Patio Doors

Cherokeekid88 said:
price is the main reason. I am going to check lowes and home depot tomorrow and see if they have more of a selection in sizes at the store vs. online.
...
I don't want to pay 1k for a new set of doors.
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Assuming we are in fact talking about a standard width set of double 36" doors, which it sounds like it is, the price difference between 2x32 or 2x34 vs 2x36 will only be about $40 or something. Not much at all. Certainly not worth the headache of fabbing out the trim. #6" doors are the most common size for exterior doors. I'd be shocked if they didn't have them at you local Lowes. I know my Lowes and HD do.
No - if you want some NICE doors - not just plain grey solid - that are well insulated, glass etc - they will be expensive! IMO the best ones are the double-paned gas-filled ones that have the blinds built inside the doors. Very nice, and efficient. But not cheap!
Really if you want to do this right, go to an actual door and window place, not a big box store. The good ones through the big boxes usually have to be special ordered.
 
Go to Habitat and look through their selection or any local builders discount centers. Also, the big box home improvement stores sometimes have displays on discount and for cheap. Maybe hold off on the project till you find a suitable door for cheap then do the project if budget is more of a concern than schedule
 
Habitat is a fucking rip off here in Raleigh. They want near new prices for old, busted stuff that was demo'd by orangutans on meth.

If there are air gaps, fix it, and fix it now. Air infiltration is the biggest contributor to thermal comfort, energy efficiency, and interior humidity problems.

Also, a girl just told you to quit being a bitch and go buy some tools. :flipoff2:
 
rockcity said:
That's terrible about Habitat. The stuff here in Greenville seems to be halfway reasonable.
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Ditto. And back when I lived in Winston, I bought a ton of stuff there. Got a brand new, nice front door w/ stained glass AND a storm door for like $80 once.
 
shawn said:
Also, a girl just told you to quit being a bitch and go buy some tools. :flipoff2:
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Your insinuation that girls are less tool knowledgeable than guys will be insulting to her. Plus your calling her a girl might not go over well either.

Just wait you are going to be cut off for a month.
 
let the installer measure; then it's on him.


watching this; we're going the other way; sliders to french...so says swmbo.
 
Installer has me all taken care of. Measured everything and is going to reframe the opening to accept the smaller door. As its setup now, we have a small love seat that is blocking the left patio door and doesn't even get used...so a sliding door will be perfect. Just want that damn leak fixed, so we can lay down our new flooring.
 
Looks like you've made your mind up but Im going to say it 1 more time.

a 71" sliding door will only give you a 30" opening. Make sure you never need to use that door to bring furniture or appliances into the house.


And oh btw a 96" slider is cheaper than a 71"....
 
Ron said:
Looks like you've made your mind up but Im going to say it 1 more time.

a 71" sliding door will only give you a 30" opening. Make sure you never need to use that door to bring furniture or appliances into the house.


And oh btw a 96" slider is cheaper than a 71"....
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Doesn't fire code require exterior exits to be 36"? I know others have to be 32" now.
 
Ron said:
Looks like you've made your mind up but Im going to say it 1 more time.

a 71" sliding door will only give you a 30" opening. Make sure you never need to use that door to bring furniture or appliances into the house.


And oh btw a 96" slider is cheaper than a 71"....
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I understand what you are saying. We thought about that. we should be good on that area not being suitable for removing or bring in large furniture.

Question though, can't the two sliding doors be taken out if needed?
 
Cherokeekid88 said:
I understand what you are saying. We thought about that. we should be good on that area not being suitable for removing or bring in large furniture.

Question though, can't the two sliding doors be taken out if needed?
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Sometimes.
But see the above issue re: code to make sure it's even allowed. Of course what you do in your own home is your business. But an installer worth his salt would not put something in that is in violation...

My back door going out to our porch is only 32" and I HATE it.
 
RatLabGuy said:
Sometimes.
But see the above issue re: code to make sure it's even allowed. Of course what you do in your own home is your business. But an installer worth his salt would not put something in that is in violation...

My back door going out to our porch is only 32" and I HATE it.
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Plus if you go to sell the house some buys would make you switch door to meet code before they will close
 
Cherokeekid88 said:
I understand what you are saying. We thought about that. we should be good on that area not being suitable for removing or bring in large furniture.

Question though, can't the two sliding doors be taken out if needed?
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Not usually. Most every slider I've seen the vent panel (the door that slides) is removable, but the other is fixed and built into the frame of the door.
 
Cherokeekid88 said:
I understand what you are saying. We thought about that. we should be good on that area not being suitable for removing or bring in large furniture.

Question though, can't the two sliding doors be taken out if needed?
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I've never seen a vinyl clad slider that the fixed pane could be romoved.
The old school ones with the metal tracks and roller balls, sure.

I know its your house and we all have our preferences. But you are going through a bunch of work to remove french swinging doors and replace them with a slider door. The slider is in every possible metric (with the lone possible exclusion of aesthetics or "just want it" factor) an inferior product. If the current frenched swinging doors are leaking, by all means fix them. But I would stress again I would never replace swinging doors with sliding doors. I was actually talking to a contractor buddy about this very thread this weekend. This guy does a bunch of handyman maintenance for me and a couple of big time property managers. He guesstimated that last year he replaced 40 sliding doors with french swing doors. Said he didnt think he had ever gone the other way.

If you are retiring here, do whatever you want.
Otherwise think long and ahrd about what you are doing. You are spending time and money to modify your home to fit a door that cost more, doesnt seal as well against air or water, isnt as well insulated, is less secure and easier to break into, is more prone to accidental breakage, requires more maintenance and wont last nearly as long.

In vehicle terms, you are driving a ful size 1 ton truck with a leaky diff cover. As a repair you are going to stretch a set of TJ 30/35s and modify your entire suspension to bolt them up.
 
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