European balcony and lift-and-slide patio doors that drop, rub, leak, stick or won't lock.
Licensed & bonded · WA contractor reg. PUGETPL744JM
Doors take more abuse than windows. They're heavier, they're used every day, and they get slammed by wind. On a European door, the leaf hangs on adjustable hinges and locks at several points along its height. When the leaf drops even a few millimeters, the lock points stop meeting their keeps, the handle gets stiff and the key fights you. Most of the time, the cure is adjustment and a worn part or two.
Which doors?
Our door repair focus, whoever supplied them:
- Tilt-and-turn balcony/terrace doors: same hardware as windows, bigger and heavier.
- European sliding and patio doors (lift-and-slide and similar): rollers, lift mechanisms, tracks, seals and thresholds.
Other European doors: ask us.
Common problems
| Symptom | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Door rubs the frame or threshold | Leaf dropped; hinges need adjustment |
| Handle won't lift to lock | Lock points misaligned with keeps |
| Key hard to turn | Lock not fully engaged; or worn cylinder |
| Door won't latch | Latch or keep misaligned; worn latch |
| Draft or water at threshold | Seals worn, threshold drainage blocked, drop seal out of adjustment |
| Lift-and-slide hard to move | Dirty track, worn rollers, lift gear wear |
| Handle spins or droops | Gearbox failure; spring cassette broken |
If you need to lift the door to lock it, the door is telling you it has dropped.
What a door repair visit covers
- Check leaf position, gaps and how each lock point engages.
- Adjust hinges (height, side, compression) to re-center the leaf.
- Adjust keeps and latch.
- Replace worn parts: multi-point lock gearboxes, cylinders, hinges, rollers, seals.
- Clean and lubricate tracks and lock points.
- Check threshold drainage and seals.
- Keep tracks and thresholds clean; vacuum grit from lift-and-slide tracks.
- If the key is hard to turn, don't force it or use pliers: that breaks cylinders and gearboxes.
- Don't oil cylinders with heavy oil; use a lock lubricant made for cylinders.
Yes. Tilt-and-turn balcony doors and European sliding/patio doors from any supplier.
We don't publish prices. Pricing depends on your distance from Seattle and the number of windows, so call (425) 678-5158 or send a service request with photos for a quote. We'll always tell you the cost before we start work. Parts are quoted after identification.
Call (425) 678-5158 · Request service →
Ordered parts usually arrive in under a month (small parts are air-shipped).
Why does my door lock fine in summer but not in winter?
Can you replace the hardware without replacing the door?
Do you repair American sliding doors?
My lift-and-slide door is very heavy to move. Usually dirt or worn rollers. It's repairable.