Most screen doors that we come across can be popped out using a putty knife. We simply push up on the spring loaded wheels on the bottom and it pops right off of the track. Occasionally, the screen door is built into a channel on the top AND bottom and it cannot be removed. The wheels do not seem to be spring loaded on these types of doors and it looks like removing the track is the only option. Does anyone know the easiest way to remove these, if they can be removed at all. I had to re-screen a door vertically the other day because I couldn’t get it off…
I will post up a picture of one next time I see one.
Why remove screen doors again? I forgot that we used to do that! If you are using a DI WFP method you don’t even need to take the screen door off. Either use a handheld flow through brush like vikan has or use a hogs hair brush at the end of your WFP. Work wonders! Way better results too since you are typically going to use the same method cleaning out the tracking too!
You have got to try this If you haven’t yet!!!
I guess I miss-read the comment. I thought you were talking about taking the screen door to clean, but I see that you meant that you were re-screening it. Well still, its another benefit Of DI In case you haven’t heard of it.
I drew up this subpar drawing to help show exactly what I am talking about.
This drawing would be looking at the screen door from the side (it is terribly out of proportion). A normal screen door would have the wheels slide over onto the tracks, and that is what would hold it in.
This problem screen has a channel on top and bottom that holds the screen door in place, the wheels do not hold the screen in place, they just are there to help it glide.
wow, a crazy design for sure. I’m used to seeing a U channel on top from time to time but never top AND bottom. If the actual door height is less than the distance between the top of the bottom U channel to the bottom of the top U channel, then there must be some way to adjust wheel height to give you clearance. Most wheel adjusters are on the side of the door frames. Other than that, just put it down to bad design.
I actually came across some windows last week that I couldn’t remove screens no matter what I tried. I tried to remove them from inside and outside, wouldn’t budge. They had springs on sides but were about 1/2" too wide. The homeowner and I concluded that they were installed that way in factory. Mind you, these windows had no stickers on them, we couldn’t find who made these windows.
Are thy Milgards? We see them a lot and they have deep channels so you can’t pop them out. You need to adjust the wheels by turning a set screw in the side of the frame. This releases the wheels so they go down in the frame and there is enough room to take them out. Sometimes you have to peel back the rubber weather stripping to access the set screws.
