How To Keep Your Entrance Sliding Doors Functional And Reliable

Sliding doors are very convenient entrance options, especially for commercial areas that experience heavy traffic. Most homeowners also find the automatic entrance doors beneficial in different areas on their properties. There are so many styles you can choose from and when you have your sliding door in place, the next thing you ought to do is ensure that they remain functional and reliable. This could mean putting in additional safety measures on the doors and maintaining the parts so you keep jams minimal.

Test existing lock – Most sliding doors come with a lock on one side to hold the door to the frame. Ensure that the lock does function properly and always repair or make replacements as necessary. A professional door installer can help you ensure that the frame remains secure and level so you know you can fully rely on the sliding door lock.

Install slide locking bar – After a long day of automatic door operations, you will need to lock up your doors and have a peaceful night’s sleep. By installing a slide locking bar to your sliding doors, you will take security a level higher in your premises. This is usually a metal bar or wood dowel cut to fit on bottom door track. When fitted, it prevents the door open even with the latching lock removed or damaged. Most new sliding door models come secured along the length of the frame so they are more secure even with all the convenience they offer.

Maintain and care for the rollers and door tracks – Remember that sliding doors rely on rollers to move back and forth and if they get damaged, then it will be hard for the doors to operate smoothly. Clear out any debris and dirt along the tracks and make any size adjustments if need be. Some of these doors come with adjustment holes on top or bottom edges and you can easily compress or expand the rollers for a smoother operation. The tracks should always be in top shape so it does not become easy for intruders to lift doors off the track and bypassing locks you may have present.

Lubricate the tracks – Apart from ensuring that the sliding door tracks and rollers are clean, you should also apply lubrication to the lower and upper tracks for a free operation. You can also lubricate the door lock using an aerosol lubricant so you can flush out grime and coat moving parts within it. You would need to disassemble the lock to lubricate it; you can have a professional do it for you if you are not very sure.

Install a commercial lock – Commercial entrance sliding doors deserve a commercial lock to improve reliability and security. The lock can be used as a replacement for the latch lock or supplement for the same and can be installed at any given door height and adjusted accordingly. The locks feature two or one bolt locking systems which attach to closure points and steel bolts that drop right into place. You can also go a step further to wire an alarm system to the door.