Should You Repair or Replace Your Sliding Glass Door?

Every sliding glass door has a lifespan. At some point, whether it’s 10 years, 20 years, or 50 years after its installation, your sliding glass door is going to need to be replaced. But it can be difficult to know when a patio door needs to be replaced, and when it can get by just being repaired.

Repair vs. Replacement – A Small Fix or Overhaul

Most of the time, when someone is seeking out sliding glass door repair, it is because they the door is having one of two problems:

• It isn’t sliding properly
• Its lock is broken

These are traditionally *repair* situations. A handyman or contractor can come to your property and fix the wheel mechanism, grease it, replace the rollers, or straighten the track. It is also a process that you can do on your own, but keep in mind that sliding glass doors are extremely heavy. A smaller, 6 foot door can weigh as much as 150 to 200 lbs, and the weight only goes up from there the larger the door is.

Repair will put your sliding glass door back on its track successfully, and help it lock. But for most other situations, you’re going to want to at least consider sliding glass door replacement. Replacement is advisable, if not necessary, for issues that include:

• Single Pane Doors – Older homes throughout the Sacramento region often still have their original single pane sliding glass doors. These doors leak a massive amount of heat, which increases your energy bills and makes your HVAC less effective.
• Drafty Doors – If you walk by your sliding glass door and feel a draft coming from around the door, your sliding glass door frame is likely old and needs to be replaced. Weather stripping can patch the problem, but at some point, you’re going to need to stop the leaks by re-installing new sliding glass doors.
• Glass Damage – Perhaps the most obvious reason to replace a sliding glass door is when it has visible damage. Glass that is broken in any way should be replaced for safety reasons.

In addition, sometimes fixing the rollers is not enough, or does not provide any long term benefit. Much older sliding glass doors are unlikely to have repairs that are going to last you very long, and since your sliding glass door also serves as an emergency exit, it is typically a good idea to replace it with a new one.

Finally, sometimes, the issue isn’t that something wrong with the door. The issue is that you’ve made stylistic changes to your home that your door doesn’t fit. For example, if you replace your windows, it is always a good idea to replace your door with it so that everything looks the same. This increases the value of your property and ensures that you’re getting the most from your energy efficiency upgrades.

For more information about windows and sliding glass doors, contact Cal Energy today.