The Pros and Cons of Sliding Glass Doors

Sliding glass patio doors are extremely common in many homes throughout the Greater Toronto Area. Over time they can wear out, become more difficult to open and close, and actually be a liability to your outdoor enjoyment. This is one reason why it’s a good idea to consider replacing them after 15 years or so.

If you purchased your home in the last couple of years and noticed the sliding glass patio door doesn’t open as easily as you would expect or hope, that could be due to corrosion, the house settling, warping, and other damage.

When you’re set to replace that sliding glass patio door, you have a number of options. The first is to simply replace it with another, newer model and more energy efficient sliding glass patio door. You can also consider French doors and other entry doors that might be more convenient for your specific needs.

There are some pros and cons to sliding glass patio doors, so let’s talk about the positives first.

Sliding glass patio doors create the illusion of more space. This helps to bring in more sunlight, daylight, and allow the room to feel more open.

These doors can also make it easy to get in and out between a deck or patio. That’s great when you want to entertain guests, enjoy some time outside on your property in the summer, and don’t want to hassle with the doorknob.

There are easy to maintain.

These sliding glass patio doors are easy to clean and keep working properly. All you need to do is some basic general maintenance every so often.

Higher quality patio doors should open and close quietly. They should open smoothly, easily, and not make groaning noises when you to do so.

Now, for the cons:

Sliding glass patio doors can be a significant investment, especially for higher quality ones that offer better energy efficiency.

They can also be a certain liability for some individuals. Somebody attempting to gain access into your home simply needs to smash the glass and they are in. Of course, they can do that at any window, too.

In order to counter that, you can consider relying on impact resistant glass instead.