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nick_shirley

Fixing a sliding mirror door (frame separated from glass)

nick_shirley
12 years ago

Because of a problem with the track (since fixed), a person who shall not be named (not me, at least this time) trying to force a large sliding closet mirror door open wound up pulling the right side of the aluminum frame away from the glass. It's fine at the top 12 inches and the bottom 12 inches but in the middle the frame is no longer attached to the mirror. The u-shaped rubber channel gasket (or whatever you call it) that cradled the mirror while in the frame has retracted into the frame body. The "gasket" is OK at the top and bottom but I can't figure out how to open it enough to push the frame back around the glass.

I've never done this sort of repair before but my working assumption is that to do this right, I'd have to take the door down and lay it on the floor, unscrew the right side of the frame where it attaches to the top and bottom sides of the frame, pull the right side off (maybe sliding up or down parallel to the right edge of the glass??), refit the rubber gasket correctly onto the mirror, slide the right side of the frame down so that the fat part of the gasket slides into the frame, then rescrew and remount. Does this sound like the correct way to fix this? Any advice for an amateur like me?

Thanks for any help you can provide...

Nick in Palm Springs

Comments (12)

  • nick_shirley
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Never mind! I decided to go ahead and give it a try, and it worked out just fine. In case someone is searching for a similar solution, here is what I did. Instead of taking the huge and very heavy door down for the repair, I simply undid the two screws that held the right side of the frame to the rest of the frame. The right side popped right off. All I needed to do was put the rubber "gasket" back on the mirror edge (easy) and then carefully reattach the right side, pushing the mirror\gasket into the frame's channel. Piece of cake. The only thing that caused any work was the fact that the right roller on my door is attached to the right side of the frame. Pulling the side away meant that the mirror and the rest of the frame was no longer supported by the roller. To be able to reattach the right side, I had to have a friend lift the mirror door a bit before inserting the mirror into the right side.

    Hope this helps someone!

    Nick in Palm Springs

  • Ana C
    7 years ago

    Thx for that advise , so helpful

  • sdello
    7 years ago

    Surely she did.

  • Rhian Jones
    4 years ago

    This has hopefully answered my question that I’ve been searching days for!....will try this tomorrow and save myself $250 (which has been quoted for the fix)!...
    Thank you

  • Edeline Rossi
    4 years ago

    My problem where do I buy the right gasket for my sliding door mirror.

  • millworkman
    4 years ago

    What gasket?

  • Barry Sanders
    3 years ago

    Samer problem. Gaskets bad can't locate replacement.

  • Judith Cousley
    2 years ago

    I have a similar problem only it's the top edge of the sliding door which carries the rollers that has disconnected from the door. Any suggestions on how to replace this?

  • Alan Grossman
    2 years ago

    Thanks this has ben helpful and even though pretty hoplees at home repairs was able to put mine back together

  • Jannely Gonzalez
    2 years ago

    i have this same issue and i been lookign for solutions but after many calls to companies no know offers this type of repairs.. Does anyone knows of a company or handy man that can repair this ?

  • T S
    last year
    last modified: last year

    Thanks so much for providing this info … just repaired ours ! For 15 years Ive closed the sliding doors a certain way in order to hide the gap 😁