Guide
A printable record card for each sliding patio door
Most of what a technician or a parts counter asks about a sliding door can be written down once, on one card, and kept with the door's paperwork.
What the card is for
When a sliding door starts to drag or will not lock, the first questions are usually the same. Who made it? Which panel slides? Has this happened before? What was done last time? The answers are usually somewhere: on a label, in a lease file, in an old invoice, or in someone's memory. The card puts them in one place.
It is built for property managers who look after many doors, and for homeowners who want the answers ready. Print one card per door. Keep it in the unit file, or give tenants a copy in their move-in folder.
The card records what is known. It does not diagnose anything, and it is not an inspection form.
How to fill it in
Fill in what you can see and what your records say, and leave the rest blank. A blank is more useful than a guess, because a wrong maker or model sends the parts search in the wrong direction.
Configuration. Stand outside, face the door, and note which panel slides. If the sliding panel is on the left, the door is XO. If it is on the right, it is OX. That is how Andersen describes its 100 Series doors, and the XO or OX guide explains it, including how to work it out from inside.
Maker and ID number. Look for a label or a mark. Andersen says its windows and patio doors made from 2007 on carry a Product ID label, and that some have the ID etched in the glass near the Andersen logo. The same article shows labels on some older Series too, so look even if the door is older. Where the label sits "varies by the type and Series." On its A-Series, Andersen puts it in the head jamb, "the inside of the top of the window or door's frame that's visible when it's open." Andersen says the ID number is used for warranty registration and when seeking service or parts. That is why it is worth copying exactly.
Not every door will show a label you can find. JELD-WEN's wood patio door guide tells owners to "refer to your product purchase paperwork or call us" to identify a model. If you find nothing, write "not found" and note where you looked.
Do not remove a panel, a stop, or any trim to look for a label. JELD-WEN marks removal of the sliding panel for professionals only, and says patio door panels are very heavy and take two or more people to remove. This site gives no instructions for it.
Screen. JELD-WEN's guides say the insect screen is mounted on the exterior side of the operating panel. Note whether there is one, and whether it slides and closes properly.
Installed. A year is enough. If the door came with the building and nobody knows, write that.
Keeping the log
Rows 9 and 10 are the ones that pay off over time. They collect a date each time, so keep a separate sheet or a note for the dated entries and write on the card where that log is kept.
Track cleaning. Andersen recommends cleaning the sill track and rollers on its gliding doors at least once a year, and at least every three months "in a coastal, industrial, or agricultural area." For the track, its method is a soft-bristle brush with warm, mild soapy water, a rinse with clean water, and letting the track dry before the door is closed. It also says not to put lubricant on the track, because the rollers would then slide instead of roll. Write down each date.
Repairs. For each visit, write the date, the symptom in plain words, what was done, and who did it. Over a few years, this row shows whether a door keeps coming back with the same problem. That is useful when you weigh a repair against a replacement.
What not to write on the card
The card may sit in a folder that several people can open. Leave off anything that would help someone open the door from outside: key numbers, lock or alarm codes, and notes about a lock that does not work. Record a lock problem in your work-order system instead, and get it repaired.
When something goes wrong
Take the card with you to the first conversation. Then:
- If the door is hard to open, start with why a sliding door is hard to open.
- For a one-time repair inquiry, the photo guide lists the photographs to take, and has its own short checklist.
- For the part that seems most likely, see rollers, track, or locks and handles.
To ask about a repair in Plano, Allen, McKinney, or Frisco, copy what the card says into the contact page. You do not need every field. The operator reviews every inquiry and replies with the next step. Sending the form is not a booking.
| Field | What to write | Where to find it | Entry |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Door | Which door this is, such as unit number and room | Your own label. Use the same name every time | |
| 2. Configuration | XO or OX (Andersen reads it from outside; see the XO or OX guide) | Stand outside and note which side slides. See the XO or OX guide | |
| 3. Maker | The brand, or not known | A label on the frame, a mark etched in the glass, or the purchase paperwork | |
| 4. Series and ID number | Any series name and the ID or order number on the label, copied exactly | The same label. Leave it blank rather than guess | |
| 5. Where the label is | Its location on this door, such as top of the frame | Wherever you found it, so the next person does not have to search | |
| 6. Frame material | Vinyl, wood, aluminum, fiberglass, or not sure | Paperwork, or a technician's note | |
| 7. Screen | Yes or no, and its condition | Look from outside | |
| 8. Installed | Year installed or replaced, or not known, and where the paperwork is kept | Purchase or lease records | |
| 9. Track cleaned | Each date the sill track was cleaned | Your own log | |
| 10. Repairs | Each date, the symptom, what was done, and who did it | Invoices and work orders |
Questions on this page
Where do I find who made my sliding patio door?
Start with the door itself and its paperwork. Andersen says its windows and patio doors made from 2007 on carry a Product ID label, and some have the ID etched in the glass near the Andersen logo; the same article shows labels on some older Series too. JELD-WEN tells owners to refer to their purchase paperwork, or to call JELD-WEN, to identify a patio door model. Do not take the door apart to look for a label.
How often should the track be cleaned?
Andersen recommends cleaning the sill track and rollers on its gliding patio doors at least once a year, and at least every three months in coastal, industrial, or agricultural areas. Other makers may say something different, so follow your door maker's own guide if you have it.