Five Easy Ways to Prepare Your Sliding Door for Winter
Sliding glass doors are great for providing your home with lots of light, and they also help you get a great view of the outdoors. Unfortunately, though, sliding glass doors are typically inefficient. If not sufficiently insulated, this attractive entryway can be a major source of heat loss, making it harder for you to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature in the winter and bumping up your monthly heating bills. If you’re a homeowner in Dodge City, KS and you want to know what to do to keep your home warm and protected from the outside elements, read on to learn about these five easy winterizing tips.
Clean up the door track
It’s important to keep your sliding glass door track clean and free from any dirt, gravel or other debris. Built-up debris not only prevents the door from sliding properly, but it can also keep it from sealing completely. When a slider isn’t completely sealed, small breezes can pass through the gap, directly affecting the inside temperature of your house. Vacuum the door track to remove any debris, then scrub the track with hydrogen peroxide to ensure that the door is able to slide easily.
Add new weatherstripping
Weatherstripping helps your door make a tight seal when its shut. You can choose from V-strip, foam tape, rubber, silicone or vinyl weatherstripping to prevent drafty air, as well as precipitation, from entering your house. Check your weatherstripping for signs of wear—brittle, deteriorated weatherstripping needs to be replaced right away. It’s often helpful to have a professional install this weatherstripping to keep your home warm against the outside elements.
Caulk the exterior
Outside elements make exterior caulking degrade over time. You can instantly increase the efficiency of your sliding glass door by replacing the caulk around the frame. Use caulk gel and window caulking rope to keep extreme temperatures and moisture from entering your home during the winter months.
Use plastic window film
You’re probably not using your sliding glass door too often during the long winters that Dodge City, KS experiences each year. Installing plastic window film is a great insulating option, but it does affect the free use of your door. The film can be cut to size and taped up in a matter of minutes, but you’ll need to remove it every time you want to use the door.
Hang insulating thermal window treatments
As a final layer of defense, replace your current blinds or curtains with window treatments that keep out the cold. If you like the look of blinds, shades with a honeycomb feature help the inside of your home stay warm. Blackout curtains are a good option, too, since they block heat from being lost through the door.
If you live in a cold climate like that of Dodge City, KS, winterizing your sliding glass door is a crucial step in keeping your home warm against the outside elements. It’s best to get the opinion of a window and door expert to make sure your home is able to maintain a consistent temperature. Contact Wes-Kan Siding Windows & Doors to help you stay warm and comfortable all winter long.
Categorised in: Doors