ServicesPatio Doors
Patio Door Replacement in Sammamish
Your sliding or French door should glide with one hand, latch on the first try and keep rain off the floor. We set new patio doors on a sloped sill pan with dual-pane Low-E glass, and we schedule the work for dry weather so the opening is sealed before fall.
Repair it or replace it
No opening in your home moves more or takes more wear than the patio door. Over the years the rollers flatten, the track dents, the edge seal on the insulated glass lets go and the weatherstripping squashes down until air slips past it. A few of those problems are fixable parts. A warped frame, a leaking sill or fogged glass usually means a new unit is the smarter spend.
We tell you plainly which side of that line your door sits on. When fresh rollers and a track insert will buy a few more years, that is our recommendation. When water has already worked under the threshold into the subfloor, we show you the damage and explain why a replacement set on a proper sill pan solves it.
Scheduling makes a difference too. Late spring and summer are when most people reach us, and a run of dry days gives us time to open the wall, check the framing and seal the new door before the fall rain sets in.
What a patio door replacement includes
Sliding or hinged units
We install two-panel and multi-panel sliders as well as in-swing and out-swing hinged doors, sometimes called French doors. We help you pick based on floor space, traffic and how the opening is used.
Frame material that suits the opening
Vinyl is affordable and low maintenance. Fiberglass resists expansion in summer sun and holds paint well. Wood-clad units give a warm interior with an aluminum or vinyl skin outside to shed water.
Glass built for the climate
Every door gets tempered safety glass, which code requires in doors. We typically recommend dual-pane, argon-filled units with a Low-E coating that keeps winter heat inside and cuts summer glare on west and south exposures.
A sloped sill pan and flashing
Most patio door leaks start at the threshold, not the glass. We set the new unit on a sloped sill pan and tie the flashing into the house wrap so any water that gets past the weatherstrip drains back outside.
Hardware and final adjustment
We tune rollers or hinges so the panel moves with light pressure and latches without lifting. Multipoint locks are available on hinged doors for a tighter seal along the full height.
Cleanup and haul-away
The old door, frame and debris leave with us. We vacuum the work area inside and out before we go.
Signs your patio door is due for replacement
- Fog between the panes
- Moisture inside the glass means the insulated unit's edge seal has failed. The argon is gone, and the door is losing heat through the largest piece of glass in the room.
- Water at the threshold
- Damp carpet, swollen laminate or dark staining under the sill after a storm points to a failed sill seal or missing pan. Left alone, it rots the subfloor and rim joist.
- A slider that fights you
- If you have to lift and shove the panel, the rollers may be shot or the track bent. Once the frame itself has warped, new rollers will not fix it.
- Drafts and cold glass
- Feel air moving along the interlock or the latch side on a windy day. Compressed weatherstripping and single-pane or clear dual-pane glass let heat out all winter.
- A lock that will not catch
- When the latch misses its keeper, the frame has usually shifted out of square. That is a security problem as much as a comfort one.
How the job runs
- 1
Phone consultation
You call, describe the door and what bothers you about it, and we set a time to look. There is no pressure to commit to anything.
- 2
Measure and inspect
We measure the rough opening, check it for square and probe the sill and subfloor for soft spots. You get a written estimate that lists the door, glass package and any framing work separately.
- 3
Removal and prep
On install day we cover floors and furniture, pull the old panels and frame, and inspect the opening. Rotted sill plate or subfloor is shown to you before any repair is made.
- 4
Set, seal and adjust
The sill pan goes in first, then the door is set level and plumb on shims. We fill gaps with low-expansion foam that will not bow the frame, flash the exterior, trim it out and adjust the hardware until it rolls or swings cleanly.
- 5
Walkthrough
We show you how the locks work, how to keep the track clear and what the weep holes do. Most installs are finished in a single day.
What moves the price of a patio door
Two patio doors that look alike can be priced very differently. The biggest swings come from what the door is made of and what we find under the old one. We itemize each of these on your estimate so you can see where the money goes.
- Door type and size
- A standard two-panel slider costs less than a four-panel slider or a pair of hinged doors with sidelites. Taller or wider openings need heavier glass and frames.
- Frame material
- Vinyl sits at the lower end, while fiberglass and wood-clad units cost more and offer better stability and finish options.
- Glass package
- Triple-pane glass, specialty Low-E coatings and built-in blinds between the panes all add cost. We explain which ones pay off on your exposure.
- Condition of the opening
- Rotted subfloor, a damaged rim joist or an out-of-square opening adds carpentry. We cannot price this fully until the old frame is out, so we tell you up front what we will check.
- Changing the opening
- Widening an opening or converting a window to a door means a new header and usually a permit. When one is needed, we pull it and schedule the inspection.
Patio door questions
- Should I choose a slider or hinged doors?
- A slider needs no swing space, so it suits rooms where a sofa or table sits near the glass and decks where chairs crowd the opening. Hinged doors open wider and usually seal tighter, especially with a multipoint lock pulling the panel in at several points. Tight floor plans tend to point toward a slider.
- Can my sticking slider be repaired instead?
- Many times it can. Flattened rollers and a dented track are replaceable parts, and we cover that work on our Window Repair page. Once the frame has warped or the insulated glass has fogged, though, repairs rarely hold, and we will say that plainly.
- How do you handle wet weather on the day of the install?
- We book around the forecast and look for a dry stretch, which is why summer is the easiest time to schedule. A passing shower can be handled by tarping the opening as we work. If the sill would get soaked, we move the date instead of sealing moisture into the framing.
- Will I be without a door overnight?
- Most installs are finished in a single day, so your opening is closed and locked by evening. If we uncover rot that needs extra carpentry, we secure the opening before leaving for the night.
- Do you offer payment plans?
- Yes, we have flexible payment options. Bring it up during your consultation and we will go over what fits your project.
Get your patio door sorted before fall
Tell us how your door is behaving and we will come measure, inspect the sill and give you an itemized estimate. Free, no-pressure quotes, and the call takes a few minutes.