General Tune-Ups

Google Earth view of our jobsite this time. A well-secluded, high-end rental property in Gresham between Gresham Butte & the Persimmon Country Club. Yes, we said rental property, and it was vacant when we did this project in 2011.

But the most unusual aspect of this otherwise unremarkable project was the brand of doors, which we had never heard of before or since. The property owners told us these were “Mylch Doors.”

The little research we did resulted in our finding out that the Beijing Mylch Building Products Co., Ltd. was established in 1996. Mylch is located in the Capital Airport Industry District, Beijing, China.

It is a high-end professional window and door manufacturer. The main materials used in Mylch products are wood, wood with aluminum-cladding aluminum and vinyl. Finding a home page for this company proved futile.

But anyway, as to the project at hand…we were employed to replace the rollers on this rarely heard of sliding door. Our technician Steve Hilt is shown here removing the original tandem roller chassis.

After removing the original roller assemblies, we see a photo of the original “MORTISE.” A mortise is a hole or recess cut into a part, designed to receive a corresponding product such as a hinge, a strike-plate or other item. In this case, it is a “roller chassis” that sits in the indentation.

And here, if you enlarge the photo by clicking upon it, you can see the new chassis as compared to the original. The most important difference being that our replacement rollers are “steel” rather than “vinyl.”

Please do not attempt to ask us what these manufacturers are thinking when they spec out vinyl wheels for these oversized doors with insulated glass, because we haven’t a clue. Also, you may note that the new chassis will require a deepening of the mortise into which it sits…

…in the bottom of the wood door panel, as shown above. Steve begins the process by employing the use of a spade-bit…

…and then finishes the prep with some chiseling action. Please note that we have the means to modify products if necessary and prudent. We really are mechanics.