Question 1

What is a roller and how does roller replacement help?

Accepted Answer

Sliding glass doors. You would think they're flat doors that glide smoothly upon on a lubricated surface, right?
 
Actually, the doors roll along on wheels, one wheel at each end of each panel. These wheels are inside a housing, that when assembled is called a roller. When the bearingsgo bad, the panel stops rolling smoothly.
 
As they break down, they become noisy and harder to operate. Some rollers begin to roll in almost an oval shape that will create rail damage. 
 
With the new rollers installed in your sliding glass doors and the rail repaired if needed, the doors may perform like they did when first installed.
 
Depending on the condition and the style of roller used at the time the door was manufactured (or last serviced), the doors may even perform better than when they were brand new.

Question 2

What is rail damage and how does it happen?

Accepted Answer

Rail damage is when the smooth rail that the rollers ride along is no longer smooth. This usually happens from continued use after the roller has gone bad and no longer rolls well.
 
The damaged roller may begin to beat on the rail, creating a wavy or bumpy pattern. It could eventually lose the ability to hold its adjustment, or the housing may fall apart causing the roller to no longer be able to hold the panel off the rail. This means it is scraping along the rail.
 
This often leads to a black residue in your tracks. The rails and lower tracks are always made with a soft aluminum, that when scraped away makes a graphite dust. This mixes with the leaking bearing grease or dirt and creates a black gunk in the tracks that seemingly never goes away. 
 
Luckily, our upgraded rollers are factory-sealed and you will no longer have a black goo in your tracks once we're done with them. 
 
Below is an example of a damaged rail.

Question 3

Can Sunshine Slider Repair replace rollers in impact-rated doors?

Accepted Answer

Yes! We can install new rollers in impact-rated doors. These doors are extremely heavy and working on them can be more labor-intensive. Therefore, there is a fee added to each panel being handled. 
 
They also require more heavy-duty rollers. This is not included in the base price, as the rollers can vary in cost and some have options when it comes to the wheels in the roller. We make it a point to let our customers know all of the options for their doors.

Question 4

How long will new rollers last?

Accepted Answer

The age of any roller is affected by a great number of factors.
 
You must consider exposure to the elements, amount of use, material and quality. While most standard, single-pane doors that do not experience excessive water are likely to get a good 10 years, a heavy impact-rated door may only get 5.
 
We do feel you would know within a year if there was a manufacturer's defect in the rollers we install, and that you should get years of service from new rollers that are kept dry and free of debris or lubricants.

Question 5

Are there upgraded roller options?

Accepted Answer

In most cases, yes! Some types of rollers have tons of options, while some only a few and rarly a roller might come in only one variation. Rollers are the housing and the wheel as an assembly, one or both of those can be upgraded in most cases. 
 
We are proud to include upgraded wheels in 99% of the jobs we do, at no additional cost! Unlike the builders grade steel wheel with an open bearing system we use a nylon percision bearing wheel. This is an upgraded nylon wheel that is assembled with stainless steel coated bearings, referred to as precision bearings. The nylon tire is injected with nylon reinforced with fiber glass. The competitive advantage of this wheel is the extremely smooth roll it moves the panel with. They have less noise and vibration and require less operating force. They bring a higher load capacity per wheel and the precision bearing is factory greased and completely sealed.
 
Another wheel option is a precision bearing wheel with a stainless steel outer ring. It has all the features of the upgraded nylon precision bearing wheels, which are already included, and more! These are ideal for coastal applications, as they offer better corrosion resistance. The outer ring, made of stainless steel, avoids rust formation between the wheel and the track.
 
Another possible option is a stainless steel housing with a stainless steel wheel (or the stainless percision described above). Not all types of doors have differnt options for the houseing, but whenever beneficial such as costal applications we will definatly make sure you know your options!
 
NEW! 2020 - The industry has finally addressed the ever increasing weight of the panels used in the newest, heavy-duty, impact rated and double pane glass doors. There is now a wheel rated to hold more weight than any of the previously released percision bearing wheels. This will truly offer you doors that outperform their new out-of-the-box selves! Best of all they actually do outlast their predicessors, in extreme conditions!
 
In most cases where we use a single wheel, there is a double-wheel option, which distributes the weight of the door over four wheels instead of two. This creates a greater ease of use.
 
We don't want to sell you what you don't need. If you're really interested in other options, mention it to us and we can talk about what else is available for your brand of door. In some cases, there is only the roller provided by the manufacturer.

What is a roller and how does roller replacement help?

What is rail damage and how does it happen?

Can Sunshine Slider Repair replace rollers in impact-rated doors?

How long will new rollers last?

Are there upgraded roller options?

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