Sliding Patio Doors

Why Am I So Cold?

2012-01-03T14:24:00.000-08:00

In the winter, are you a bit chilly when you sit near your sliding patio door?

We'll be very happy to explain why.

Over the years, weatherstripping around the doors can wear and the doors can become mis-aligned allowing air to seep through where the panels interlock when closed.

Replacing the worn weatherstripping and aligning the operating door will take care of these concerns.

Sometimes, aligning the door by adjusting the rollers may not be possible due to deterioration of the rollers themselves and then roller replacement is necessary. This situation is often quite apparent as the operating door most likely has become more difficult to move than it had been in the past.

Even if the door is aligned properly and sufficient weatherstripping has been properly installed, but the framing of the patio door system is aluminum, you will still feel cold air emanating from the metal. Aluminum is a poor insulating material... wood is better.

Also, if you see a little condensation or cloudy glass in spots that you can't clean, it's because it's inside between the glass panes, telling you the Thermopane has lost its seal and insulating properties. The surface of the glass inside the home will now be colder.

So, even if all is insulated well, but the aluminum framed glass has lost its seal, it's going to be cold. And, it will be even colder if the patio door faces north.

But, you say... "I am telling you I can feel a draft!"

If you are near a north facing, aluminum framed patio door on a cold day and you are wearing just slippers (most often in the bedroom and kitchen) YOU CAN FEEL A DRAFT.

But, the draft is not coming from the outside. It's "CONVECTION".

As the warm air in the room rises to the ceiling (as it is light) it naturally migrates to the coldest surfaces, which are the cold patio door frame and glass. When it come in contact with the patio door at the top, the air gets cooler and heavier... and, begins to cascade down the glass...cooler and cooler, heavier and heavier and faster and faster... until it reaches the floor as a breeze and right up your jammies. This "convection" breeze is more predominant on uncarpeted floors. (ie. wood, tile)

There are now only four solutions left. (1) Move your chair further away from the patio doors. (2) Install lined curtains or drapes. (plastic vertical blinds don't do it) (3) Go to Florida for a few weeks. (4) Replace the glass and/or the entire system with a solid wood framed design. (These are in order of cost, low to high.)

Finally, certain individuals are more sensitive to patio door cold in the winter. These include, but are not limited to, people with very little body fat, people that are used to a much warmer environment, people that are living in a home with less than desirable humidity and the elderly.

Thermopane Glass Failure

2011-01-27T12:17:00.000-08:00

History
Insulated glass, sometimes called by the old LOF trade name Thermopane, has been sold in the United States since the 1950s. Since then, the fundamental concept hasn’t really changed.

Design
Insulated glass still consists of two or more pieces of glass which are bonded to, yet separated from one another through the use of a spacer on all sides. The space between them insulates as “dead air space”. This sandwich is glued together with sealant designed to keep the glass together and moisture out. The spacer contains a dessicant that removes moisture which might remain from manufacturing.

Thermal Improvement with Insulated Glass
The resulting assembly reduces heat loss by about one half over a single pane of glass. For you R-value fanatics, by insulating the glass, you improve the R1 of single glass to a whopping R2 for insulated glass. When you add a Low-E coating, you can get about R3. If you then add argon gas in the airspace, about R4 is possible.

Seal failure
This occurs when moisture penetrates the spacer seal and wets the airspace.

Seal Failure Conditions
Despite a good track record for insulated glass in general, you can eventually expect failures. A moderate failure will look like a cloud of moisture that has condensed on one of the inner surfaces of the glass in the airspace. It might come and go depending on the outside temperature. A serious failure will involve the permanent presence of moisture in the airspace.

Fixing Insulated Glass Failures
When seal failures occur, the glass must be replaced. There are some people out there who attempt to fix the failed unit by drilling holes in the spacer, forcing dry air into the airspace, and resealing the hole, but future failures are very likely. And, typically the glass cannot be cleaned of the stains from the condensation.

Weep Holes

2010-10-26T08:06:00.000-07:00

If your floor or carpeting gets wet near your sliding patio door every time it rains, there is a little maintenance procedure that might help.
Your sliding patio door actually "rolls" on a raised center track. On either side of the track there are "walls" about an inch high. An inside wall and an outside wall. The outside wall should have "weep holes"... little slits at the bottom of the wall several feet apart. These weep holes are to drain the water in the track when the rain cascades down the glass.
These weep holes often get clogged with dirt and leaves requiring periodic cleaning. Sometimes, an over-zealous contractor may have accidentally "caulked" closed these holes during an effort to tuck point or provide external weather sealing.
Get a pipe cleaner, coat hanger, popsicle stick or just about anything else that will fit through the weep holes and clean them out.
Once clean, you should be able to pour a small pitcher of water into the track and watch it migrate to the weep holes and trickle outside.
Older tracks without weep holes may need to have some drilled. They do not need to be larger than the diameter of a pencil.

Sagging Header Problems

2010-05-25T19:18:00.000-07:00

SOMETIMES, THEY DON’T BUILD THEM LIKE THEY USED TO!

When a new home is being built an opening is often framed out for the sliding patio door. But, before the assembly can be inserted into the opening, a substantial “header” support beam is placed in the wall above to prevent the second floor wall from collapsing onto the door as the house settles.

Years ago, this beam was steel. You will often see the edge of the steel beam on the outside of older Chicago homes just above the sliding door’s upper framework.

In recent years, a heavy timber has been used… or a pair of 2” x 12” planks. These are an expensive part of the whole job as these wooden headers can be anywhere from eight feet to fifteen feet in length or more.

When large housing developments or sub-divisions are being erected and hundreds of homes are involved, the contractor can save thousands by cutting a few corners. And, a common area to reap savings is in the header beam. Four to six smaller sized beams are considerably less expensive and can be concealed in the wall before the building inspector makes his next round.

These smaller sized beams, even though they take up the same space, are much weaker than the solid timbers specified by the architect.

So, a few years down the road, as the house settles, the header begins to sag to the point where it rests atop the upper track of the sliding door… which eventually comes in contact with the top of the doors.

The sliding door then begins to drag under the weight. And, scraping marks can be seen on the under-side of the top track. Eventually, the door will no longer move at all.

Sliding patio doors do not seal at the top of the door. The weather seal is on the sides of the upper track and there should be about a ¼” or more of space above the door. This space allows the door to be lifted off the lower track for service. In situations where the upper track is resting on the patio door, removal of the door may require a “floor jack” to lift up the header enough to get the door out.

The most cost-effective solution to this “sagging header” problem is to remove the door and plane a ¼” off the top of the door. This can be accomplished whether the door is wood or metal. This will give many more years of “life” to the patio door system since the fixed sliding door panel will provide supplemental support. However, if the house continues to “settle”, the weight of the wall can, in another decade or two, actually shatter the glass.

The sagging header problem also puts more weight on the wheels (rollers) built into the bottom of the sliding patio door. The ball bearings in these rollers will experience a shorter life and often require replacement at the same time the door is planed.

Got a sliding patio door? Check the space above the door and look for scrape marks.

The cost to remedy sagging header problems is always less than 10% of the cost of replacing the entire system with a new header.

UPDATE:

It may have appeared that we were solely blaming contractors and builders for the numerous sagging header problems, however, although some building contractors are surely to blame, we have discovered that the problem is far more expansive that just some bad apples cutting corners.

It was discovered back in the mid 1990's that the achitectural standards for calculating header load was incorrect and header support beams have been typically undersized for decades.

So now, since 2000, with the new upgraded standards and the development of "engineered wood beams", these situations should no longer be as prevelent as in the past.

Taste of Maui

2010-04-30T20:39:00.000-07:00

A few hours west of the mainland, it's warm and sunny in Lahaina. A cool breeze flows over the gentle ocean waves and across our lanai at a secluded oceanside resort that must be the best kept secret on the island... just walking distance to high-end galleries among a hundred shops and restaurants. All our meals from local island fare to fresh Mahi Mahi and the catch of the day were thoroughly enjoyed... at what must be some of the finest restaurants in the Pacific.

Our walks down Front Street were suplimented with cool flavored shaved ice, Kona coffee ice cream and refreshing coconut gelato. And, of course, a day without Starbucks is a day without sunshine.
We found the BEST Luau on the island and it was actually FREE. (If you know what to do) We also caught a one night performance of David Spade at the intimate Maui Theater.

Everyone we encountered couldn’t have been nicer or more accommodating. But a word of caution, window shopping Front Street requires the same self-restraint suggested for a trip to Costco.

Our suite contained a kitchen, so many breakfasts were spent on our lanai surrounded by colorful, yet fearless, local birds awaiting an errant crumb. Our lanai overlooked a pool, hot tub and a well-manicured lawn surrounded by beautiful flowers beneath swaying palm trees. The sandy beach and blue ocean were always in full view and no more than a stone's throw from our room.

One night we were treated to a full moon that lit up the starry sky. Every few days a cruise ship anchored in the distance with their shipboard lights sparkling as the sun set behind the island of Molokai.

One day we rented a scooter to tour the ritzy resorts on Kaanapali Beach and later boarded the “Reef Dancer” for an underwater view of sea turtles and the State fish, “Humuhumunukunukuapuaa”.

There are many things to do on Maui... Cycling, surfing, helicopter rides, horseback riding, scenic drives to black sand beaches, golf and unlimited shopping.

We're relaxed, tanned and pampered.

Side Note: Back home we occasionally see hand-made signs posted on neighborhood trees searching for a missing cat or dog. In Maui you are more likely to see a posting for a lost turtle.

Mahalo, Hawaii

WANNA SELL YOUR HOME SOMEDAY?

2010-04-17T14:45:00.000-07:00

Experts will tell you little things are important to prospective buyers… A neat interior, clean carpeting, a nice kitchen and a pleasant aroma of coffee or cookies. But, there are less obvious areas that are often overlooked… home idiosyncrasies to which you have become accustomed can subconsciously be a turn-off to someone new. You wouldn’t think something that costs only a few bucks to improve could put the kibosh on a sale. But, it can. A squeaking hinge, a toilet that “runs”, a slightly torn screen, an encrusted shower head or a sliding patio door that requires effort to open. That’s where we come in! Sliding patio doors don’t slide… they roll. There are heavy-duty wheels (rollers) in the bottom of the door. The ball bearings in these wheels don’t last over 20 years. So, every twenty years, just have the rollers in the sliding patio door replaced. All patio doors should move in either direction with a “toothpick”. If you need to exert more pressure than that… or your handle is loose from the strain… It ain’t gonna get better. Caught in time, a sliding patio door can be made to function better than new for less than 10% of the cost of replacement.

Advances in Technology

2010-03-27T09:05:00.000-07:00

While watching a Saturday morning detective movie from the mid-80's I was reminded at the lack of technology in the late 20th century.

In the movie, the police professionals ran from payphone to payphone, received urgent communication via Telex and Teletype, got their fingers smudged from carbon paper and typewriter ribbons and needed to keep the "perp" on the phone for three minutes in order to trace the call. Research required an assistant to spend hours in the "file room" going through hundreds of manila folders. Days went by as they waited for documents in the mail from another juristication. A Dick Tracy wrist radio was fantasy and crime scene photos were captured with a Polaroid. Personal vehicles were equipped with the latest "8-track". Someone was smoking in virtually every scene... in the office, restaurants, hospital rooms and air planes.

I remember my first "mobile phone" during this period. The handset was from an old black desk phone and the transeiver was a large box in the trunk. It cost me $2500 plus $1.00 per minute. (That was twice as much in today's dollars.) My calls were connected by a "ship to shore" operator and reception was poor.
My first computer was an IBM System 32 that was a large as a banquet table with a two-foot diameter hard drive. The green "dos" screen was only 6" and the entire capacity was less than a Blackberry today. A professional was needed to make even the slightest changes to anything. It was obsolete the day after I bought it.
Airlines passed out sample packets of cigarettes and provided a full, free hot meal... even in "Coach". Anyone could see their friends "off" at the gate and "Stewardesses" were all young, attractive females.

I can't imagine the technology advances currently being developed for 2020.

THE ENVIRONMENT

2010-03-06T22:17:00.000-08:00

At SLIDERS®, we take our responsibility to have a positive influence on the environment very seriously.

1. Our service vehicles are four-cylinder, regularly maintained and our appointments are scheduled to reduce travel time whenever possible.

2. When addressing sliding patio door concerns, weather-stripping and caulking are important areas of concentration to reduce air infiltration. Ignoring such conditions can increase heating and air conditioning costs.

3. During the track and glass cleaning portion of our service call, only non-toxic, environmentally friendly products are used. All our aerosols are non-chlorinated with a C02 propellant. Our cleaning cloths are recycled and our paper towels are biodegradable.

4. We never use any petroleum based lubricants or caustic chemicals.

5. When replacing sliding screen doors, the scrap metal is always recycled.

6. Depending on the location of their patio doors, our customers are encouraged to take advantage of the solar gain in colder months and consider window tinting or solar screens to reduce the sun’s rays during the summer. When purchasing window treatment for their patio doors, our customers are asked to take the insulating features of the products into consideration. There can be substantial heat loss even with patio doors that are sealed well, just because of the large area of glass.

PATIO DOOR SECURITY

2010-03-03T07:56:00.000-08:00

PATIO DOOR SECURITY

Thieves love patio doors!

Since most residential sliding patio doors lead to a patio, deck or back yard, they are a preferred point of entry for burglars. These patio doors are rarely visible to neighbors and street traffic as they are usually behind the residence. Also, they can be camouflaged by fences, trees, BBQ grills, furniture and bushes.

In times of economic stress residential thefts often increase… and, making patio door security a top priority should be emphasized.

Although a sophisticated alarm system can provide optimum security, there are many other things that can be done to dramatically improve the security of your patio door for little or no money.

Any security measures that warn of a prowler or attempted entry… and/or, prevent the opening or removal of the patio door are strongly suggested. And, such measures don’t have to cost much, if anything.

1. A battery-operated or wireless motion-detector that will light-up and/or make an irritating loud noise can be placed outside at least two feet above the patio door. $19.95 & up

2. An old broomstick, cut to the proper length, can be placed in the track to keep the door from being opened. But, if you don’t like the look of the broomstick or you are tired of bending over to pick it up, there are dozens of other items available that prevent unauthorized access. They are more attractive and many are virtually unseen. Free - $49.95

3. A small “spacer” can be placed in the upper track to prevent the door from being lifted out. Free - 79¢

4. Many doors have a latch in the door that hooks over a piece in the frame when the door is closed and latched. If this latch hooks “down” it is possible for the door to be lifted to “un-hook” the latch. This type of latch mechanism can often be reversed to remedy the situation. Free - $59

5. When your door is closed and latched… and you pull on the handle, the door should not move more than 1/8 inch. If it can move further, while still being latched, a burglar can insert an object between the door and the frame, such as a credit card, to move the latch. Most door latch mechanisms have an adjustment screw for a tighter fit. Free

6. Many doors have been found to use a plastic exterior handle that can be easily broken to reveal access to the latch mechanism. A pair of nail clippers then gets them in. A stronger metal exterior handle will substantially reduce the possibility of this happening. Stronger handles are readily available. $9.95 & up

7. If you have a sliding screen door on the inside and the operating door (the one that moves) is on the outside, preventing the door from being lifted out is crucial. This can be prevented with the spacer mentioned earlier or a special security device in the track or door frame. 79¢ - $63

8. Security devices that require a key to open the patio door from the inside are not recommended. In an emergency, such as a fire, exiting can be delayed or prevented with drastic consequences.

Movie Review

2010-01-03T13:16:00.000-08:00

For a change of pace, here is my review of the movie musical "Nine".

Filmed in Italy, "Nine", a Fellini-style musical with a bevy of beauties, each starring in their own lavish (dream-sequence) production number is the story of a depressed, philandering movie writer/director with "writer's block".

With only ten days to go before production, there is no script... only his flash-backs, many in black and white, of the extra-marital affairs with his leading ladies. He has previously made eight films, the last few of which were less than widely accepted. This one will be number nine and he can't quite seem to put it together.

A cross between Evita and Moulin Rouge this is an artsy film that will surely garner the respect of Hollywood, but will not have you humming a memorable tune or tapping your toes upon departure.

If you think it will be as good as "Chicago", you might be disappointed. But, If you appreciate fine acting, excellent set-decoration, attractive women and creative editing, you'll love it.

And yes, Judi Dench (James Bond's "M") does her own musical number. My Rating: ***

PATIO DOOR SECRETS

2009-12-31T10:28:00.001-08:00

Sliding doors don’t slide… they roll. And, the rolling part is a main factor in all patio door problems including drafts, misalignment, loose handles, scraping noises and dragging.

The secret is hidden in the base of your sliding patio door. In a slot or wide groove (out of sight) in the bottom horizontal frame of the operating door (the one that moves) are a pair of adjustable steel housings, axles, bearings and grooved zinc plated steel wheels (called “rollers”). (Some can be nylon or stainless)

In the first twenty years of life, these roller assemblies deteriorate… the zinc plating wears and the metal rusts, the bearings wear and reduce (or stop) wheel rotation, the axles wear and can allow the door to shift and scrape the track walls… and the concave groove in each roller can flatten and create a misalignment of the door and gouging of the track rail.

As the above conditions gradually become more severe, the door becomes more difficult to move, the handles can break from the strain and drafts are common. It is not that the door is heavy or old… it’s the rollers!

When the rollers don’t roll, then the door “slides”… and only spreading grease or oil on the track will give you some relief for about a week.

Bottom line, you just need to change the rollers.

There are over 300 different types of roller assemblies for the many patio doors that have been manufactured over the last 50 years. Some door manufacture’s rollers are extinct and new versions need to be skillfully retrofitted.

But, regardless, changing the rollers is very cost-effective and is typically less than 10% of the cost of a new patio door system and only needs to be done every 15-20 years.

Because of the various conditions caused by roller failure, just changing them may not completely solve all the issues. Therefore, someone with inexperience may find themselves in over their head.

Who Is SLIDERS?

2009-12-31T10:24:00.000-08:00

SLIDERS, under the direction of Charlie Scott, an award-winning engineer, provides residential sliding door maintenance on Chicago's north shore.

This involves those pesky sliding patio, closet and shower doors that annually become more difficult to operate. Thinking they just need new doors, few homeowners know that sliding doors just need a little attention now and then. But, until Sliders®, there were no companies to provide the skilled workmanship and readily available parts to fill the void.

Factory trained, insured and accredited by the BBB, Sliders® provides cost-effective repairs to the thousands of sliding patio, closet and shower doors on Chicago’s north shore.

Sliders don't slide, they roll.

2007-09-01T07:20:00.000-07:00

Millions of homeowners struggle every day to move the sliding door accessing their patio, deck or pool. Their sliding doors have not been easy to open or close for many years. And the recommendations from friends to coat the track with grease, silicone or WD-40 has provided only temporary relief.

A lubricant would help if the doors really did slide, but they don't. Sliding patio doors, produced by hundreds of different manufacturers since the middle of the last century actually roll on wheels. These "rollers" are hidden in the bottom horizontal frame of the door.

The rollers (wheels) are typically made of zinc coated steel. (some can be stainless and some are made of a hard nylon) There is an area near each corner in the bottom (metal or wood) frame of the door for each roller assembly. Each assembly consists of a housing, at least one wheel, a bearing assembly, an axel pin and usually a height adjustment screw.

The dimensions of the housing, diameter of the wheel and mounting style can be unique to a specific brand of door. There are hundreds of different roller assemblies and wheel diameters can range from 3/4" to over 2". The number of wheels and their diameter is usually related to the size and weight of the door.

The lubricated bearings, which carry the load and allow the wheel to rotate smoothly, will wear over time. When the bearings gradually become worn, the wheels begin to drag... making the door harder to move... little by little.

As the bearings become worn, homeowners, who have enjoyed the use of their sliding patio door for at least a decade or more, hardly notice the gradual resistance and drag in the door's operation and have come to accept that this is the way the door moves and it has always moved this way.

Eventually, the bearings become so worn the rollers become "frozen" and don't roll at all. (This is the point where the homeowner begins to apply the grease.)

In reality, the correct solution is to just have the roller assemblies replaced. It can take a professional less than an hour (under ideal circumstances) and, when the new roller bearings are properly lubricated, the door can be moved in either direction with one finger.

It is recommended that roller assemblies be replaced every ten years. Unfortunately, finding a qualified professional who has access to the specific replacement rollers for your door can be frustrating. Local home centers carry just a few styles and many obsolete assemblies may require some creative retrofitting.

If your sliding patio door cannot be moved with one finger in either direction... the movement is noisy or the track displays gouges... you most likely need your rollers replaced.

Other factors can affect your door's operation and will be discussed later.

There is seldom a cost-effective reason to replace an entire sliding door system when simple maintenance can address all issues.