6 Simple Ways to Insulate Your Glass Doors for Energy Efficiency
There’s nothing like a glass door to let in all that beautiful sunshine. Favoured for walk-out basements, porch and deck entries, kitchens and more, sliding doors and French doors are a great addition to any home. They help create an airy open feeling and are particularly useful in rooms that may not have many windows. They also open up the view so you can easily see the kids playing in the yard, or just enjoy the stunning mountain vistas at sunrise.
Like windows, poorly insulated glass doors can also be a big source of energy loss, making it tough to balance the temperature. Is the space around your patio door feeling a bit drafty? It’s probably time to insulate your patio doors to help improve your home’s energy efficiency.
We’ve created this article outlining 6 great options to insulate your glass doors for optimal energy efficiency and temperature regulation. Follow these tips to start enjoying your sliding door-year round.
- Use Window Coverings – Curtains or drapes with thermal backing are an excellent solution for keeping the warmth in, cold out, or whatever you like, depending on the time of year. They also block any harsh morning sunlight and help provide greater privacy at night. This is particularly useful if your glass door faces the street or allows an open view into your home. Another energy saving window covering option are cellular blinds like Hunter Douglas Duette. The honeycomb shape provides great insulation and sound dampening. The Duette product is also available in everything from sheer to room darkening fabrics for a truly customizable finish.
- Clean the Door Track – Grit and grime can easily accumulate throughout the year. This debris from your shoes, pet’s feet, etc… create tiny little air pockets that lets air in through the bottom of the door. To help your sliding glass door function at its best, you’ll want to clean the tracks. Vacuum the door track then gently wipe it down using some dish soap diluted with water. You’ll want to clean your door and its components before trying any other methods for insulating, like caulking or adding weather stripping.
- Add Weather Stripping – Weather stripping should be replaced on all your doors every few years and glass doors are no exception. Installing weather stripping between sliding doors keeps air from flowing between the sides of the door for better insulation.
- Add Rubber Compression Strips – Adhesive-backed rubber compression strips are great for glass doors since they can be easily cut to fit perfectly. Just measure and apply to your clean tracks and sash. They’re made to stand up to cold temperatures, so they won’t contract when the temperature drops. They’re also moisture-resistant, which is ideal for our humid and rainy climate.
- Add a Window Insulation Kit – Old school and still a very effective way to insulate windows and doors. Plastic film insulation kits (also known as storm window kits) are readily available at any hardware store. Just clean the glass well and cut the film to fit any size or type of door. Double-sided tape secures the film to the frame of the door to hold it in place. Once you’ve placed the film, just use your hairdryer or heat gun to shrink the plastic. This creates a barrier on your glass, blocking heat and cold, making your door much more energy efficient.
- Redo the Caulking- Another constant of homeownership, caulking is useful in any room where insulation or moisture blocking is needed. Doors are no exception and it’s a quick DIY to caulk any areas that are leaking. First, remove the existing caulking for either the whole door or just the area you’re touching up. The caulking rope should be rated for doors and windows. Carefully apply the caulk. Doityourself.com has some great tips for caulking application.
Time to Replace Your Glass Doors?
These DIY tips should help to solve the problem of air leaks around your glass doors. Of course, if your door has reached the end of its lifespan and requires replacement, it will save you time and frustration to price out a replacement door.
At Budget, we’re experts in everything glass and we have many different solutions for your home, depending on your individual needs. Offering high-quality double pane vinyl and Low-E coatings to reflect infrared light, you’ll be amazed by how much difference our modern glass doors make. We’ll make sure your home is comfortable and as energy efficient as possible with no more drafts or heat loss!
Consider Replacing Your Screens at the Same Time
Chances are, if your door is at the end of its life, your door screen is too. If the bugs are bugging you, talk to us about our screen door options. We manufacture a wide range of screens to suit all types of exterior doors, including options for aluminum, vinyl and wood frames. Made to last, our screen doors are high quality with heavy-duty framing and are designed with metal ball bearing rollers for a smooth glide.
We also offer colour and material options for the screening material, including beige, brown and white, with standard fiberglass or optional aluminum screen mesh. To figure out the best product for your home’s interior and exterior style, our expert installers can help you choose the best colour, style and materials for a new door and screen combination. We’ll also do the measuring to ensure a perfect fit!
Upgrade to one of our energy-efficient patio doors this year and put aside worries about hot summer days and cold winter nights. Serving Nanaimo and area customers since 1983, we’re proud to hold an A+ BBB rating. Whether you need a custom mirror, vehicle glass repair, skylight replacement, or anything in between, Contact our team of professional glaziers and installers to discuss your project. We can be reached at (250) 758-3374, or send us a message via email.