Broken glass

I have a sliding double pane glass patio door in the back of the house. The glass broke one pane of glass on the stationary side of the door. Question is should I replace the entire door, or can you replace the double pane of glass?

I dont trust the single pain that did not break. The door is 16 years old, so I don't know which way to go.

 

if it is 16 years old it might be better to replace it with a new one that is more energy efficiant. i know when we replaced ours many years ago it made a big difference in the comfort of our kitchen/dineing area.

life begins when the kids leave home and the dog dies

 

Whatever you decide...have it repaired/replaced or get a whole new door (my choice, unless its a higher end door), get Lo-E glass...you won't believe the difference.

 

What kind of frame does the slider have? At 16 years old, it's probably aluminum.

You COULD replace both panes of glass in the old frame using low-E glass. Or you could replace the entire door with a vinyl door that has low-E glass.

I would price out both ways and see how they compare.

Can you transport the glass IG units, or is that something a glass shop would have to do for you? (They have trucks with racks for transporting glass and all of the handling equipment for it!!)

Can you transport an entire sliding glass door? Glass shops can, of course, and so can the big box stores. But there's gonna be a delivery fee.

Sliders are pretty simple to install (after you've done a few dozen!) Getting it sealed from the outside is the trick.

Changing out the existing frame will cause issues with the floor covering on the inside, but that can be dealt with pretty easily.

Think everything through all the way, and then it's your call.

 

We would opt to replace - it is old, and since this happened, seems very weak. We spoke with someone that installs Anderson (it would be the Frenchwood door) and he said to be very careful around that single pain that remains. It is wobbly and if you apply any pressure to it, it looks like it is going to fall in. I have a 3 year old and a newborn, and am worried about having my toddler around it. We are supposed to have the baby' baptism party next weekend - should we not be near the door??

 

If it really looks that loose in the frame (I'm presuming you mean the glass looks "wobbly"), and you are sure you will be replacing the whole door. I would go get a cheap sheet of plywood and tack it over the glass, or clear heavy packaging tape over the entire remaining pane. You can tape over the glass right onto the frame, either interior or exterior, and the slider will still operate. Plywood may prevent the operation if its on the inside.

I'm not clear on what you mean. Is the existing door a Frenchwood? Or will you be buying a Frenchwood? Very good door btw.

 

The stationary door feels unstable now, as does the door that moves. The glass that remains in the stationary door has a small chip where the rock hit it. I called a place that installs doors and windows (Anderson, Peachtree, Pella, etc) - very reputable in our area, and they said not to use the door b/c that chip could split and break that door as well. We are hoping to get this door replaced sooner rather than later

The Anderson Frenchwood is a good door, right? That is what we are looking at.

 

Ok, so I got most of your post right, now I understand.

Like I said, put tape all over the remaining glass, or I've even seen people use the selfstick laminating paper, quick and easy to put on and thicker than tape. Works well if it's one large pane instead of being divided into small ones.

Yes, the Frenchwood is a very good door,the hardware and hinge finish options can get pretty expensive pretty quickly though. I like the fact that parts for Andersen doors are available even on products 25-30 years old. Nice sense of security there. Make sure you get the Hi Performance glass (std on the Frenchwood) at the minimum, unless yer in FL on the Beach, you shouldn't need any tinting or anything.