A Guide to Replacing Your Sliding Glass Door

Replacing your sliding glass door may seem intimidating, but doing so will help you cut on costs of professional installation. Higher-quality unit manufacturers have made the installation straightforward and fairly simple. With experiences of installing a swinging door or a window, you will not have any trouble installing a sliding glass door unit on your own. Take a look at this simple guide for a successful project.

Remove the Interior Trim

Begin by removing the trim that surrounds the existing door. You may use a utility knife to gently cut the paint and caulk. Pulling the trim without cutting may tear the wall board. The trim can be pulled away with a pry bar after cutting. In addition, ensure to take measurements of the width of the rough opening after prying the interior trim. This will help in selecting your new door to avoid compatibility issues.

Disassemble the door

Any pieces of trim or stops that hold the sliding panel must be removed. Once done, go on the outside to remove the exterior trim of the door the same way you did inside. You may experience difficulties getting a pry bar behind the wood to remove the exterior trim from the house. Therefore, you may locate the nail heads hiding under the paint using a magnet to remove them using a tiger's paw tool.

Prepare Opening for the New Door

You may use a level to check if the sides of the opening are plumb and the sill is level after removing the door. If the opening is too big, you may reduce it to the required size using strips of plywood.

Install the Frame

Apply enough silicone caulk at the nailing flanges as well the bottom of the frame. Gently set the frame into the prepared opening. When in place, secure the door using a nail on the top right side. You may use a level to check the plumb of the frame before driving in the second nail on the bottom left of the frame to achieve fitness. You can nail the flanges when sure of the square and plumb of the frame.

Install the Glass Door

With the side jambs well placed, you can hammer the nails. Remember to apply caulk on any holes drilled on the underside to maintain a waterproof door. Fit the door rollers then insert your glass door onto them in the frame. If the door is moving freely, you can now install your locking mechanism.