Screen Door Repair
Track Replacement Q&A

Screen door repair questions about replacing top tracks and bottom tracks. These are questions I have received over the years about repairing broken screen door tracks as well as installing the track kits that I sell

Screen sliding door track

by Stuart N.

(Shelton , Connecticut)

I have a French door with a sliding screen door(separate)  the bottom track seems to be made of either harder rubber or plastic for which the door with roller slides on. I don't know manufacture.

I took off the track because it was broken in places,the track was screened down in about 15 places and the track itself must have been glued on after installing the metal to the wood door threshold.

Help  where can I get this piece which is about 60 inchs long or so.

Bent main rail

by Rod
(Sacramento)

Question:
I'm looking for a screen door rail that was bent.
It is the rail that latches. Do you sell rails separately?

See picture.

Answer:
Thanks for the question.

Thats a rollformed aluminum screen door rail, commercial brown color. Yes, a good glass shop in your area ought to be able to sell you a new rail and may even be able to punch it for you so you can put the old lock back in.

For what its worth though, I would look for a good used extruded aluminum screen door thats a little to tall, then cut it smaller to suit your door.

Hope this helps

Handy man

by steve
(r.m. tn. u.s.)

The track my screen runs in is a vinyl track .It snaps out of the main frame . I need a replacement track.

My tracks are all aluminum, as long as you have space to screw them down, they will make a great replacement for any missing track.

Which track are you missing, the bottom or the top track ?

What type of Patio Door to I have?

Question:

I live in an apartment and I want a sliding screen door but they do not provide one. I found one on Craigslist for 20 bucks but before I go get it I wanted to find out how I would install it.

It appears there is not really a track dedicated to a screen. although it is obvious that a screen can be added to it. I have replaced a screen door in my old apt and I do not think this door is the same as on the outside there seems to be a little strip that the screen door would hang off versus being mounted on rails.

I also dont want to go buy it and be stuck with it if I cannot use it. please advise?

Answer:
Thanks for the question. This looks like a vinyl patio door where the screen door top track is has broken off. One of the problems with Vonyl Patio Doors, especially when there are thin plastic screen door tracks, is that the plastic get brittle and cracks off from exposure to the sun.

Before you can install a new screen door, you will need to have a new top track installed. I use small long aluminum angles and screw them in place after removing whats left of the old top track.

I would ask for help from the landlord first, and see if he or she will pay to have it repaired. Its an easy thing for a good window company to fix.

Hope this helps

Track that screen slides
on needs replacing

Deb

(Pennsylvania, USA)

I purchased a lake house in Ontario, Canada. Most of the window screen tracks are cracked or broken. I would like to replace them with new (vinyl/pvc) track. It looks like U channel (with a flat bottom) that is about 1/2 " wide (inside diameter) and about 1/2 " high.

I called you earlier today and you said that new track is available and you were going to look into pricing and perhaps post the sizes and prices on this website. Any information that you can send me / or post regarding purchasing new track would be greatly appreciated.

Hi Deb;

Sorry for the delay, it took a while to find the supplier and the information. But I have posted pictures from their catalog showing the different kinds of track available.

The 02371 track and 02372 Track is what is used with 7/16" and 3/8" thick screen bar. It comes in 8 foot and 12 foot lengths and is thin enough that you can cut it to length with a pair of wire cutters. Both these items are $6.99 per length.

The jamb track 02373 is used mostly with sliding patio door screens. You mount one on the door jamb so that the the edge of the door seals tightly up against the jamb. This track is $8.99 per length.

To attach it, you can hold small picture frame nails with a pair of needle nose pliers and just force them through the track and into the wooden window jambs.

Shipping is a bit of an issue with long pieces like this since the post office and the courier services usually limit you to items about 7 feet long. As well, shipping items like this is expensive. $30.00 per container.

So its best if you are ordering more than 1 length because it costs the same to ship whether 1 or 10 are shipped.

Replacement top track for
Anderson deck doors

by Barry
(New City, NY, US )

Hello,

As per my title, I'm looking for a Replacement Top Track (U-channel?) for old (mid-80's I think) Anderson Deck Doors. The top track for the screen door cracked in half. I'm not sure if all tracks are standard size...but I did see this for $34.95 from your site:

Sliding screen top track

I don't have picture right now...but could provide one.

Thanks
Barry

Hi Barry;

That top track that i show listed on the webpage is what I use to replace old tracks. Its 7 feet long with a white painted finish. I normally use this track to install screen doors on french doors but it can be used on regular sliding doors as long as there is a flat surface above to screw it onto.

I can get replacement U shaped channels in anodized aluminum in Canada but the shipping charges are horrendous when sending to the USA.

If you can email me some pictures of your existing broken top track and door I will try to provide additional help to install the white rail.