A Guide to Replace Glass in Your Patio Doors

Baker Glass, Inc. has always been locally owned and operated since our beginnings in 1993. We serve residential and commercial customers in Northeast Florida for all your glass needs. We have kept up with the latest design elements and changes in glass technologies and want to share our expertise with you, the reader.

When Should I Replace My Patio Doors?

Your patio doors are one of those home items that you don’t always pay attention to as long as it functions correctly, but your patio doors are all you see when they start to go bad. When you see a broken windowpane, you need to replace your patio doors. When the glass begins to look milky or foggy on a double windowpane, you need to replace your patio doors. You will want to replace your patio doors when there is a safety concern. This doesn’t just mean that the door is falling apart and might hurt someone, it also means when your patio door is an easy entrance for intruders.

What to Expect When Replacing Your Patio Doors

Replacing your patio doors may seem simple, and it can be if you are prepared. Here are some areas to think about before you go shopping:

Type of transition: What type of transition do you want from inside to outside? This means what look are you going for and the literal transition piece from inside to outside.

Room for the door: The room that you will need for the door is the actual width of the opening, but if you go for a door that doesn’t slide you will also need to consider the space that is around the opening. You will need room for panels to fit when the door is fully opened.

Number of panels: You can choose between the standard two door patio door all the way to a customizable amount of panels limited by your space and creativity.

Choice of material: The three most popular options are wood, fiberglass, and vinyl. Wood is chosen for its energy efficiency, natural beauty, flexibility in design, and is paint or stainable. Fiberglass is chosen because it can look like wood but is a strong composite material that makes it more durable. Vinyl is chosen because it is simple and provides lasting performance with little maintenance.

What Affects the Cost of My Patio Door Glass Replacement?

The price of your door isn’t only based on the size of the opening that needs a patio door, but size will influence some of these other factors. There are six major factors that will decide the cost of your patio door:

Size: The price isn’t solely based on the size but it starts here. The wider your door, the more glass you will need. The more glass you need, the more expensive the patio door.

Style: Your patio door will be either sliding, hinged, or folding. Sliding patio doors are the classic patio door that you think of where one panel slides in front of the other panel. Hinged patio doors, also known as French doors, open and close on a hinge like a standard door. With hinged doors one or both doors may open and you can choose the direction the doors open. Folding patio doors open and close along a track and fold and stack at the edge of the doorway to maximize the unobstructed space of the patio door.

Number of Panels: The more panels you choose for your patio door, the more glass you will need and add to the overall expense.

Materials: Your primary materials used in patio door construction are: wood, fiberglass, and vinyl. Wood is the most expensive, with fiberglass providing the look of wood but more economical, and vinyl is the most affordable.

Features: The hardware, type of glass, blinds, and grilles are what make your patio door distinctive, but with each customization comes with an added expense.

Labor: As you consider all of the other factors in the price of your patio door, don’t forget to include the cost of labor in your budget.

What Glass Options are Available for My Patio Doors?

Glass in a patio door may just seem like glass, but there have been many innovations to glass since we first began in business in 1993. Now you have the option of double-pane glass that is more expensive, but it also lowers your energy bills and provides increased comfort. You also have the choice of decorative glass that can have a pattern or custom design. If you live in an area that experiences hurricanes you can choose a hurricane laminate glass that will provide better protection from the winds, rain, or hail. One of the other popular types of glass is Low-emissivity (low-E) glass that reduces glare and filters out the bad UV rays. There are also other types of energy efficient glass that have coatings or are filled with different types of gases between the multiple panes.

Why Choose Baker Glass, Inc.?

Installing patio doors is not a DIY project. If patio doors aren’t installed correctly there may be air leaks, poor energy efficiency, water damage created, and operational issues. Choose Baker Glass, Inc. to walk you through the process from dream to installing the reality of your glass patio door.  

Blog Synopsis: Plexiglass is one of those items that everyone seems to know what it is but not many of the details about what it actually is. “What is a Plexiglass?” looks deeper into what plexiglass is by looking at what it is made of, its cost, and some of the common usages of plexiglass.

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