Steps And Items Needed To Make Sliding Glass Door Look Better Like French Door
Sliding glass doors fill your room with the appealing natural light, but their present-day presence looks out of place in a conventional home. You can easily spruce up your sliding doors to resemble the french doors. French doors are constituted of 15 glass panes separated by the thin strips of wood which is known as muntins. You can easily simulate the look by securing your own muntins to the glass of your sliding doors. You just need to use clear silicone adhesive if you want to permanently secure the muntins to your glass. To do this, you need to gather the required items & follow the steps afterward:
Things Needed
- Measuring Tape & Miter Saw
- Glass Cleaner Or Vinegar & Lint-Free Cloth
- Chalk Marker Or Crayon & Carpenter's Level
- Flat 1/2-Inch Wide Pine Or Oak Molding
- 150-Grit Sandpaper & Low-Tack Painter's Masking Tape
- Silicone Adhesive & Caulk Gun
- Metal 1-Inch Wide Putty Knife
- Wood Putty & Caulk
- Primer And Paint & Foam Paintbrush
- Craft Knife & Plastic 1-Inch Wide Putty Knife
- Flat Razor Blades
Step By Step Guide
- First of all, measure the width & height of the glass section of your sliding glass door. Classic french door panes contain 15 panes in the measurement of 9 inches by 12 inches, simply divide your door's width by 12, and its height by 9 to regulate the number of panes your door will hold. The sliding glass doors are 36 inches by 72- 80 inches. You also need to adjust the height & width of the particular panes for your door but also try to maintain to the rectangular shape of your classic french door pane.
- Clean your glass by using glass cleaner or vinegar & buff dry with the help of a lint-free cloth. Your glass must be perfectly clean otherwise the glue will not adhere to its surface.
- Now, draw your muntin measurements to your glass door by using the chalk marker. Use your carpenter's level to make sure that your lines are level & plumb. The chalk marker ink is not permanent & will wipe off easily when you've finished.
- Next you need to measure & cut your vertical muntins from the 1/2-inch molding. Gently sand the edges. Prime & paint all surfaces of the molding and allow it to dry completely. Apply a second coat of your paint and then allow it to dry completely.
- You need to apply a thin bead of your silicone adhesive on the first vertical muntin. Now spread your adhesive with the help of metal putty knife so that your adhesive fully covers the muntin.
- Now you need to press your muntin to your sliding glass at your first vertical chalk marker line. Hold your muntin in place on your glass with strips of painter's tape. If any adhesive squeezes out from the beneath of your muntin then leave it in place for now.
- Next, you need to apply the other vertical muntins similarly. Now hold your pieces secure to the glass with the painter's tape. Allow your vertical pieces to entirely dry before adding your horizontal pieces.
- The next thing is to measure the spaces betwixt the bottom vertical muntin & the top edge of the bottom plate of your sliding glass door at your chalk marked area. Measure & cut your horizontal muntins from the 1/2-inch molding. Smoothly sand the edges.
- Simply prime & paint all surfaces of your molding & allow to dry. You now need to apply a second coat of paint & allow it to dry entirely. Now, apply a thin bead of silicone adhesive on your first horizontal muntin. Spread the adhesive with your metal putty knife so that the adhesive fully covers your muntin. Press into place and then secure the muntin by using painter's tape.
- Continue measuring the spaces betwixt the vertical muntins & adding the horizontal muntins until you have completed your door. Allow the applied adhesive to completely dry.
- Now, remove your painter's tape from the muntins. Apply wood putty to any gaps betwixt the seams of your muntins. Sand smoothly and apply paint of coat but be careful not to paint your glass.
- Finally, score any dried bulges of adhesive with the help of a craft knife but don't try to score too deeply otherwise you will cut the glass surface of your door. Scrape the applied adhesive off your glass with the help of a plastic putty knife. If you see that the adhesive stubbornly sticks to your glass then simply scrape the adhesive off the glass by using a flat razor blade. Hold your razor blade at a 45-degree angle & scrape the glass, but take care not to gouge the glass with the ends of your blade.