DIY: How to Install Sliding Glass Doors

Sliding glass doors can complement a patio or deck area by allowing an open view of the outdoors. They also let in light and can provide an interior design accent. Installing sliding glass doors is a project most homeowners can accomplish with assistance. The process, which can take several hours and require three or four people, is similar to installing a window.

Things You'll Need

• Carpenter's level
• Wood shims
• Metal flashing
• Hammer
• 1-inch flashing nails, galvanized
• Tape measure
• Spacer boards (dimensions vary based on door)
• Home caulk
• 2-inch exterior nails, galvanized

Instructions

1. Check the door's threshold for level with the carpenter's level. Insert wood shims as needed to achieve level. Tap shims into place with a hammer.

2. Install metal flashing over the threshold of the door. Insert one end of the flashing behind the threshold and bend it over the board. Tack the flashing into place with 1-inch flashing nails and a hammer.

3. Measure the height and width of the new sliding glass doors with a tape measure. Measure the width and height of the door opening. Add spacer boards to the interior of the door frame if there is a discrepancy; typically, new doors are 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch smaller than the openings. A 1/2- or 3/4-inch board spacer is nailed along the top or side of the door frame to make up the difference.

4. Bend the weather flange (a metal flange piece around the side of the sliding glass doors) out with your hands. Apply a 3/8-inch bead of home caulking around the edge of the sliding glass door frame. Run another bead of caulking along the bottom of the door threshold over the flashing.

5. Rest the bottom edge of the sliding glass doors on top of the threshold at a 45-degree angle facing away from the home to set the door into place. Slowly tilt the door forward into the door frame. Nail a 2-inch, exterior galvanized nail through the metal flange and into the side of the home to secure it in place.

6. Check the levelness of the sliding glass doors with a carpenter's level. Tap the doors forward or backward as necessary until the doors are level and flush with the home walls. Once level, nail 2-inch exterior galvanized nail through the flange to secure the doors in place.

References

• Ron Hazelton Website: Installing Sliding Doors

Resources

• Onlinetips Website: Sliding Door Treatments