Tips for Sliding Glass Door Replacement

A crystal-clear sliding glass door can be an appealing addition to your home décor, allowing more access to incoming fresh air and light in the home as well as providing an eye-catching view of a beautiful patio garden. Sliding glass doors are installed as external doors. The bypass sliding glass door is the most commonly used, while the folding sliding glass door is another popular option. Sliding doors can also be used as secondary doors and can be installed outside or inside the existing door.

Sometimes, you may choose to replace an old sliding glass door with a new glass door or a modern vinyl frame sliding door or French door for home improvement. Replacing the old sliding glass door with the latest varieties of sliding doors is a unique way to give a modern, stylish look to your home interior. There are a number of companies that provide sliding glass door replacement services, but you can also install it yourself. The following tips for sliding glass door replacement will help you in replacing the old sliding glass door with a new one.

Tips for Sliding Glass Door Replacement

Before replacing the sliding glass door, you have to take the measurements for the replacement door. Measure across the top, center and bottom of the door frame. Keep in mind the smallest dimension. Then, the measurements should be taken at the point where the frame ends and the plaster or drywall starts. When all the measurements are taken, check for the narrowest one and subtract ¾". The resultant value will be the width of the new door. Now, take the measurements of the height. Measure the right, left and center side from the ground. Subtract ½" from the narrowest dimension. The figure you obtain will be the height of your new door. The next thing you need to decide is whether to install a retrofit frame or a replacement frame. If you choose to install the retrofit frame, then there will be no need to trim the outside. If you want to use the replacement frame, then outside trimming becomes essential. The materials like vinyl or wood can be used for the replacement frame.

Removal of a sliding glass door: While removing the old sliding glass door, first, you have to remove the stationary panel and the sliding panels. Remove the panels by lifting them up. Take them out of the track; lift out the glass sliders in the same way. Look for the brackets that hold the stationary panel and unscrew them. After this, unscrew the frame using a drill and detach it from the wall. Then, you have to remove the side jambs without damaging the exterior material. Remove the interior molding and the exterior facing of the door using the pry bar.

Installing a new glass sliding door: Before installing a new glass sliding door, first check the floor level. If it is not in a proper level, then you can add shims to make an adequate base level. Make sure that the head jamb is straight across the width of the unit. Place two 3" drywall screws on both sides above the top hinges. The gap between the head jamb and the doors should be checked to ensure whether it is even, across the entire width. Following this, fix the hinge jamb using two 3" drywall screws. Take off any prehanging braces or clips and make sure that both the glass doors operate properly. While setting the door in place, lift the door and set its bottom on the top of the shims. From inside of the house, place the glass into the gap between the wall framing and door jamb. On the outside, caulk around the outside of the brick mold.

Using these tips for sliding glass door replacement, you can install latest varieties of sliding doors and add a glamorous touch to your home décor, while keeping your home well-lit and ventilated.