Sliding Glass Doors : Letting The Outside In
(part three of a series)

by: Liz Roberts

A sliding glass door allows for sunshine and fresh air to spill into your house. It’s great for warm spring and summer days, letting in flower scented breezes. Installing one is also a good way to open up a room without having to add on. It is relatively easy remodeling project and comes with a great reward at the end.

As with any door, sliding glass doors come in a wide variety. When looking, remember that the frame’s strength is a key factor to sturdy and long lived doors. This depends on the material it's made from. You can choose from fiberglass, wood, vinyl or aluminum clad wood or just simple aluminum. Fiberglass is probably your best choice. It is manufactured from a pultruded (a process in which the fiberglass is pulled through a heated steel framing die using a continuous pulling device). Pultrusion combines long glass fibers with strong resins to create a very sturdy, indestructible frame. Another plus to fiberglass is that it expands and contracts with temperature changes at similar rates as the glass panes. This reduces stress on the door. If you have your heart set on a wood frame, then select one with an oak veneer over fiberglass. Your doors will last longer and the frame won’t age, warp or crack. Fiberglass framed doors can cost anywhere from $800 to $1,300.

Vinyl is another low maintenance material to consider. Its’ color goes completely through the frame hiding any small scratches that may occur. Also remember to look for fusion welded corners and ball bearing steel or nylon rollers. The door’s exterior frame should be clad in vinyl or aluminum to minimize outdoor maintenance. If you’re buying an aluminum frame, look for ones with a thermal break. Prices vary on both vinyl and aluminum, ranging anywhere from $800 and up (although you can get a deal on e-Bay. There is a problem with that – getting a sliding glass door shipped to you without it shattering into a million pieces).

The panes on sliding glass doors should be double paned low-e for hot climates and triple paned low –e with krypton gas for colder areas.

Once you’ve selected your door and brought it home, it’s now time to pick an area in which to install it. Remember to inspect both sides of the wall you want, along with inspecting the attic and basement viewpoints. This is done to make sure there are no interfering heating ducts or structural problems. Try to avoid all electrical and plumbing fixtures.

Now mark out the door dimensions on the interior wall. Allow for an extra four inches

on each side to accommodate for double jack studs(the framework around any opening) and shim space with an extra seven inches on top. This is to allow space for a supporting header and shims. IMPORTANT REMINDER – turn off your electricity for this particular area at the breaker or fuse box to protect your assistant and you from shocks.

Also put down drop cloths and sheeting and have trash containers nearby for any debris.

This is the time to very carefully remove all wall coverings inside the borders that you’ve marked. Do this by cutting and chipping away plaster or drywall. You can use your hands or power tools. Remember this is not a rush project by any means. Go slowly to avoid damaging whatever electrical or plumbing set ups there may be in the wall. Remove all insulation, dirt and debris as you go along. Now drill marker holes through the far wall. Pencil in lines that show exactly where to remove the wall covering on that wall. Carefully remove it. If you’re good with electrical and plumbing lines, you can now reroute them. If not, seek call a plumber or electrician for help. After these lines have been rerouted you can now remove the studs. Remember to brace up the surrounding wall area. Braces provide temporary support while the new jack studs and header are put into place. To make the bracing place a 2’ by 6’ (the length of the new door opening) flat against the ceiling. Now place another 2’ by 6’ board flat on the floor. Set 2’ by 4’ uprights to firmly wedge between the 2’ by 6’ boards at two foot intervals. Remember to set the braces no more than two feet away from the wall you’re working on.

Now cut the old studs across the top at the same height at the opening. You can either use a hand or a power saw for doing this. Pry each stud loose at the bottom of the wall. Set these aside because you may be able to use them during the reconstruction phase. Now remove the bottom plate. It will either be the 2’ by 4’ or the 2’by 6’ that runs along your floor and that all the studs sit upon. Cut on a line even with the sides of the opening and then pry the pieces from the floor(these will either be nailed or screwed on).

Check the surrounding floor covering. If it is very thick or dense , you may have to chisel carefully through it to extract the unwanted piece of plate. Do not use a saw or you will damage the floor.

These are the first steps in making your new doorway. Remember to be careful during these for an easily installable door later on. Do it the right way now and you’ll save yourself many headaches.