How are your outdoor living spaces holding up? What about your patio doors? Not only do your outdoor living spaces need to look nice for you and for company, but everything needs to be in peak working condition, too, especially elements that connect to your home, like patio doors. Warmer weather can be perfect for tackling those outdoor home improvement projects you’ve been wanting to do. If it’s time to replace your patio doors, here are reasons why quality matters with patio door installation, the consequences of poor installation, and some signs of poor patio door installation to be aware of:

7 Reasons Why Quality Matters With Patio Door Installation

High-quality patio doors and installation you can trust are crucial to your home. Proper installation ensures your new patio doors perform as intended, giving you the functionality, security, durability, and energy efficiency you need. Here are some key reasons why quality matters with patio door installation:

1. Get proper insulation and prevent air leaks.
2. Reduce maintenance issues with better long-term functionality.
3. Help maintain structural integrity.
4. Help prevent costly water damage.
5. Improve home security.
6. Maintain warranty protection.
7. Boost curb appeal.

1. Get Proper Insulation and Prevent Air Leaks

Doors and windows are key insulators for your home. This is why drafty windows and doors are common ways you might be losing money on your energy bills. It is also why quality installation matters with the doors of your home, including patio doors.

Correctly installed patio doors ensure a solid seal and proper insulation that prevent air leaks and drafts. This helps keep your new patio doors energy-efficient, properly insulating your home, and helps reduce heating and cooling loss.

2. Reduce Maintenance Issues With Better Long-Term Functionality

Professional, quality patio door installation ensures your patio doors are installed correctly for smooth operation and long-term durability. Not only does proper installation reduce unnecessary wear and tear on your patio doors, but it can also help reduce maintenance issues over time. This is how a good patio door installation contributes to better long-term functionality.

3. Help Maintain Structural Integrity

Quality professional installation helps maintain the structural integrity of your home. Doors need to be properly anchored and properly installed to contribute to the overall structural integrity and stability of your home.

Poor installation can lead to structural damage over time. On top of your patio doors sticking and being difficult to use, you may also start to see cracks in walls, gaps around the doors, and other signs of structural damage you should not ignore.

4. Help Prevent Costly Water Damage

Properly installed and sealed patio doors prevent air leaks and water leaks. Your patio doors should keep the elements out. A quality installation means your patio doors have a proper seal and are protecting your home from water damage and other moisture issues. This is how a quality patio door installation helps to prevent costly water damage, including damage from rot or structural damage.

5. Improve Home Security

Making sure you have properly installed, high-quality doors is a home security tip to protect your home. The doors to your home are potential targets for forced entry. Doors with sturdy, solid frames and secure locking systems can help protect your home, but they must be properly installed in order to do so.

With patio doors, there are some extra things you can do to protect your home. Especially in the case of sliding patio doors, opting for reinforced glass and using tracker blockers in addition to locks are tips for increasing your patio door security.

6. Maintain Warranty Protection

It depends on the manufacturer and the parameters of the warranty, but many manufacturers require professional installation to keep warranties valid. If your patio doors are not installed properly, especially as a result of DIY or unlicensed contractor work, you could be risking your warranty protection. On top of that, should something happen down the line requiring you to file a home insurance claim related to the patio doors, poor installation could cause your claim to be denied.

7. Boost Curb Appeal

Updating your patio doors is one of the ways to upgrade a patio. Properly installed patio doors can also boost your curb appeal and increase your home value. Conversely, poor installation can detract from your home’s appearance while underperforming on top of it. Crooked frames, gaps around doors, or improperly aligned patio doors are things that can hurt your home value.

11 Consequences of Poor Patio Door Installation

Poor installation damages your home. Low-quality materials or issues with installation can cause serious issues for your home. These are some of the consequences of poor patio door installation:

1. Air leaks and drafts around patio doors.
2. Decreased energy efficiency and increased heating and cooling costs.
3. More frequent maintenance issues and repairs.
4. Issues with moisture, mold growth, leaks, and water damage.
5. Damage from rot and structural damage over time.
6. Doors that stick or are difficult to open or close.
7. Doors that are more likely to come off the track.
8. Patio doors that do not close or lock properly.
9. Bigger risk of insect or pest infestation.
10. Reduced home security.
11. Invalidated warranty.

8 Common Signs of Poor Patio Door Installation

It may seem like a simple job, but there is actually a lot more to installing new patio doors than meets the eye. And, they need to be installed correctly for you to reap all the benefits of new patio doors.

If your contractor doesn’t take the time to do it right, there may be financial, functional, and aesthetic consequences. This is why it’s important to choose the right home improvement contractor for the job and invest in quality, professional installation you can trust.

These are a few examples of what can go wrong with a door installation. One or a few of these issues with patio door installation could explain why you’re having problems and need to replace your patio doors in the first place:

1. Out of plumb
2. Unlevel start
3. Incorrect screws
4. Visible gaps
5. Condensation on the tracks
6. Locks that don’t work
7. Shaking or vibrating doors
8. Scraping

1. Out of Plumb

One of the most common signs of poor patio door installation is if the patio doors are out of plumb, which means they are misaligned. In this case, the original installer may have set the door parallel to the wall, but both the wall and door are out of plumb – a bit off.

Simply making sure the door is parallel to the wall seems like a good strategy until you recognize that walls aren’t always perfectly vertical. If the door is hung parallel to a not-so-perfect wall, it may need to be shimmed so that it closes smoothly. Doors that don’t slide on the tracks smoothly, doors that stick, and doors that don’t close properly are likely doors that are out of plumb.

2. Unlevel Start

Another issue with patio door installation that leads to poor installation is an unlevel start. If the installer didn’t start with a level sill, there will be problems. If a door isn’t hung above a level surface, it is set up for failure and will be misaligned.

It is also likely to have gaps, drafts, air leaks, and condensation issues. Making sure the door and sill are parallel is vital in ensuring that the door will have a proper seal and keep air and moisture out.

3. Incorrect Screws

Another potential issue with patio door installation is the hardware used during the installation. If the installer used incorrect screws, a door can migrate over the years and go off-kilter. If the screws are not tightened properly, this can cause the door to warp.

4. Visible Gaps

Poorly installed patio doors will also be drafty doors. You may even see visible gaps between the door and frame and feel air coming in around the door. Gaps are one of the visible signs of drafty windows and doors, and can be a sure sign of poor installation in new patio doors.

5. Condensation on the Tracks

Another potential sign of poor patio door installation is condensation on the tracks. This indicates that your patio door is not properly sealed and there are air leaks. It could also indicate that the track was improperly installed. Other things could be going on, but you shouldn’t be experiencing air leaks or condensation on the tracks of your new patio doors.

6. Locks That Don’t Work

Although not always, locks that don’t work, loose locks, or patio doors that are difficult to lock can be a sign of misaligned doors and poor installation. If a door is sticking, is difficult to close, or doesn’t line up properly when closed, these are signs it is misaligned and can be a sign of poor installation. A patio door that is properly measured, properly fit to your home, and properly installed should not have these issues.

7. Shaking or Vibrating Doors

Patio doors that shake or vibrate can have installation issues. In patio door options with glass, the glass panels might rattle or shake. These can be signs that the doors are not securely mounted or that the frame is loose. Doors and frames must be properly mounted and anchored. This helps ensure proper alignment, smooth operation, durability, and insulation.

8. Scraping

Whether in sliding patio doors or hinged patio doors, scraping noises can be a sign of poor installation. If you’re hearing scraping noises when using the door, it could be rubbing against the frame or other surfaces. Hinged doors may even scrape against the floor when opening and closing. In new patio doors, this can be a sign that the door was not precisely cut for your home or installed properly, or there are installation issues with the door jamb, track, or frame.

Patio Door Installation by Zephyr Thomas

There are several reasons why you might consider replacing your patio doors. Maybe you can feel drafts coming in from the outside. Maybe you just want it to look nice. Or maybe the person who installed your patio doors didn’t do such a great job, and you need someone to do it better.

If you need to replace your patio doors, look no further than Zephyr Thomas Home Improvement. We have a long history of providing customers in the Lancaster area with top-notch service using quality materials. We can help you narrow down options and choose the best patio door for your home.

Zephyr Thomas Home Improvement is a company you can trust with any job. If you need to replace your patio doors, call us at 717-399-4708 to schedule a free estimate. Or stop by our office and visit our showroom for some in-person inspiration. Our friendly and expert staff will be glad to assist you in choosing the right style, color, and design when it comes to choosing a new patio door. We also offer just about every other service to fill your home improvement needs!

To get an idea of what a good patio door installation might look like in progress, check out this time-lapse video of some of our experts installing patio doors for a customer.