Whether you need a beautiful entry and exit point to a patio, a deck, or just your backyard, a sliding glass door is a beautiful option. Sliding glass doors, also called patio doors, are usually two large panes of glass. One remains fixed in place while the other one moves along a sliding glass door track. 

Here are five benefits of installing a sliding glass door:

1. It’s a great space saver: This is one of the greatest advantages of having a sliding glass door. You don’t have to leave room for the door or doors to swing open like you would with a set of French doors. Not only do they take up less space, but they’re also wider than most regular hinged doors. So you get a great space saver and an excellent view all in one. This makes patio doors the perfect choice for a smaller room, too.
2. It keeps you safe: Sliding glass doors provide excellent security. There are many ways to make them even more difficult to tamper with, such as adding a security rod to make the door nearly impossible for someone to open. 
3. It looks beautiful: A sliding glass door can help you achieve that natural flow between the inside and the outside. That seamless transition from your indoor living space to your outdoor deck or patio gives you an enlarged space for entertaining. 
4. It’s energy-efficient: Sliding glass doors use insulated frames and a glass pack to give you better energy efficiency than French doors.
5. It brings the outdoors inside: Sliding glass doors maximize the natural light that can be let inside your home. Adding a sliding screen door also means you can slide open the glass but let in a ton of fresh air. It also gives you a clean, unobstructed view of the outdoors. That means you can enjoy the great outdoors in any type of weather, even if you are stuck inside.

The average size of a sliding glass door is anywhere from 5 to 8 feet long. That includes both panels of glass. Sliding glass doors with three panels are also an option, and those can be anywhere from 9 to 12 feet long. There are also custom options, but those will be more expensive. 

MAINTAINING AND CLEANING A SLIDING GLASS DOOR

Sliding glass door maintenance is a breeze. The most important thing to pay attention to is the track. Start by keeping it clean. The track can trap dirt, especially since it is exposed to the outdoors every time you slide it open. You can use a vacuum cleaner attachment to take care of the larger bits. Then, just use some simple soapy water and a rag to wipe clean what’s left.

Lubricating your sliding glass door tracks will keep them running smoothly, so your door slides with ease. But don’t lubricate the rail until you’ve cleaned it. Be sure to check first because not all sliding glass door tracks require lubrication. For example, aluminum tracks don’t need it. If your door is old and hard to open, you might need to replace the rollers. If they’re just dirty, you can clean them. But if they’re damaged, they’ll have to be replaced.

You can also keep your sliding glass door in tip-top condition by replacing old, worn weatherstripping. Again, be sure to clean the surface before applying new weather strips. 

You will notice fingerprints or paw prints (if you have kids or pets, especially) on your sliding glass door. But cleaning glass sliding doors is easy because you have easy access to both the inside and outside glass. Some ammonia-based window cleaner spray and some paper towels or a microfiber cloth are all you need to keep your glass door spic and span.

Come take a look at our sliding glass door options in our showroom at Dream Doors and Windows. You can also check out our free information guide to get some of your questions answered.