repurposing a sliding door

[swalker]

The old house we bought 2 years ago has what would be called "character" if it appeared on one of those HGTV/DIY shows. Somewhere in the last 40 to 50 years a number of additions/modifications were made and somebody decided to put a sliding glass door in the kitchen which was on the front of the house facing a lake. Perhaps because they had no HVAC and in AL you just sort of need it in the summer. Or maybe the cook wanted a view.

Later someone came along and added a screen porch to the house. Later still another body moved the kitchen to the back of the house and made the area with the slider a dining room.

The slider has lost it's seal and the inside has turned color so Management wants to replace the slider. Worker is opposed and wants to add windows. Management stresses that the area has a low ceiling and tends to be dark so wins the discussion but in order to keep the peace suggests that 2 large picture windows be used since the slider would never be opened anyway.

Worker reports the quoted cost of the picture windows and Management retracts that idea.

Worker is about to suggest that a slider be purchased, taken apart and the 2 glass pieces be framed to look like 2 picture windows.

Before I offer this idea to Management, is there any reason this can't be done?

Jim

[Ed Pawlowski]

I'm not sure how you want to situate them. As a door, they overlap to form an interlocking seal. If you put them side by side on the same plane, I'm not sure they would fit in the opening tough without the frame they may.

Would it be cheaper to just build two window frames and have glass set in place like you'd do on a storefront? Seems that you are going to pay for a screen, rollers, handle, and track that will be discarded. .I think I'd talk to the local glass company that does commercial stiff.

[J. Clarke]

Have you considered rather than large plate-glass windows making divided- light windows the same size? If you do that you can get enough 1/4 inch tempered Solex to do the job online for about 500 bucks. You can also get large pieces of tempered or double-glazed or laminated from the same source but the shipping is a killer on big pieces.

Note that there should be some place local that can provide the same service probably for a higher price but with much lower shipping.

[krw]

Often it's cheaper to throw all that stuff away than buy glass the same size. Sliders are sold by the brazillions and sold at quite reasonable prices (volume efficiencies and all that). It might be even cheaper to start with slider "replacement cartridges". Sliders do need repair and most are standard size so they do sell replacement glass. As you point out, the hardware does cost something but enough to offset the economies of scale? It's another place to look.

I know people who have used these to turn a three-season room into four.

[John McGaw]

Yeah. The local glass guys I normally use have an assortment of thermal glass panels for emergency repairs on glass doors. Ordering 'custom' for every broken panel would take far too long and, as you note, there are only a certain range of sized in common use. I guess the only serious question would be one of safety and consideration should be given to tempered vs. non-tempered in any use where the glass extends close to the floor. It certainly can't hurt to ask what such panels would cost. Framing and trimming stationary glass should be trivial.

[Sonny]

Just where in AL? Near Mobile, perhaps?

Option 1: If you are within 5-6 hour drive of Lafayette, La., I have 2 pic ture windows you can have. Each are of a different design, with one being a bit shorter and/or narrower, than the other. One, for sure, is single pane panes. I don't recall if the other is double paned, argon fill gas, low-E, etc. I think both are 9 light sashes (I suppose you are aware the y are fixed sashes). Their *sash framing has minor rot along the bottom e dge, but should be easily fixable. *These are sashes, only, not the whole window frame. I can take pics to show, however, they are in crowded storag e and pics, of the whole, may be difficult to take. I think each's origin al cost was about $3500, which included the frame.

Option 2: I have 5 sashes, all about 7' tall and 30" wide. I don't recall if they are single light panes, but I think they are. On 4 units, the wo oden frames has slight rot (or some wood damage, I don't recall) on one or two edges, but should be easily repairable. The fifth unit is still in the box. I can take pics of these, also. These may be easier to remove from storage, for decent pics. I think each's original cost was about $850.. .. originally, the wall/window framing was custom built on site, to accommo date the sash-set.

I have quite a few other sashes, also, with similar minor damages.... I thi nk most are argon filled, low-E, etc.

I had saved these sashes, thinking to repair & install them somewhere, even tually, but never have. I might as well offer them to someone who can use them, if the drive is cost effective.

I sometimes go to Mobile, but I don't have immediate plans for a trip anyti me soon. I have been contemplating making a trip to NC, for the August 21s t solar eclipse, but that's not a sure thing, at the moment.

Sonny

[clare]

Whether the door is ever opened or not, the CHEAPEST and SIMPLEST solution is to simply replace the slider. What's the downside?????

[clare]

EVERY sliding door glass has to be safety glass. What's wrong with just replacing the sliding door? As mentioned, economy of scale is definitely in your favour - and just installing "as supplied" is dead nuts simple - so why screw with it?

[clare]

The solar eclipse might change schedule?? - I guess you mean the trip - - - -

[Sonny]

Correction! You can have one of them.

Sonny

[swalker]

The downside is the look when all is said and done. It will not cost me all that much to get the panes installed in a frame and it will look like a window.

[swalker]

While free always sound good from my house it is a long drive.

Thanks for the offer.

[krw]

Sliders are about as safe for this propose as you can get. There have been boatloads of lawsuits over the years and the manufacturers are pretty well tuned to the safety issues.

[krw]

[krw]

The eclipse could be eclipsed by clouds. Or, if you believe the AGW crowd, since trump backed out of the Paris Agreement, the world will end before that.