Roller height is set with the adjustment screws at the bottom corners of the sliding panel. When one end sits low, the door drags, gaps at the top and misses the keeper. We reset both rollers, line up the keeper and bottom guide, and refit the head stop and anti-lift block. If the rollers are worn out, adjustment alone will not hold and we tell you.
What you get
- Door put back on the track and both rollers reset so the panel sits level
- Keeper, bottom guide and head stop realigned so the door latches and cannot be lifted out
- Track cleaned and checked for the wear that caused the drop
- No parts needed in most cases; if the rollers are shot we say so before doing anything
- Done in one short visit
What a misaligned sliding door looks like
A sliding panel hangs on two rollers, and each roller has its own height screw. When the two are not set the same, or one roller has worn faster, the panel tilts. You see:
- a gap at the top on one side and the panel rubbing the sill on the other,
- a door that drags on one end and rolls free at the other,
- daylight at the latch side, drafts and dust along the bottom,
- a lock hook that no longer meets the keeper,
- a panel that has come off the track or jumps it at the same spot.
Most of this is a short fix if the rollers still turn. The job is to put the panel back, set both corners to the same height, then line up everything that depends on that height.
Putting a door back on the track
A door that has jumped the track usually did it because a roller dropped into a worn groove, a bottom guide broke, or the panel was forced. We do not lever it back on with the rollers up; that can bend the rail and the roller housing.
We back the rollers off, lift the panel into the head channel, clear whatever is in the track, set the wheels on the rail and raise them evenly. Then we check why it jumped. If the rail is grooved, it needs a stainless cap, or it will jump again.
If you need to do this yourself tonight, our guide to a sliding door off the track walks through it safely, including what not to do.
Need a slider back on track this week?
Call or text with your address, how many doors and what the door is doing. You get a firm price before we come out.
Setting roller height, keeper and guides
- Roller height. The adjustment screws sit at the bottom corners of the panel, reached through holes in the end of the bottom rail or low on the face of the stile. Turning raises or lowers that corner. We set both so the gap along the top is even and the panel clears the sill.
- Keeper. With the panel at its correct height, the keeper on the jamb is moved or shimmed so the hook catches squarely.
- Bottom guide. The guide keeps the panel from swinging in or out. A broken or missing guide is a common reason a door jumps the track.
- Head stop and anti-lift block. These sit in the top channel. The head stop limits travel; the anti-lift block fills the channel so the panel cannot be lifted out. Both get refitted after any adjustment.
Adjustment or new rollers: the honest line
Adjustment fixes a door that sits wrong. It does not fix a door whose rollers are worn out, and we will not pretend it does.
- Adjustment is enough when the wheels spin freely, the screws still have travel in both directions, and the problem started after someone bumped, forced or moved the door.
- Rollers are needed when the screws are at the top of their travel and the panel still sits low, when the wheels are flat or seized, or when there are shavings or a groove in the track.
If we arrive for an adjustment and find worn rollers, we tell you before touching anything and quote the roller job instead. The adjustment price is on our pricing page either way.
Gaps at the top or bottom
A gap at the top of the panel on one side almost always means that corner has dropped. Raise it, and the gap closes.
A gap along the whole bottom, with the top tight, means the panel is set too high and may be riding the head channel instead of the rail. Lower both corners.
A gap that stays no matter how you set the rollers is usually the frame, not the door: a sill that has settled or a jamb that has racked. Older homes show this more than newer ones. We can often close most of it with weatherstrip; a badly racked frame is a replacement question. See gaps, drafts and leaks and the weatherstripping page.
Adjustments across San Diego County
Adjustment is the right first call on doors under about ten years old that have started catching, and on doors that were bumped or jumped the track once. We see that a lot in the vinyl tracts of Rancho Bernardo, San Marcos and Carmel Valley, where the rollers are still good but the door was knocked out of line by a move or was never quite set right.
On the 1970s aluminum doors in the older neighborhoods, adjustment alone is rarely the answer, because the rollers and rail are worn together. Those usually need rollers and a track cap, and we say so up front.
Either way, you get a firm price before we come out, and it does not change at the door.
Adjustment and Realignment: common questions
How do you adjust a sliding glass door that drags on one end?
Find the adjustment screw at the bottom corner on the dragging end, usually behind a small hole in the end of the bottom rail or low on the stile. Turn it a little at a time to raise that corner until the gap along the top of the panel is even. If the screw is already all the way up and the door still drags, the roller is worn out.
Why did my sliding door come off the track?
Usually one of three things: a roller dropped into a worn groove in the rail, the bottom guide broke or went missing, or the door was forced past something in the track. Putting it back without fixing the cause means it will jump again. We reset the rollers, replace the guide and cap a grooved rail if needed.
Can a sliding door be adjusted so it locks again?
Often, yes. If the door has dropped a little and the rollers still have travel, raising the panel brings the hook back up to the keeper and we align the keeper to match. If the rollers are at the end of their travel or seized, the panel needs new rollers before the lock will hold.
What is a head stop and an anti-lift block?
Both sit in the top channel of the frame above the sliding panel. The head stop is a bracket that limits how far the panel travels and keeps it from lifting at the open position. The anti-lift block fills the gap above the panel so it cannot be lifted up and out from outside. They come off to remove the panel and go back on afterward.
How much does a sliding door adjustment cost in San Diego?
Our adjustment price is a flat per-door amount on the pricing page and includes putting the door back on the track, resetting both rollers, aligning the keeper and guides and refitting the head stop. No parts are included, because most adjustments do not need any. If the rollers turn out to be worn, we quote the roller job before starting.
More answers on the FAQ page. Not sure what your door has? Send us a photo and we will tell you.
Where we do this
We cover all of San Diego County, usually within the week. Some of the places we work:
Related guides
- Sliding Door Off the Track: What to Do Right Now – Safe steps when a sliding glass door panel has jumped its track: what to do first, what never to do, why it came off, and what the repair involves.
- Signs Your Sliding Door Needs New Rollers (And Two-Minute Checks) – Symptoms of worn sliding door rollers in order of certainty, the two-minute checks you can do safely, and how to tell when the track is the real problem.
- Repair or Replace Your Sliding Glass Door? An Honest Decision Guide – When a $250 to $400 repair brings a 40-year-old aluminum slider back, when the frame, glass or track means replacement, and typical costs for both.
Ready to get the door gliding again?
Call or text for a straight answer and a price before we come out. Mon to Sat 7am to 6pm.