Sliding Patio Doors – I have a problem with my patio doors with them being frosting up on the inside.  This is an indication that they have lost their seal and therefore moisture has entered the space between the two panes of glass.  I would like not to have to replace them or pay the expense to repair them; rather I would like to do the repair job myself.  I have never done or seen this done before. I am asking for advice on doing it myself.  I don’t believe it could be that hard, my concern is the procedure and any special equipment I would need.  Any and all advice would be appreciated.  Thank you.v

The cost of equipment to do it properly would be more than the cost of replacing the whole unit.   Gmaint is correct, you don't want to do it yourself.  Not only are the panes sealed, but they are also filled with a dry, inert, gas.  like dry nitrogen, sometimes argon.

Looking at my slider, it looks like the double pane assembly may not be that hard to remove from the frame and replace with another assembly of the same size.  It looks like the frame part can remain.  Best to talk to a glass company.  Cost may be considerably less than replacing the whole frame and everything. 

It is not that hard at all to replace these doors. Two people can get it done within a day. The longest amount of time will be removeing the existing door.

Here's how you measure:
Remove the casing and then measure the gap left to right and then top to bottom. That's going to be the rough opening.

BE WARNED!!!! Before removing the casing, score the caulking between the wall and casing to cut thrrough the caulking and then slowly pry the casing away from the wall.

If you are married...does your bride want the same set up or maybe upgrade to a French Door?

Either way - you need to determine the rough opening...that's how doors are sold.

The last 2 patio doors I replaced were originally framed at 59" wide, and required extensive work to reframe at 60." The last one was too short and required some reframing overhead and replacing + leveling the rotted sill too. Still, had no problem finishing both door installations in about 1 1/2 days each, (by myself) including bituthene and all trim, but not including paint/stain. Both jobs required removal of some siding in order to weatherseal properly. Depending on the situation of the outside siding and underlayers, this can be much easier or harder than these examples. Ideally the existing width of the opening in the siding will equal the outside width of the new door as measured on the trim, and the framing is already at 60."

I like the Home Depot wooden sliders with the built-in blinds, for about $900, but there are many cheaper options.

TPosted By jwillis1 on 04-18-2012 09:13 AM 
Sliding Patio Doors – I have a problem with my patio doors with them being frosting up on the inside.  This is an indication that they have lost their seal and therefore moisture has entered the space between the two panes of glass.  I would like not to have to replace them or pay the expense to repair them; rather I would like to do the repair job myself.  I have never done or seen this done before. I am asking for advice on doing it myself.  I don’t believe it could be that hard, my concern is the procedure and any special equipment I would need.  Any and all advice would be appreciated.  Thank you.v

The question is about restoring the integrity of the double pane glass.

In that case it's probably worth looking into purchasing pre-built double panes from the manufacturer or possibly another supplier. I seriously doubt that it's cost-effective to have them custom built. It might even be feasible to replace both doors with the glass intact, if the manufacturer can be located, and depending on the construction of the assembly.

I seems to me that if the labor and supplies are about the same, then it makes more sense to put in a new door-- But that depends on a lot of things such as the condition of the existing door and the issues concerning matching the trim and things like that. Generally when the panes are condensed, the rest of the door is in pretty bad shape too. At least that has been my experience.

Depending on the style and manufacturer of the unit you may have what is called weep holes, if these weep holes are clogged it will retain moister between the two panes... Weep holes may be located at the bottom/top or both ends on each sliding door..

If these doors are screwed together frames then it is possible to just replace the panes, but you must take one with you for the match up. I would call around and get a rough estimate of the cost, sometimes it's just as cheap to purchase a new unit.

Note: Look all around to see if you can find a manufacturer's sticker it could be anywhere. If there is one check to see if it has a lifetime or limited warranty concerning this matter. If not, it may give you the measurements needed for what ever you choose to do with it.