By Gene and Katie Hamilton

If your patio door is like ours, it gets daily use because it leads outside where we like to spend time. Because of that regular use, it requires maintenance to continue to easily roll open and close. Dirt, dried leaves and dead bugs can clog the lubrication in the door track so the movable panel is slow to glide and slide with ease. You can clean out the debris, but if that doesn't improve its movement, the quick fix is to replace the old rollers with new track hardware.

A handyman will make this repair for $90, but you can buy the replacement hardware for $25 and do it yourself and save 72 percent. The job involves first removing the movable door panel and then removing the old roller hardware. You then install the replacement hardware. To do the job, you need a pair of saw horses or a sturdy work surface for the door panel. Manhandling the door panel can be difficult because it’s heavy and cumbersome. Have someone help you remove and position it so it’s easy to work on.

While the panel is removed, take the time to thoroughly clean the upper and lower door tracks. A vacuum with a crevice tool works well to ferret out hardened dirt and debris; then give the tracks a good cleaning.

Looking for a handyman to do the job? Click here to get to Home Advisor. Answer some basic questions about your job and find Handyman Contractors in your area.

The website All About Doors & Windows has a selection of Sliding Door Hardware Parts for Glass Patio Doors.

Wrapping up, given the average cost to replace patio door rollers you can compare the price of a contractor’s bid with doing it yourself. For a local cost input your ZIP Code.

Improvement and Repair Cost Updated 2019

The cost and time data is generated by averaging labor and material data from annually updated cost books used by contractors and refined by the authors' experience remodeling 13 houses. They are authors of 20 home improvement books and Do It Yourself or Not, a weekly column syndicated by Tribune Content Agency. The national cost can be adjusted by ZIP Code.