Minnesota and Wisconsin have the highest density of patio doors per house of anywhere in the country, likely due to the added winter daylight and pleasant backyard views that so many houses provide. We look at a lot of patio doors in the Twin Cities and we wanted to put together a quick list of items that we encounter time and time again.
Sometimes a door can be fixed, but often when we look at a door, it is beyond repair.
5 Ways to tell If It’s Time to Replace Your Patio Door
1. Locked or Sluggish Roller Wheels
The most common source of trouble with a patio door we encounter are the rollers on the bottom of the sliding panel. The door will be tough to open and close and have a ‘stiff’ operation to it. Over time the wheel bearings may have seized or gummed up to the point they no longer roll. While occasionally we can remove the panel and release the wheel with a lubricant, more often, the wheels need replacing.
2. Sagging Frames
If you notice a binding for the door panel or a sag in the head frame, it is a good indicator of bad things to come in the future. It acts in the same way as a constantly applied brake and will prematurely wear out the door operating mechanism and could lead to complete door failure. A door with a sagging frame from settling or installation is hard to repair because the patio door will likely need to be removed and reinstalled to fix the problem.
3. Leaking
If you look at the carpet or sub-floor to the interior of a patio door and smell a musty or moldy smell, there is likely some leaking underneath or around the patio door frame. We see a lot of doors that seem to be operating okay and the entire supporting structure is missing from a leak around the door. Check around all sides of a door to see if you are having any issues.
4. Broken Handle Lock
So many homeowners are happy with the operation of their door, but they are frustrated with the locking or safety of the patio door. After many years of use and abuse a lock set for a patio door may wear out and require replacing. One of the reasons we work with Andersen Windows is that Andersen will continue to stock parts that will work with your door for many years into the future. If you ever need a new lock for your door, you can call us or reach out to Andersen for help servicing it.
5. Seal Failure in Insulated Glass Unit or Broken Glass in Panel
Seal Failure and Broken Glass are common concerns of homeowners. Either they can’t see through the existing fogged glass (seal failure) or they accidentally threw a ball or kicked up a rock with the lawn mower through the glass. We can help with replacement glass. In some cases though, it may be the right time to upgrade your door and add energy efficiency with newer comfort glass from Cardinal Glass.
ABOUT US
At Great Plains Windows and Doors, We are all Andersen, All the time. And we’re the only ones doing it this way in the Twin Cities. Come see what we have to offer.
If you need some help looking at a patio door and evaluating it or coming up with a replacement patio door solution in St. Paul or Minneapolis, look no further than Great Plains Windows and Doors. Our resident experts are here to help. Find out more at www.GreatPlainsWindows.com or call us today at 651-207-4571.