Home Improvement Information

Sliding Glass Door Replacement


This article is going to be about replacing an old sliding glass door with a modern Vinyl frame sliding glass door. If you currently have french doors and you want to replace them with sliding doors, or vise versa, future articles will cover that topic.

The first thing we have to do is measure for the replacement door. You want to measure across the bottom, center, and top of the existing door frame to find the narrowest dimension. Start outside and measure at the point where the old door frame stops and the exterior material starts. That material can be stucco, siding, or brick. Measure across in the 3 places: bottom, center, and top. Record the smallest dimension. Then go inside and do the same thing. You want to measure where the frame ends and the drywall, plaster, or sheetrock begins. Take all six measurements, find the narrowest one, and deduct 3/4". That is the width of the new door. Now, when you measure the height, you can do it just on the outside. Measure the left, center, and right side from the ground where the bottom track sits, up to the top where the old frame ends and the exterior material begins. Take the narrowest dimension and deduct 1/2". That is your height of the new door. Then, determine which side the sliding panel should be on. The fixed panel is designated by the letter "O", and the slider is an "X". In most areas of the country, you call it out by looking at the door from outside and reading left to right. So, if you were outside looking at your door, and you want the sliding panel to close to the right wall, you would ask for an "OX". However, because i have recently discovered that not all parts of the country do it this way, my suggestion is to ask the dealer how they read the opening before placing your order.

Next, you have to decide whether you want a retrofit frame or a replacement frame. If the old frame is flush with the exterior material, such as in the case of stucco, then you want to get the retrofit frame, which comes with the outside fin. That will eliminate the need to trim the outside. If you have brick or siding surrounding the opening, then you need to get a replacement frame and trim the outside yourself. You can use wood, vinyl, or other composite materials available in most major hardware store chains. You also need to measure the depth of the old frame. The majority of vinyl replacement doors have a frame depth of 4 3/4". Most door openings, when framed, have a depth of 5 1/2" to the innermost surface of the wall, whether it's drywall, plaster, or whatever else. Therefore, when you install the new door, you will need to add some sort of trim product to build the inside of the door frame so it is flush with the wall surface. We sell vinyl extrusions specifically for this purpose. It's a two piece system that allows you to bring the frame flush with the wall, then apply the molding to the wall and door frame to finish it. Pictures and descriptions of the products are available by going to http://www.how-to-install-windows.com and clicking on "Product Catalog".

You want to be sure and order all of the materials you will need to do the job at the same time that you order the replacement door. That way, when the new door comes in 2 to 4 weeks later, you will have everything ready to do the job. In addition to any trim needed, you are also going to need caulk, a roll of R-13 Insulation, liquid nails for the track, 4" deck screws, shims, dust masks, and safety glasses. Once the new door arrives, it will be time to take out the old door. That will be our topic in next week's article.

John Rocco has been installing replacement windows since 1978. To learn more, visit How To Install Windows


MORE RESOURCES:

Warning: set_time_limit() [function.set-time-limit]: Cannot set time limit in safe mode in /home/ayispaxm/public_html/homes/inc/rss.inc on line 8

BBC News

Simplified home improvement rules introduced
BBC News
New regulations have come into force to make it easier for Scots to make changes to their homes. The move means many home improvements will be able to go ahead without planning permission. Projects including extensions, sheds and garages will not need ...

and more »


NARI Home Improvement Show set for State Fair Park
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The best place might be at the 50th Milwaukee/NARI Home Improvement Show to be held Thursday through Sunday in the Wisconsin Exposition Center at State Fair Park. The show includes hundreds of exhibitors offering home improvement advice, products and ...



New York Daily News

Home Improvement Star Arrested for DUI, Drug Possession: Report
People Magazine
By Tim Nudd Taran Noah Smith, who played youngest child Mark Taylor on the '90s sitcom Home Improvement for eight years, was arrested early Wednesday for DUI and drug possession, according to a report. Smith, 27, was arrested around 1 am in Los Angeles ...
'Home Improvement' Star Arrested For DUI, Drug PossessionLong Island Press
'Home Improvement' kid busted on drug chargeNew York Daily News
'Home Improvement' Star Taran Noah Smith Arrested for DUI & Drug PossessionThe Daily Blabber from iVillage
Los Angeles Times -Fox News
all 139 news articles »


Whole-home display planned for Eastern Iowa Home Improvement and Landscaping show
Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier
WATERLOO --- Nearly 175 exhibitors will showcase the latest project ideas for the home, lawn and garden at the 61st Annual Eastern Iowa Home Improvement and Landscaping Show, Friday through next Sunday. The event takes place at the Five Sullivan ...



PerezHilton.com

'Home Improvement' kid suspected of driving stoned
San Jose Mercury News
(Photo by Stephen Shugerman/Getty Images) BURBANK -- The actor who played the youngest brother on "Home Improvement" was arrested Wednesday in Burbank on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs, police said. Taran Noah Smith, 27, was arrested ...
"Home Improvement" actor Taran Noah Smith arrested for DUI, reports sayCBS News
Former Home Improvement Child Star Taran Noah Smith Arrested for DUI and Drug ...E! Online
Whoops! Home Improvement's Taran Noah Smith Arrested For Drugs!PerezHilton.com
Huffington Post -The Daily Telegraph
all 27 news articles »


HOME IMPROVEMENT INNOVATI
Quad-Cities Online
Today is Sunday, Feb. 5, the 36th day of 2012. There are 330 days left in the year. 1862 -- 150 years ago: Town collectors are required to return their books to the county treasurer on the 14th. People should pay up, now, as fast as possible, ...

and more »


Home improvement hits wall for homeless shelter
Sussex Countian
By Christine Miller On Jan. 18, officials from the Sussex Community Crisis Housing Services found themselves rejoicing in the Georgetown Planning Commission's decision to approve a request for a conditional use permit that would allow the facility to ...

and more »


Home improvement for your health
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
By (ARA) (ARA) - When considering home improvements, people tend to choose projects that will improve the value of their home. While this is important for a healthy bottom line, investing in the health of those living inside the home also is a ...

and more »


Menards wants to open store on Middlebelt
Hometownlife.com
The Wisconsin-based home improvement store chain has requested to rezone property at 12701 Middlebelt from light manufacturing to general business. The Planning Commission has scheduled a public hearing on the request for 7 pm Tuesday, Feb.



Quality Home Improvement
Greater Lansing Business Monthly
The cover of nearly every home improvement magazine is crowned with a photo of a meticulously maintained house that screams curb appeal. There are the dazzling paint and trim, wraparound porch with swing and enough designer roof tiles to empty a slate ...


Google News

home | site map
© 2006