15 Nov 5 Ways To Prepare Sliding Patio Doors For Winter
The cold months begin early in Canada, which means that you should start getting your house ready for the winter season as soon as the first cold breeze hits. If you haven’t begun this process, we have suggested 5 ways to prepare sliding patio doors for winter as a first step to winterizing your house. Read our blog below to learn more:
1. Remove Dirt Or Grime
Whenever you are preparing home systems for a new season, the first step is to always clean the equipment. As your patio doors have gone through 3 seasons, they most likely have collected dirt from soil, grass, decomposing leaves, and other items. If you notice that the outside of your sliding patio doors has grime, you can try to vacuum the dirt. Once you vacuum it, use a wet cloth, and scrub the grime away. When clean, the doors should be able to slide swiftly from side to side.
2. Complete Sealing
As we mentioned before, Canadian winters are cold, so it’s crucial that your sliding patio doors are sealed completely to avoid cold drafts from getting through. Check the strength of your weatherstripping carefully. If you see some wear and tear on your weatherstripping, purchase a new one at your local store and replace your damaged one. With your new weatherstripping, you can ensure that the cold air doesn’t seep through.
3. Install Plastic Insulation
If you live in an extremely cold place in Canada, plastic insulation might be useful for your sliding patio doors. Plastic insulation helps minimize heat loss through the doors, as it creates an extra protective barrier blocking the outside from the inside. If you think that weatherstripping your window doesn’t do enough to keep the cold out, plastic insulation would be another great option!
4. Lubricate The Doors
Sliding patio doors oftentimes freeze up when the cold storm season hits. To prevent this, apply a lubricant on the hinges of the doors. The lubricant will prevent the immediate freezing of the doors. Although the lubricant will hinder the freezing for a while, it won’t stall it forever, so make sure you follow the other methods of winterizing your doors.
5. Replace The Patio Doors
If you have used all the suggestions above with no success, you might have to completely replace your patio doors. Especially if your doors are old or broken, it’s most likely time for you to replace them, as it is the most cost-effective long-term solution.
If you think it’s time to replace your sliding patio doors for the winter, the patio door experts at Quality Home Improvements can help you find the patio doors that will fit best with your home!
The Canada Greener Homes Grant gives you money back for making your home more energy efficient. A patio door installation or replacement may be the right choice in improving the energy efficiency in your home. With the Canada Greener Homes Grant, you can receive a rebate of up to $5000.
Quality Home Improvements can help get you started! Serving the Oshawa, Ajax, Pickering and Whitby areas, Quality Home Improvements has been improving homes in the Durham region for over 30 years!
For a free quote, call 905.721.7519 or fill out our Online Request Form.