Very old (but sound) aluminium patio doors at rear of house..nowadays hardly ever used or seen! Don't want to replace it as that sort of money could be better spent on other diy projects.
Have taken some photos having first removed the back-plate cover. Basically the track's cross-section has been distorted over the years and is thin so becoming loose for some of its length. I'd like to replace it to make the door easier to slide open. I found some track here:
http://www.upvcdiystore.co.uk/patio-door-rollers--track/patio-door-track/tc-6-track-insert
On mine the steel track is "bedded" (slid in at the factory/ fitters I guess) in to a rectangular cross-section "groove" which is 8mm wide. A small part of the track is as it was originally (near the end where the door closes to and there no weight/pressures). There it sits some 7.5 mms higher than the aluminium base-plate on the outer/lower side. On the inner side it sits up a bit less from the base as the base itself is angled to run rainwater away from the house (which is I would think quite normal)
I am pretty sure that the "track-base" groove is designed with a (hidden from view) slot on either side so that replacement track can be slid in (or pushed in?)..Some black plastic/resin? has been added at the ends to stop the track moving side to side in its groove.
Anyone tell me that they think I am on the right ..er track(!) i.e. that the track in the link ..which is 12mm width.. would fit with 2mm in either of the 2 "slots" running underneath the surface of the base-plate leaving about 8mm visible?
Guess I might have to take the base plate out to slide the new track in..or would it push in from above with a bit of gentle flexing??
Otherwise if that approach doesn't work I guess I should have to hunt down some of the baseplate profile to replace the whole thing..and I think finding might be tricky given its nearly 30 years old!
Have taken some photos having first removed the back-plate cover. Basically the track's cross-section has been distorted over the years and is thin so becoming loose for some of its length. I'd like to replace it to make the door easier to slide open. I found some track here:
http://www.upvcdiystore.co.uk/patio-door-rollers--track/patio-door-track/tc-6-track-insert
On mine the steel track is "bedded" (slid in at the factory/ fitters I guess) in to a rectangular cross-section "groove" which is 8mm wide. A small part of the track is as it was originally (near the end where the door closes to and there no weight/pressures). There it sits some 7.5 mms higher than the aluminium base-plate on the outer/lower side. On the inner side it sits up a bit less from the base as the base itself is angled to run rainwater away from the house (which is I would think quite normal)
I am pretty sure that the "track-base" groove is designed with a (hidden from view) slot on either side so that replacement track can be slid in (or pushed in?)..Some black plastic/resin? has been added at the ends to stop the track moving side to side in its groove.
Anyone tell me that they think I am on the right ..er track(!) i.e. that the track in the link ..which is 12mm width.. would fit with 2mm in either of the 2 "slots" running underneath the surface of the base-plate leaving about 8mm visible?
Guess I might have to take the base plate out to slide the new track in..or would it push in from above with a bit of gentle flexing??
Otherwise if that approach doesn't work I guess I should have to hunt down some of the baseplate profile to replace the whole thing..and I think finding might be tricky given its nearly 30 years old!
