Sliding glass doors were commonly being used in the 1970's & 1980's. However, in the modern era, they make a house look out of date and old-fashioned. One of the best, easy & affordable ways of modernizing your home is to change or replace old glass sliders with modern French doors. French doors are considered one of the best ways to get natural light in your homes & can be frequently used on patios, porches, and for entry into the backyard. These types of doors are usually composed of wood having glass panels & give the home a light and fresh feel. One of the best things about these kinds of doors is that it is very easy to install, as a result, homeowner can complete this project in just a couple of hours.
Easy Way Of Replacing A Sliding Glass Door With French Doors
In order to replace a sliding glass door with french doors, go through the easy step by step way carefully & achieve the desired result of your work:
- First of all, you need to eliminate the trim pieces around the door frame by prying them out with the help of a hammer. If in case you want to reuse them on your new door, then do this with utmost care, or throw them away if you are planning to purchase new trim.
- The next step is to get rid of the nails, grasping the sliding door unit in place, with the help of your hammer. There will usually be many in each jamb, but test for nails in the head of the frame as well.
- Now, do away with the sliding door unit with care. If in case it is in good shape, then at that time you can simply donate it to a construction salvage facility for reuse.
- Calculate the size of the rough opening for your new door. This is the measurement from stud to stud, width-wise, and from the varnished floor to the top of the opening, length-wise.
- Next, go & buy a set of pre-hung French doors using the measurements that you took in the above step. Your door, including the frame, should be approximately 1/4" smaller on each side as compared to the size of the rough opening.
- Slide the French doors into the opening, base first, in order to make sure that it is centered within the space. The doors should be placed in a way that they swing outside of the home once they are installed.
- Use your level in order to be absolutely sure that the unit is even and plumb. If in case it is not, position the wooden shims betwixt the jambs and the framing members in order to level it out.
- Attach the unit in place by screwing three nails into each jamb. Also, nail any shims that you have used into the jambs or the frame.
- Position the insulation into the cracks along either jamb. This is due to the reason that the insulation is very easy to get installed, and should fill the space without being forced.
- Finally, install trim kits around the frame in order to wrap the insulation and complete the project.