Sliding Screen Door Types

The sliding screen door is a pretty simple device that holds up quite well considering all the use it gets. Just like most products, some sliding screen doors are made better than others. This page will talk about the basic types and construction of screen doors in existence today.

Extruded Frame Screen Doors

Screen doors made with aluminum extrusions are usually the strongest screen doors. They can be held together at the corners with screws or be mitered at the corners and held together with tight fitting corners. On this latter type of screen door, the screen cloth actually holds the door together. Doors that are screwed together at the corners are very strong, and you can always tighten the screws if the frame gets a little loose. Usually these doors have very flimsy rollers, which is strange considering that the frames are built to last.

Rollformed Frame Screen Doors

Rollformed aluminum screen doors are probably the most common type of screen door. This type has a frame which is rolled into a rectangular shape at the factory. The thinner aluminum it uses makes it less strong than the extruded frame. These doors can can bent if you walk into them. Sometimes bent beyond repair. Strangely though, the best working screen door rollers fit in these types of doors. Rollformed doors are most often held together with tight fitting corners and by the screen cloth itself. As the door gets older, the corners loose their grip and the door starts to rack from side to side and jams when you try to open or close it.

How the Screen Cloth is held In

The screen cloth in a screen door is held in a "spline channel". This is a small "U" shaped channel that runs all around the inside of the screen door frame. The screen cloth is rolled into the channel and a tight fitting plastic spline is rolled on top of it, until it too is forced into the channel. The fit is so tight, the cloth will usually rip before it pulls out of the spline channel.

Screen Door Adjustments

Screen doors have rollers which usually have adjusting screws to change the height of the roller. Some doors have rollers with no adjustment. If your screen door has screws poking out of the frame, or deep holes on the edges of the door with screws in them, these are usually the adjusting screws. By adjusting them in and out, you can get the door to sit level. These screws often need a penetrating oil like WD-40, to loosen them if they are rusted.

Click the Sliding Screen Door link to get back to the home page