March 11th, 2010 | Posted in patios   Comments Off
Amy E Nutt asked:


Patio doors were originally created to replace French doors, offering an uninterrupted view of the natural daylight coming into the house, and providing easy access to the outdoors. As a result, patio doors are still hugely popular and due to demand, have become somewhat more elaborate over the years. However, they were not completely able to replace French doors; whereas the style and design of a French door is still seen as a classic and timeless look. However, the two are able co-exist on the market, benefiting the home-owner who has a choice of door options to consider.

At one point, a patio door was not a very secure entryway and easily accessible from the outside. Over time improvements have been made so now this is not as great an issue as it previously had been. There is also another issue of safety because the door, being a solid sheet of glass, is often seen as being open when it is actually not. To help remedy possible injuries, safety glass is now used to prevent people, especially children, from running headlong into the closed doors and getting severe lacerations.

When it comes to being energy efficient, patio doors perform very well. They are made with a series of brushes and seals which adhere to very stringent building code regulations. Producing the vinyl for door and window frames requires three times less energy to produce than manufacturing aluminum, thus making this product not only more cost effective, but also environmentally /energy friendly. To put this in perspective, it saves enough energy to heat almost 20, 000 single swelling family homes a year.

Most patio doors are made from vinyl or metal frames. The vinyl frames are made with up to 80% vinyl resin and then the remaining 20 % can be made up from various additives such as stabilizers to help prevent cracking and peeling. Pigments are also added to add the desired color as well to help create UV protection. Other additives help in preventing damage done during the shipping process.

Once the vinyl compound has been made, the chemical additives are locked in. Then, the resulting material is softened and forced through a die creating the unique shape that will eventually become the frame. These extruded pieces are shipped on pallets to the window / door fabricator where they are cut to the specified lengths and dimensions required to make the patio door.

After machines have cut the components to be assembled, the frames are often fusion welded together to form air tight and water tight seals at the corners. The installation of locks, keepers, balances, weather stripping, and finally the glass, are completed and the process is sent to quality control where the work is checked for air tightness, water tightness, and for any possible damages done to the frame or glass during assembly.

The use of vinyl frames for your patio door and windows helps your glass door maintain an even temperature so that there are limited condensation and humidity differences in the home. The quality of the air in the household is also greatly improved because glass doors mean less electricity is needed to heat and light the house. Lastly, an additional environmental bonus is the elimination of paint, stains, strippers, thinners which are not needed to maintain the patio doors appearance and function; saving the environment from harmful odors, chemical disposal, as well as leaving the home owner with free time to enjoy the view.

Patio doors are a great addition to any home and they can even increase the value of the home.



Pet Cpr Training
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Tasteful ideas for covering an iron gate patio door so the neighbors can’t see in?

March 10th, 2010 | Posted in patios   Comments Off
Nicolleta asked:


We have a private patio in our condo but the entrance to the patio has a barred iron gate that everyone can see through when they walk by. (The rest of the patio is surrounded by a tall solid wooden fence) I want to make it more private by covering the gate with something. It needs to look nice though. Ideas?

Paint Stick
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how do i get my patio door to lock?

March 6th, 2010 | Posted in patios   Comments Off
Red asked:


I unlocked my patio door to go outside for a second and when i went to set the deadbolt it jammed. it will come out maybe an eighth of an inch and then it just is stuck. is there anything i can do to remedy this? i would really appreciate some answers. i would hate to have to replace the handles as they are gorgeous and took me forever to find. please. i would greatly appreciate your advice.

Best Rated Heat Pumps
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Do they make a pet door for a sliding patio screen door?

February 26th, 2010 | Posted in patios   Comments Off
pafons asked:


I have a Yorkie who always wants to go In and Out and In and Out. I don’t want to install a regular pet door but I was wondering if they make one that can be installed right into my sliding patio screen door OR if they make a sliding patio screen door with a pet door already in it? (I want to keep my sliding GLASS door in tact for security reasons.) If you know one exists, can you tell me where I can get it?

Bamboo Indoor Fountain
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February 23rd, 2010 | Posted in patios   Comments Off
Gracy Moore asked:


French patio doors are available in many styles, colors and materials. A French door, is sometimes also referred as French window. It is a door which has multiple windows set into it along the full length of the door. The main purpose of this structure is to allow maximum light inside the rooms.

Traditional French doors are put together from distinct and unique small pieces of glass and mullions. Special variety of French doors that are constructed of double-pane glass sometimes has grills and designs as decorations embedded between the panes. The decorative grills especially in wrought iron are sometimes found to be placed on top of single pane of glass in the door.

Now French doors can be custom made according to personal taste using different ideas and fusion of wood, wrought iron, or more specifically from maple wood to cherry stain or fiberglass; using glass walls, exactly as per the demand of the customer.

French door can be chosen for the main entry door constructed in solid wood and fiberglass. It can also be chosen to bring in the beauty and sunshine of the outside inside the room. If you have a beautiful view of children’s park or a swimming pool outside; install a glass French door and admire it whenever you want. If you want to enjoy the sun but avoid the chilly wind outside, or you want to brighten up your home with beams of sunlight; French door is the right option for you. Use you imagination the possibilities are endless.

The immense popularity of the French Doors is due to its flexibility and design and the available options for min ’n’ match. There are several varieties of French Doors. It can be a monolithic solid door or have one side stationary and the other side swing in and out. It can also have both sides sliding in glass French doors or may be one side fixed and the other side sliding, or a folding French door.

No matter how you want your French Door to be and in whatever choice in materials, you will find that most doors are well insulated and assembled to make it comfortable in their use.



Trane Gas Furnace
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How do I remove outside caulking from a recent installed patio door? Part 2?

February 20th, 2010 | Posted in patios   Comments Off
Ann H asked:


More info - The silicone caulking is mostly on the vinyl trim board that was used for weather protection. I cannot sand it or pick off. I don’t want to remove all caulking just the globby parts for painting. My neighbor did the work for free.

Give Your Kitchen A Makeover
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What might it cost to replace a simple sliding patio door and trim?

February 19th, 2010 | Posted in patios   Comments Off
ABC123 asked:


I live in central Illinois. We need to replace our patio door.. the lock is broke, and it barely opens or closes. The wood trim on the outside is slightly rotted.. We’d like to completely replace it and have a vinyl trim for more maintenance free ease. What might labor on something like that cost?

Vinyl Log Siding
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How do I a seal large opening where patio door used to be but will now be where air conditioner will be?

February 14th, 2010 | Posted in patios   Comments Off
Ulrika E asked:


We are trying to beat the heat so we bought an air conditioner.
Would you use cardboard and tape? Plastic bags and tape? Some kind of foam and if so what kind? Wood? How much would you estimate your solution costs? I don’t want to spend more than 100$. Is your solution easy to take away and put back up? Thanks!

Fireplace Design Ideas
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Regular exterior door(s) instead of patio doors?

February 13th, 2010 | Posted in patios   Comments Off
pep_bud asked:


The new house we’re moving into has sliding patio doors. I’d rather put in a regular exterior door(s). Is it possible to install a regular exterior door(s) instead? Do they make such a thing?

Bamboo Window Shades
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can the lower track that the rollers ride in a patio door be replaced?

January 25th, 2010 | Posted in patios   Comments Off
Beth P asked:


My patio door lower track has a 6″ worn area that allows the roll to get off of it. I have to lift the door a little bit to get it to open or close to get the rollers back on the track. Can I buy a 6 foot replacement track for a patio door?

Bamboo Flooring Installation
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