Sliding glass door replacement and repair for Broward homes

Sliding door questions, answered

Can my sliding door be repaired, or does it need replacing?

Worn rollers, a damaged track, a failed lock or a torn screen can usually be repaired on a sound frame. If the frame is corroded or bent, the door leaks at the sill in heavy rain, or the glass is not impact-rated and you want it to be, we will quote a replacement too so you can compare.

My slider is hard to open. What is usually wrong?

Most often the rollers are worn or the track is damaged or packed with grit, so the door drags on the frame. New rollers and a track repair or cap usually fix it. If the frame itself is bent or corroded, the door needs more than rollers.

Can you replace just the glass?

Often, yes. A fogged, cracked or broken glass unit can be replaced in a sound frame. Replacing the glass alone does not make a non-impact door impact-rated, because the approval covers the whole door assembly.

Does replacing a sliding glass door need a permit?

Usually, yes. The new door is a building product that needs an approval for the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, and the installation is inspected against that approval. We pull the permit and close it out. Roller, track and lock repairs usually do not need one.

Do I still need a shutter over an impact slider?

An impact-rated slider approved for the HVHZ is its own opening protection, so that opening does not also need a shutter. If you keep a non-impact slider, an approved accordion or roll-down shutter sized to the opening protects it instead.

What should I check on my slider before hurricane season?

That the door closes fully and locks, the rollers and track move freely, the weatherstripping seals, and the opening's protection (impact glass or an approved shutter) is in place and works. If the door is neither impact-rated nor shuttered, the months before the season are the time to plan one or the other.