Sliding Glass Doors

By, Craig Osterhoudt

Sliding glass doors should be very, very, very close to the top of your home improvements wish list, if it’s not consider the following facts.

1.                 You lose a lot of heat in the winter and gain a lot of heat during the summer through glass. Most likely your sliding glass door is the biggest piece of glass in your home. , so I want to tell you specific things about sliding glass doors that you may or may not know that will help you in your purchase decision. There are three things I want to talk about, energy efficiency, security and quality. 

2.                 Your patio door is the most likely target for intruders, burglars or anyone who wants to get in your house that doesn’t belong there. I actually know a window and door consultant that upon visiting a prospective customer, walks directly to their sliding glass door, hands the customer a stop watch, opens the door(most times not very easily) walks outside, instructs the homeowner to lock the door and start the timer. The consultant then proceeds to wiggle, twist and push on the patio door until it opens, without breaking the glass. Usually in under a minute. 

3.                 Due to high gas prices, the economy and other reasons people are staying home more. If you are staying home for Labor Day weekend, inviting some friends and family over for a barbecue, what door (besides the refrigerator door) do you think will get used the most? Especially if you are doing upgrades in the hopes of one day moving to another house and selling your current home; realize that home buyers are looking for elegant patio doors more than ever. They know they are going to stay home more often than before and they want to enjoy their backyard.  

Now all of that being said lets address each topic one by one.  

Energy efficiency – if you have an old, drafty, rickety single pane sliding glass door you are losing A LOT OF MONEY everyday. Many people can’t even sit by their sliding glass because it is so drafty. Bugs, dust, allergens and of course the weather strolls through your old sliding glass door like its not even there!  

You really need to replace that old sliding glass door right away. You will notice immediate energy savings. You will help the environment, reduce your power bills, have a more comfortable home and most importantly you will save money so you can afford Rib-Eye’s instead of hot dogs at your next barbecue. 

Security – If you have an old sliding glass door, your home is not secure. You can not put a price tag on security. Your door will pay for itself from energy savings in a few years, but the lost of family heirlooms, jewelry and such are irreplaceable and you cannot put a price on that. Even homes that have alarms do not deter burglars. That sign in front of your home that says, Alert One Alarm, Armed response, just lets the burglar know they only have 20 minutes to rob you instead of 40 minutes. No, they won’t get the big screen TV, but anything they can fit in their pockets or a small bag will be gone in less that 60 seconds. 

          New sliding glass doors are more secure than ever. They have limit stops in the header track to stop the vent or sliding panel from being raised and removed. Many feature double locks that protrude up and down into the strike plate. Even if the door is raised, pried, bowed or whatever it still remains locked.  

There are also a variety of relatively cheap add-ons that can make a door virtually impossible to open without breaking the glass. There are foot operated secondary locks and Charlie bars that cost less than $50 and add an extra level of security. You can even get laminated glass, or security films applied to the glass, which takes about 10 to 15 minutes to try and bust through even with a baseball bat. Laminated glass can be expensive but like I said you cannot put a price on security.  

Home Beauty – A new sliding glass door will beautify your home like nothing else. Old glass gets scratched from pets and kids constantly scratching at it. The old aluminum tracks are the epitome of an eyesore and unfortunately most of the old sliding glass doors are mill finish aluminum! Ugh. No amount of cleaner, polish or interior decorating can make that look nice.  

          A new sliding glass door will be a focal point to a room, not an eyesore. There are options available that create equal sight lines with the glass or even a French style door that looks like a French door even though it is a sliding glass door. There are other decorative options like grilles, glass designs and in some cases wood veneer interiors. 

          If you replace your sliding glass door, not only will you love the looks and feel of it, it will also increase the value of your home. If you go to sell your home, it will sell faster than your neighbors home who has the old rickety eyesore. But I think the best part of your new sliding glass door in it will actually work! No screeching sounds when you slide it, no loud clank when you shut it, and it doesn’t take a team of furniture movers to get it open and shut. It slides nice and easy, opens and shuts quietly and effortlessly. 

So in conclusion if I haven’t convinced you to replace your sliding glass door, I don’t know what else to say, maybe some of these other points will help. 

·         Reduced Noise – The neighbors barking dog will actually be almost ignorable. 

·         Reduced Glare  

·         Available with blinds between the glass (get rid of verticals that constantly fall off and twist up) 

·         Improved view to the outside. New glass is clear and free from years of pitting and fading. Enjoy the view of your backyard. 

·         Brings cool light into a room! You don’t have to hide the door with solar screens, drapes and aluminum foil; you can open the drapes and let the light in. New sliding glass doors let the light in without the heat.  

The fact of the matter is no other improvement will have as dramatic effect on your home than replacing your sliding glass door. It’s the one improvement that you can be sure will pay for itself with energy savings, make you home more secure and definitely a more beautiful place to reside.