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Replacing Sliding Glass DoorsBy Jim Sulski Summary: Jim provides step-by-step assistance on replacing your sliding glass doors. Whether located in a kitchen or family room, sliding glass doors are a nice
touch on a home for a number of reasons. They offer enlarged views of the outside,
as well as a way to bring a cool breeze inside on a hot day. Because of the mechanics involved, however, sliding glass doors tend to wear out or break down faster than a door on hinges. Installing a replacement sliding glass door is a fairly simple task. But it takes some planning. The first step is to measure the existing door to purchase a replacement. If you get the exact size, you will not have to redo the opening for the door. Start by removing any trim around the interior of the existing door. If there is a screen door, remove that. Usually, these lift out of the frame. Next, you'll need to remove the stationary door panel off of the slider. Usually, the panel is secured by at least a couple of brackets that are connected to the jamb. Unscrew those. Then, go to the opposite end of the panel and loosen the alignment brackets found at the top and bottom of the panel. Now the panel will be free of the assembly. Then, grab the panel by its sides and lift it up and out of the bottom channel. Pull the bottom end of the panel into the room and free it from the track. Then, do the same to remove the sliding door from the tracks. Next, look for the screws holding down the frame to the opening. Remove the screws and disassemble the frame from the rough opening. If portions of the frame are nailed into the rough opening, the pry bar will again come in handy. If the existing sliding door frame has a flange, you will need to remove the exterior trim to get at the nails or screw that hold the flange to the building. Use a pry bar to gently remove the trim as you may be able to use it with the new door. Next, remove any old caulking from the rough opening. Then, using a level, check the frame to make sure it's square. A few wood shims or strips of 1/4th inch plywood may even out any irregularities. Now, measure the rough opening's width and height. If a replacement door assembly cannot be matched up exactly to the opening size-wise, the best choice is to purchase a replacement assembly that's slightly smaller than the original. The door opening is easier to make smaller with additional framing. Now you're ready to install the replacement door. Set up the door and panel in the frame of the new sliding door assembly. Follow the manufacturer's instructions. There should be a number of brackets and clips that hold the door and panel into the frame. Constructing the assembly prior to placing it in the opening will make it sturdier to install, although you will probably need help lifting it into the opening. If the door and panel are assembled in the frame, it will also be easier to tell if the opening is square. Next, lay two large beads of caulk on the bottom of the opening. This will help seal any gaps between the opening the frame, once installed. Now, with the help of a second person, lift up the sliding door assembly and lower it gently into the opening. This will flatten the beads of caulk to make a strong seal. Do not slide the assembly across the bottom of the frame, as you will spread the caulk too thin. After easing the assembly into place, check to make sure it is level and true. Once in place, secure the assembly to the exterior of the house by driving galvanized roofing nails through the perimeter flange and into the side of the house. Make sure that the nails are driven into the wood studs that make up the opening and not just the house's siding. Then, adjust the rollers on the door so that the sliding door doesn't rub or drag in the bottom of the assembly. Next install the door hardware: The handle, lock, strike plate and catch. Finally, you'll probably need to install some sort of trim around the exterior
frame to hide the perimeter flange. You might be able to use the previous trim.
Otherwise, reconstruct the trim out of one-by-four or one-by-six boards so that
it matches the trim on the rest of the house. © by Jim Sulski. All rights reserved. February 10, 2005. NOTE: This column is distributed by Real Estate Matters Syndicate, PO Box 366, Glencoe, Illinois, 60022. This column may not be resold, reprinted, resyndicated or redistributed without written permission from the publisher. © 2005 by Ilyce R. Glink. Distributed by Real Estate Matters Syndicate. |
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