Is there anything else I can do to help my doors be more weather resistant?
Yes. A couple of ideas come to mind.
Review the caulking on all the non-operating panels and make sure there are no cracks.
Use a high quality exterior caulking with plenty of elasticity to account for contraction and expansion.
Consider making moving panels that you do not use often into NON-operating panels.
This can be done by removing the wheels and putting in stops in the top and bottom track to secure the door from moving.
This strengthens that non-moving panel and makes it more wind resistant in a storm.
It is still NOT hurricane resistant, but it will be less inclined to move in an aggressive wind situation if it is permanently affixed and caulked into place.
TIP: Clean out your weep-holes in the door track to keep water from
building up too high in the track and spilling into the house.
Do you repair screens?
We may consider repairing your screen door if there is sufficient life left in the door. Screen doors are generally not made in the same way as door panels. Typical screen door extrusion is about 1/3 the thickness of a standard door panel, and the screen track that the screen rolls on is also poorly made, more like a thin ice skater’s blade rather than the bulbous, rounded track that your glass panels rolls on. Because of this difference in quality screen doors never move as well as glass doors do.
TIP: Use a wire brush to burnish the screen track free of burrs and debris. Clean the track several times per year.
If you screen door is beyond repair, we will recommend a company that manufacturers new screen doors for you.
We do not make new screen doors. Our specialty is in refurbishing the sliding glass door panels, not screen doors.
Replacement vs Repair:
Do you also replace sliding glass doors?
Yes, we do occasionally do replacement work in Pinellas County. Our primary focus however is sliding glass door repair.
What are some factors I should consider with replacement?
Replacement in Pinellas County requires that the sliding glass doors meet current building codes.
This means they must be impact doors or have Florida Product Approved Hurricane Protection over non impact doors.
impact doors are much heavier than the older style sliding glass doors.
Because of this they have a tendency to be more difficult to open.
If you want to learn more about the specifics of impact doors, please feel free to reach out to me.
There is a lot to learn and understand about glass options.
From a maintenance perspective however we have been surprised to be receiving a lot of calls from people who have recently replaced their doors with impact. It seems that about 4-5 years into their lifespan the doors really start to show wear.
What issues should I look for in my impact door?
One of the first things we have noticed is breaking locks. This is a symptom of mis-adjusted wheels.