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greenhouser

HFGH door again........

greenhouser
16 years ago

Well it did it again. The bottom of the door keeps jumping or falling out of the track. How are you guys getting the door on the 6X8 HFGH to stay in the track and roll freely? After a week or so it either comes off at the top or the bottom. Is there any way to fix this problem once and for all?

Comments (20)

  • agardenstateof_mind
    16 years ago

    Greenhouser, I hope someone else can help you, because it simply hasn't been a problem for me. I had some trouble with the rollers coming off the top track at first ... until I figured out we left the clips out! Hasn't been a problem since. I just keep the track clean and clear, don't bully it (there seems to be a "sweet spot" on the door where, if I push from there, it works easiest), and one of these days will get around to applying some graphite so maybe it slides a little more easily.

  • greenhouser
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    My door works easiest when pushed from around the center where the braces are. We can't understand how it keeps coming out of the track on the bottom now. Sometimes it falls right off in my hand as I'm sliding it back, or forward. It was fine all last winter. The groove and guide thingie at the bottom are fine. Nothing it broken.... it's got me ripping my hair out. =:-O

  • cactusfreak
    16 years ago

    Does yours have an adjustable roller on the top or bottom as a regular screen or glass sliding door?
    Even though the roller looks OK it may need to be replaced. The slightest bur or grain of sand will knock it off track.
    The 10x12 does since it has two doors.
    I copied this from Mudhouses' post. It shows how she adjusted her door.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Go to: Assembling the doors

  • mudhouse_gw
    16 years ago

    Hi greenhouser,
    Well, here's one more stab at troubleshooting, long distance. :-)

    I just downloaded the manual of the 6x8 HFGH to my computer. It looks like your door has the same small black plastic clip at the bottom that my 10x12 doors do, and fiddling with those clips did help me get my doors rolling smoothly, as Cactusfreak mentioned. If I turn the screw (by the clip) one way, so the clip moves up slightly, it tightens the grip of that clip on the bottom track. If I turn it the other way (so clip is as far down as possible) it loosens the grip on the bottom track. I left mine loose, since that way my doors moved best. But if your door is coming off the track at the bottom, maybe you should try tightening that small black clip?

    {{gwi:288754}}

    I was also thinking that your little black plastic clips at the bottom might even be broken off...since that would explain why it comes loose at the bottom...but if yours still look like the one in the photo above, that rules that idea out. If they are intact, I can't see HOW they can come loose either. Argh!

    Even if it IS loose at the bottom, I'm still baffled by how your door can come completely out of the track at the top too (I think you said in your previous thread that the door comes completely off sometimes?)

    Here's why I'm baffled. On page 14 of the current 6x8 manual, Step 7, it says: "Once the door is installed, install a bolt (43) and nut (52) into the hole on each side of the door rail to prevent the door from sliding off its rail."

    It's the same on my 10x12...except I have holes on the top door track AND the bottom track. On your GH, it only mentions two bolts that go in the Part 14 top door track (two bolts total, one on each end of the top track.) On my greenhouse, once those bolts were dropped into the holes, and the nut put on, there was just no way the doors could roll off the track, period. So I'm really confused about how yours can come off. Have you looked at your door to make sure those "stop bolts" and nuts are still in place?

    That's all I can think of. I know your GH is a different size, but from the manuals, it looks like the door parts are very similar. I sure hope you can find the problem...
    Sheri
    Scratching head and frowning...

  • greenhouser
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    cactusfreak 7

    Thanks. There are wheels on the top and some kind of nylon guides on the bottom like in those pics. Both wheels and black guides are in tracks and I think the bottom is adjustable. My husband has spent a lot of time trying to get the door to work right. The fit is basically good but there is apparently no more adjustment room left. All we can do now is bend the aluminum track up on the bottom to make a better fit and it still comes out. The bottom and top track are clean of any leaves or debris. If the door rolls freely it falls off the top track. If it's snugger it comes out of the bottom track. We got it back in the tracks and went to close it and it fell out of the bottom again. It just hung from the top track. We're getting very discouraged. It takes two people to line the door up and get it back in the tracks, so now I can't go in the HF when he's not here. :*( It's in the tracks right now but I know if I open it, there's an excellent chance it will fall off again or the bottom will come out of the bottom track leaving the door hanging. It's full of plants again but until we can find an answer to this door falling off, it's more or less unusable.

  • greenhouser
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    mudhouse

    Yes, it looks like that pic and the bottom black things are not broken. But what are they supposed to tighten against in the bottom track? There's nothing there but a track. The black thing slides along on that flat part that looks like the bottom of an L in the track. Is that black L supposed to be under the bottom track or in the track itself? Do you have a pic of the bottom track with the black thing in the proper place????

    The wheels don't roll off the ends of the top track, they came out of the top track itself. The wheels are in excellent condition.

  • mudhouse_gw
    16 years ago

    OK, now I think (I hope) I know what the trouble is. If the bottom L-shaped part of your black plastic clip is just sliding along the top of the metal track, that's not right. I don't have a photo, but there is a good illustration in the manual. Here's a scan of the illustration from my 10x12 manual...it's just like yours, but the parts numbers are different (so just ignore the numbers.) The rest is the same.

    {{gwi:288756}}

    If you look closely, you'll see that the bottom L-shaped part of the black plastic clip does actually go under the track, it doesn't slide on top of it. The front vertical lip of the metal track actually has to be slipped inside the groove in the middle of the black plastic part. It has to be sort of "threaded on" the end of the bottom rail to get it on there right. Yes it is a bit fiddly to get it on right!

    When we put our doors on, my husband was in charge of guiding the top wheels onto the top track. Meanwhile, I was down on the ground with my ear in the dirt (of course) so I could be sure to guide the black plastic part onto the metal track correctly. Just go slow and guide it on. When you get it lined up right, you can gently scooch the door onto the track a bit at a time.

    Now the lip of the track will be captured inside that little black clip part. Now your door is on the track right, but it may still drag (mine did.) Then you get to fiddle with that screw adjustment I mentioned above to adjust how tightly that black L-shape grips the track.

    If you get the bottom sliding well, but the top still seems to drag, post back here. I found another "tweak" to get the top of my doors to roll better, and I can post pics of that. I'm not sure if the top part of your 6x8 door is just like my 10x12 door, but it might be.

    I will keep my fingers crossed that this fixes your problem!
    Sheri

  • greenhouser
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    THAT DID IT!!!!!!!!! We looked at the pic you posted and we both read your post. We went out there, took the door off and put it back the right way - it works like it did before, like when it was new! We are thrilled. Thank you over and over and over.......... :))))

  • mudhouse_gw
    16 years ago

    Well hooray, how nice it was something so easy to fix! That makes my day. No need for thanks, just ship me all the cacti in your greenhouse and we'll call it even. ;-)

  • greenhouser
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    My cactus? =:-O

    Uh,... would you settle for my firstborn son intead?

  • milwdave
    16 years ago

    Get some silicone grease and add it to that rack as soon as possible...not the spray...grease. It is the best way I know to keep the track clear and operational.

    Dave
    Milwaukee

  • C Schaffner
    16 years ago

    Silicone grease. Why didn't I think of that. What section would that be in?

  • greenhouser
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Thanks, I'll look for it when I go to Lowe's this weekend.

  • hostajim
    16 years ago

    Hi, I spray the track of my door with WD-40 every once in awhile and that seems to help it slide freely. I just wanted to add my two cents. Good luck!

    Here is a link that might be useful: My page

  • mudhouse_gw
    16 years ago

    hostajim, what a wonderful blog! Your pond is lovely, too. I sure hope there aren't any birds under the snow in that birdbath...

    I haven't used any kind of lubricant on my doors yet, but I can see that would be a good idea. We have lots of blowing sand and dust here, and I'm learning it will be a job to keep that from building up in the lower track. DH suggested using compressed air to try to blow the dirt out of the hard-to-reach spots (we would rather not take the doors off if we can avoid it) so I'll give that a try.

  • rosepedal
    16 years ago

    Sherry and fellow company are awesome people... I could care less if they think this is a HFGH thread. If it wasnt for people like all of you. Us newbies would be in a compost pile along with our greenhouses. Keep the information coming...... My door was wrong also and by the way the door parts were sitting on my porch when I got home from work today. What a joke only took a year from china..... What happened to US jobs It would have not taken a year....... Quality Control Machining inspector for the U S with shipping requirements 6 weeks..... Barb

  • milwdave
    16 years ago

    I've never found this at the big box stores. usually and Ace or National will have it. Call around a bit. It comes in a large tube, kind of like lipstick...LOL It works better and lasts longer than any spray or other product I've tried. I treated my door once in the 4 yrs since I built the HFGH and it works like a charm. In fact I have had a hard time keeping the door closed until I added a 'make-do' latch.

    Dave
    Milwaukee

  • gardenerwantabe
    16 years ago

    Alternative to silicone grease would be what is used on the door latch of automobiles.
    Auto-zone should have it in a stick you rub it on and it don't collect dirt but it will lubricate
    I leave my door dry and it works fine if it rolls any easier it would not stay put

  • greenhouser
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Thanks. My husband just informed me he has some out in the garage! :)

  • milwdave
    16 years ago

    see? Every now and then the guys come through...:)

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