patio door wrong handed

[Carol A]

I bought a house with an old wooden Pella door wrong handed (glass sliding door is outside, screen door inside). Is there some way to correct?

[m Ransley]

That is the way they are made, I was going to get Pella but that design lets the bugs in when you open the screen to close the door, kinda dumb.

[Art]

Pella design so track stays clean. Some people like it and some don't. They also have an invisible screen which you might want to look at to replace the screen you have. It rolls up to the side when not in use. Works well but won't stop a dog or cat from getting outside.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

It was designed that way.

Two reasons"

It helps keep the track cleaner

When the wind blows, it forces it to seal better, not blow away from the seal.

It is sort of quirky, but it works. My only objection is if there are bugs on the screen and you want to close the door, you have a chance to let them into the house. Overall, the Pella is a well made door.

[calhoun]

I have tried to figure out why Pella does this. I have heard the track clean thing but the track is on the outside and gets iced up so you can't get out in winter, so how does it stay cleaner? The wind thing just seems silly what if the wind is blowing the other way, will it suck the seal open?

[Edwin Pawlowski]

I've never had an ice problem in 10 years or so that I've had it.. If the wind is blowing the other way, the windows and doors on the other side of the hose should be closed and blocking it. You evidently have never felt the wind coming off the ocean in winter.

[m Ransley]

Pella has a very inferior design, the bug issue is bad, the bugs that will be on the screen at night here can be 20+ mosquitos. Opening the screen just to close your door to lock up allows all bugs a perfect opportunity to get in , and they do. I know just 1 mosquito will keep me awake at night when I am trying to sleep. Imagine letting in a few every night, soon your house is full of them. The track clean issue is not true , in fact the opposite , an inside track stays cleaner and the wheel bearings from blown dirt-water into the bearings will make them wear faster. Water into the bottom of the door will make Pella more maintenance prone. If you have drifting snow or any buildup the door will be impossible to open in winter. On my Anderson I leave the screen open in winter after forcing it open through snow.

The wind issue is also misleading and false as Anderson has a as good wind permeability rating. I have the windows facing South on a lake where 30-50 mph winds are common and I never can test infiltration with smoke.

CDF or condensation factor is also poor with Pella glass. I have new Pella windows but Anderson doors, both dual pane low E Argon, the Anderson never condense but all the Pellas do. Glass is a poorer in design with Pella. Even Consumer Reports rates CDF and Pella did not rate well, Anderson is better they never condense for me.

I checked both Anderson and Pella and bought the more expensive Anderson, it was money well spent as there are to many drawbacks to Pella doors. My original and true dislike was the bug issue, but I found many more issues after having Anderson.

[Art]

I have Andersen and Pella too. I've had several leaky Andersen windows and yes, they are under warranty but they are a pain in the neck to replace the sashes. The vinyl clad yellows after a few years. The aluminum Pella clad looks new longer. Both have advantages and disadvantages. Apparently no one makes a perfect window yet.