comes inside to warm it up, and in the winter, warm air from your heater escapes to the colder outdoors. Any gap in your house exterior such as doors, windows, and vents are weak points for heat transfer, and the problems increase the worse the damage becomes.

The heat transfer process changes the temperature in your home, which forces your HVAC system to operate for longer periods of time to make up for the changes. Because HVAC needs to use so much energy to keep your home at the temperature you have set on your thermostat, that additional operation time can significantly increase the energy charges on your utility bill. You could save a considerable amount of money with Palm Harbor patio door repair services that get your house back in energy-efficient condition.

Need Palm Harbor Patio Door Repair? Count On the Team of Experts at Mr. Handyman!

Whether you're in Palm Harbor, FL, or a nearby part of the Tampa Bay area such as St. Petersburg, Largo, or Treasure Island, you can rely on the team of professionals at Mr. Handyman serving Palm Harbor, Clearwater, and Largo for experienced patio door repair and other trusted services for your home or commercial property.

Pick up the phone and give us a call today at to request an appointment for a time that's convenient for you, or to speak with our friendly office staff about what else we can do to enhance your property and make your life easier.