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Are you considering installing sliding glass doors in your home to have a seamless transition from your home’s interior to the backyard or patio? Are you unsure if getting glass doors is right for you and your home?
It can be a difficult decision to make, especially if you don’t have all the information at hand. That’s why we have created this handy guide outlining the 7 factors you need to know when installing sliding glass doors.
1. What Type of Sliding Door is Best for You?
As you can imagine, there are many different types of sliding glass doors that you can get installed in your home. It all depends on you and your specific needs, of course.
The four types of sliding doors you need to think about are:
Bi-Folding Door
These overlap each other, almost folding into one another, and pushed flat against another wall. Although these look great, they are also more expensive, due to the intricate mechanisms involved in them.
Also, you need to ensure that you have enough space on one of the walls to allow the width of the doors to rest.
Sliding Patio Door
This is probably the most common type of sliding glass door you will encounter. And for good reason. Because the glass doors slide behind one another, they don’t require a lot of space.
They are quite suitable for spaces that are small, like kitchens, or bedrooms with adjoining areas. They are also quite affordable.
Multi-sliding Stacker Door
These usually have 3 or more panels and are found in the living spaces of modern homes. The reason being that they maximize the opening to the outside, thus, allowing more natural light to flow into living rooms.
They also don’t take up a lot of space. And these can be reasonably affordable as well.
Cavity Pocket Door
These sliding glass doors slide completely into wall pockets, thus allowing you to experience the great outdoors even if you were sitting in your home’s interior.
It will make your space look even bigger than it is. If you don’t have a lot of space to work with, these sliding glass doors will work great for your home.
As you can see, there are a wide variety of options when it comes to sliding glass doors. Think about your house and the space that you have to work with. What kind of glass door would fit best into it?
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2. Where Should You Install Your Glass Doors?
You probably have a very good idea of where you wish to install your glass doors. But if not, then here are some things to consider when thinking about your home’s interior.
- Do you have a room, like a small bedroom or a laundry, that could do with some opening up?
- Do you wish to bring more of the outdoors into your living area?
- Do you wish to have an easier way to watch your children when they play in the backyard?
- Do you wish that you had more natural light in your bedroom or kitchen?
Even if you have children who have a lot of energy and are stamping about everywhere, you don’t have to worry about sliding doors breaking as they incorporate shatter-proof glass.
3. What Size Glass Doors Do You Need?
One of the biggest benefits of sliding glass doors is that they are customizable to your particular layout.
If you find that all the pre-made styles of glass doors don’t accommodate your needs, you can easily have something custom-made.
Always measure twice or use a window and door replacement company to get the best sliding doors for your space.
This way you don’t have to worry about whether the glass doors you have purchased or ordered online will fit your chosen location.
4. What Door Material Should You Consider?
Of course, glass is the most common material used for sliding doors. And there’s a reason why most people gravitate towards glass.
- They allow the space to look bigger than it is opening it up
- They are more customizable than other materials and can fit any space
- They are made of shatter-proof glass so there’s no need to worry about injuries to loved ones
- They allow you to open your indoor world to the outdoors making it feel like you are living in the woods
The other door materials you could consider are wood, aluminum, fiberglass, and vinyl. You might have seen many people opting for barn doors as they tap into the new New York loft trend.
5. How Do You Maintain Your Sliding Glass Doors?
One of the sliding glass doors benefits is that it doesn’t require a whole lot of maintenance to keep it in tip-top condition. In fact, it will definitely not be a daily or weekly job.
The main thing you need to remember when it comes to maintaining glass doors is that the frame can gather dust and dirt over time, especially if it opens up to the great outdoors.
This will cause your sliding glass door to stick as it tries to push against the accumulated dirt and dust.
As long as you take the time to clean out the frame twice a year, you should be good to go. All you need to do is grab a vacuum or and clean up the frame.
Don’t forget to clean the carriage of the wheel to make sure that your sliding glass doors move easily. Also, you can use a clean damp cloth to wipe the door hardware.
Keep on top of cleaning your sliding glass doors and you will be rewarded with years and even decades of faithful service.
6. How Do You Keep Security on Point with Glass Doors?
You might be wondering what security is like when it comes to sliding glass doors. As with every other entrance to your home, your sliding glass doors need to be protected as well.
The problem with sliding glass doors is that anyone on the outside can easily see into your home.
This is especially true if you have sliding glass doors looking onto your backyard or as side entrances to your home.
Any unscrupulous person could take a glance to see what kind of stuff you have lying around and if it’s available or not.
Also, the problem with sliding glass doors is that people often forget to lock them properly, and they remain open not only all day long while you are in the house, but also when you leave for a quick errand or work.
The best way to protect you when installing sliding glass doors is to ensure you have a strong locking system, that you install curtains, and that you have a security system installed.
More than that, ensure that you choose a professional company to do your installation so that you can rest assured of their secure design. A door professionally and securely installed cannot be easily taken off its tracks.
Also, ensure that you choose your glass options properly. Strong glass doors cannot be easily broken or broken into.
7. What Is the Cost and Energy Efficiency of Glass Doors?
With all this, you might be wondering what is the cost of installing sliding glass doors. Great question!
The answer is, of course, it depends. Many factors can vary the cost of installing glass doors. Some of which are, the kind of glass doors, the secure design, and the kind of glass you choose.
In addition to the cost of installing glass sliding doors, you have to consider how your energy bills will be affected by adding glass doors to your home. This is especially true if you live in a state or city where temperatures drop quite a bit.
Weatherstripping your glass doors is a great way to ensure that your glass doors don’t end up costing you a chunk of money in heating bills (or cooling).
If installed properly, sliding doors are much better than french doors at keeping the heat in.
Also, if you don’t want to flinch every time you touch your door handle, consider adding insulation foam to the handles, to counteract the metal’s ability to let heat escape. This will ensure your door handles aren’t too cold or too hot to the touch.
Ready to Install Your Sliding Glass Doors?
Now that you know a bit more about sliding glass doors, you might be ready to get that installation process started.
Who wouldn’t want more natural light into their indoor space with an easy option to slide shut whenever needed?
Make sure you keep in mind all the factors outlined above to have the best sliding doors installation experience. Make your indoor space truly your own by modifying as necessary.
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