Vinyl, aluminum, and wood sliding doors: what differs for repair

The short answer

At JELD-WEN, at least, the first checks do not depend on the frame. Its vinyl and wood patio door guides give the same list of causes and fixes, word for word, for a panel that will not open. Two of them are a dirty sill track and a panel that needs its rollers adjusted.

What differs is the frame:

• Wood needs its finish put on right after installation and kept up. Andersen, Milgard, and Marvin all say so for their own doors.
• Vinyl and aluminum cladding should not be painted on an Andersen door. Andersen says doing so affects its warranty.
• Aluminum frames can corrode. MITER Brands recommends a light car wax once a year, after cleaning.

Every statement on this page comes from a door maker's own guide or support page, linked at the bottom. Each one applies to that maker's products only. This site is not affiliated with any of them.

What stays the same

JELD-WEN publishes one repair guide for its vinyl patio doors and another for its wood ones. Each describes itself as a guide to common user-serviceable repair tasks, and each asks owners to contact JELD-WEN for professional help with a condition it does not cover.

For a panel that will not open, both guides give the same list of nine possible causes and fixes, word for word. Two of them are about how the panel moves:

1. A dirty sill track. Clean it, then lubricate with silicone spray on a cloth.
2. A panel that drags on the sill or does not fit square or flush in the frame. The fix they give is to adjust the rollers.

The roller repair page explains when an adjustment is enough and when a roller is worn out. If the door is simply stiff, the hard-to-open guide walks through the other common causes.

Both guides also mark some work as not a homeowner's job:

• Removing a panel. The vinyl guide marks removal of the operating panel and the fixed panel "For Professionals Only." The wood guide does the same for stationary panels and the Custom active panel.
• Fog or moisture between the panes. Both guides give the cause as seal failure. The fix is to replace the insulating glass or the whole panel, and both say a service representative should make that call.

JELD-WEN's wood guide also says its repair tasks can be done by a homeowner with some mechanical aptitude, and that if you are unsure, it recommends a trained service provider.

Vinyl

MITER Brands, whose brands include Milgard, MI, and PGT, publishes one care guide for its aluminum, capstock, fiberglass, and vinyl frames. It says to wash them with mild, non-abrasive soap and water, wipe them dry, and never use abrasive or acidic cleaners:

"Never use abrasive or acidic cleaners, as they might cause permanent damage to the finish."

For painted vinyl, it says to use only mild soap and water.

Andersen says painting or applying finishes to vinyl cladding will affect its Owner-2-Owner Limited Warranty.

JELD-WEN's vinyl guide warns owners to use caution when tightening screws, so the screw holes do not strip. Unlike its wood guide, it gives no repair for a stripped hole.

Aluminum

Aluminum shows up in two ways. Some doors have aluminum frames. Others have aluminum attached to the outside, which JELD-WEN's wood door guide calls clad: "Aluminum or vinyl material attached to the outside of a patio door that creates a durable, low-maintenance patio door." The glossary has the other terms.

Aluminum frames. MITER Brands' guide covers them in one short section:

"Clean aluminum frames very carefully after they are installed. These frames are extremely susceptible to corrosion caused by various chemicals on a construction site."

It recommends a light car-wax solution once a year, applied after cleaning. Otherwise, it says, the wax may seal salt spray deposits to the frame and let corrosion start.

Aluminum cladding.

• Andersen says not to paint or apply finishes to aluminum cladding, because it affects the warranty.
• JELD-WEN's wood guide covers metal cladding that is dull because it is dirty or oxidized. It says to rinse with water, dry with a chamois or a soft, lint-free cloth, and apply a high-quality, non-abrasive car wax.
• Marvin says location decides how often to clean aluminum-clad doors. A coastal home exposed to harsh elements may need cleaning four or five times a year, and in a drier climate once or twice a year may be enough.

Andersen recommends cleaning the aluminum and vinyl surfaces of its windows and doors at least once a year, with the cleaners it lists, and at least every three months in a coastal, industrial, or agricultural area. It says products not on its list could damage the door.

Wood

For wood, three makers say the same first thing, each for its own doors:

• Andersen recommends finishing all interior wood before or immediately after installation. It says this protects the wood and helps prevent bowing of the door panel.
• Milgard's 2020 care guide says bare and primed wood doors must have a top-quality paint, finish, or water-repellent preservative applied immediately after installation. It says to refinish or repaint periodically, and that failing to re-treat properly voids its Full Lifetime Warranty. What Milgard's own documents say about cleaning, adjusting and getting parts for its sliding doors is in the Milgard sliding patio door guide.
• Marvin says a brand new bare wood or primed door must be finished immediately, to prevent possible damage to the wood. It also says wood doors need a stabilization period after installation, sometimes up to a year, to adjust to humidity.

The warranty. Andersen says damage from failing to seal the interior wood is not covered by its Owner-2-Owner Limited Warranty.

The seal at the glass. Andersen says the finish should overlap the glass by at least 1/16 inch, to seal between the glass and the wood against water:

"This finish seal must be maintained. If cracks or voids develop, repair them immediately."

Paint where it does not belong. Marvin says not to let paints, stains, or varnishes touch the weatherstrip, because solvents can damage it, and not to paint any surface that slides against another. JELD-WEN's wood guide lists a panel painted to the weatherstrip as one cause of a door stuck shut. The fix it gives is to un-stick the painted-over weatherstrip.

Other checks.

• Marvin says to check the outside of wood doors at least once a year for caulk or paint that has cracked, peeled, or bubbled.
• Andersen advises against dark finishes on surfaces in direct sun, to reduce the risk of warping or cracking.
• Andersen says not to paint or stain weatherstripping, hinges, locks, other hardware, or exterior cladding.

Screw holes. JELD-WEN's wood guide includes a repair for stripped screw holes, using wooden toothpicks or a dowel and wood glue. Its vinyl guide has no such repair.

Cleaning. Andersen sends owners of doors with finished interior wood to a separate article for cleaning the frame.

Lubricants and cleaners: follow your maker

The makers do not agree on everything, so read the guide for your own door.

• Andersen recommends a dry lubricant spray for its hardware, and says to avoid lubricants containing acetone.
• JELD-WEN's guides say to lubricate a cleaned sill track with silicone spray on a cloth.
• MITER Brands' guide says two things. Under hardware, it says the wheels on its sliding doors do not need lubrication, because they have a sealed ball bearing housing. Its maintenance tips also say to lubricate sliding door tracks and rollers periodically with a dry silicone spray. If your door is one of theirs, ask the maker which applies.

On pressure washers, the makers agree:

• Andersen says power washers can damage the glass or frame.
• MITER Brands says not to use a power washer or garden hose on doors or hardware.
• Marvin says overspray of its listed cleaners is safe, but never to use a pressure washer directly on any part of a door.

To find out who made your door, the label guide shows where makers put a label, an etching, or an order number.

What this page does not cover

None of the guides we opened compares the cost or lifespan of the three materials, so this page does not say which is cheaper or easier to repair. They also do not say how to tell the frame material by looking, so this page does not try. Only one of the guides we opened, MITER Brands', covers aluminum frames, in one short section. We could not open Pella's care page.

Whether a worn door is worth repairing at all is a separate question. The repair or replace guide covers it.

Asking about a repair

To ask about a repair in Plano, Allen, McKinney, or Frisco, use the contact page. Say what the frame is made of if you know, and the maker if you found a label. The operator reviews every inquiry and replies with the next step. Sending the form is not a booking.