Impact Sliding Glass Doors in Melbourne, FL

Impact sliding glass doors deserve their own plan because the slider is usually the largest piece of glass on the house. In many Brevard homes it opens from the family room onto a screened lanai and pool deck, and on beachside condos and townhomes it leads to a balcony facing the ocean or the river. A failed slider lets the storm into the biggest room in the house, so it is often the first opening owners want to protect.

What changes from an old slider

Older aluminum sliders tend to have single-pane tempered glass, worn rollers and tracks that hold water. An impact slider uses laminated glass panels in heavier frames, with stronger interlocks where the panels meet and a sill designed to resist water being forced in by wind. The panels are heavy, so good rollers and a clean track matter for daily use as much as for storm day.

Layouts and options

• Two-panel (OX or XO): one fixed and one operable panel; the common replacement for a standard 6 or 8 foot slider.
• Three and four panel: for wider openings, with one or two panels that slide.
• Pocket and stacking sliders: panels slide into the wall or stack behind each other to open the room to the lanai; these need more structural planning.
• Tall panels: 8 foot and taller doors for newer homes with high ceilings.
• Screens and blinds: sliding screens are standard; some doors have blinds sealed between the glass.

Water and wind on the sill

On a slider, the sill is where water gets in during a storm. The rating on the approval includes a water resistance number as well as a design pressure. Doors facing the ocean, the river or a wide open yard take the hardest wind-driven rain, so we look at which way the opening faces and what sits in front of it before picking a sill height and rating.

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Shutter it or replace it

If the existing slider still works well, a shutter may be the better value. Accordion shutters are a common choice for sliding doors because they fold to the side and close in a minute. A full impact door costs more but needs nothing done before a storm, and it is the better choice if the existing door has bad rollers, leaks, or fogged glass. We can price both on the same estimate so you can compare.

Installation and the floor

Removing a slider sometimes reveals tile cut tight to the old frame, a sloped or uneven slab, or rotted wood at the bottom of the opening. We check the sill area at the estimate when we can and tell you what might need fixing. The new frame is set level so the panels roll freely, anchored as its approval requires, and sealed at the sill and sides. Inside trim and outside stucco are finished around the frame.

Daily care

The track is the weak point of any slider. Vacuum sand and leaves out of it, keep the weep holes clear so water drains to the outside, and wipe the rollers' path. Beachside, a freshwater rinse of the track and hardware every so often slows salt corrosion.