Removing Your Old Sliding Glass Door

Last week I explained how to quantum your existing sliding glass door so you can order the vinyl exchange door. This week I am going to go over the steps required to take off the old sliding door before installing the new door.

First, you have to take off the sliding panel and the stationary panel. The vast majority of doors out there have the sliding panel on the inside half of the track, and the stationary panel is on the outside. Anyone the case in your single door, the surface panel has to come out first. To take off the fixed panel, you need to take off the sill cap that snaps into the bottom track and runs from the fixed panel to the side jamb where the sliding panel locks. Force a screwdriver into the crease and pry the cap up. Then, look for screws on the inside side jamb holding the fixed panel in place. These screws preclude person from prying up the sill cap and pulling out the fixed panel in order to gain entry into the home. In addition to the side jamb, be sure to check over the top header and bottom track for screws there as well. Once all the screws have been removed, you need to pull the fixed panel away from the side jamb. You can start by simply grabbing the side rail of the fixed panel and pulling as hard as you can. If you're lucky, the panel will pop free. Then you can lift the panel up as far as it will go into the top channel and swing the bottom away from the track, and take off the panel.

Door Bottom

Now, I said "if you're lucky", because in most cases the panel will be stuck in the side jamb, the bottom track, or both. Usually, you're going to have to use a pry bar to loosen the fixed panel before it will slide out of the side jamb. Once the fixed panel is out, removal of the sliding panel is usually easier. Just lift up and swing the bottom away from the track, then take off the panel. Sometimes the bottom rollers will preclude the bottom from swinging out of the track. If that's the case, you will need to find the roller adjustment hole in the bottom corners of the sliding panel. Put a screwdriver into this hole and turn the screw counterclockwise to bring the roller as far up into the bottom of the sliding panel as possible. This should allow the slider to come out.

Now, you want to take off all the screws from the side jambs, top header, and bottom track. Then, take a pry bar and get it under the bottom track about in the center. Pry up until the track is separated from the floor. The next step will depend on whether your old frame is nailed to the house frame, or simply screwed in. If it's screwed in, then the frame should now be loose in the opening, since you removed all of the screws. You just need to take off Anyone inside trim there might be nearby the door frame. This type of frame should come out. If your door is nailed to the house frame, you will have to do a bit more work. Use a hacksaw to cut the track in half, practically in the center. Start with whether half and raise the cut piece up towards the side jamb until the the track piece separates from the side jamb. Do the same thing to the other half.

So, now you have to take off the side jambs. You want to do this without damaging the surface material that surrounds the door frame. Take a heavy chisel and pound it into the crack between the frame and surface material, whether it's stucco, siding, etc. Start at the bottom 6 inches first. What you are trying to do is pull the nail fin away from the nails holding it in place. So, once the chisel is pounded through the metal frame, pry away from the side wall. The heavier and longer the chisel, the more leverage you will have. You will hear the frame "pop" free of the nail. There will be some nails holding each jamb in place, so you want to start at the bottom and work your way to the top corner. Once you get the bottom third loose, many times you can grab the jamb with both hands and pull the rest of the nails free as you go up. When you get to the top corner, work the jamb free. Do both jambs, then do the top. Sometimes the top has no nails, or just one in the center, so it will come down pretty easily. Be sure to wear protection glasses and a dust mask when doing this job, especially when removing the top header.

At this point you are ready to setup the new door. The factory course is slightly different, depending on whether you're installing a retrofit style frame or a exchange frame. We will discuss both procedures next week.

Removing Your Old Sliding Glass Door

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