Many homeowners find themselves caught in the back and forth debate between repairing or replacing a patio door. Two key factors that should be considered in your decision-making process are the level of quality your solution provides and how cost-effective the solution is. When you put time and money into repairing or replacing your door, the expectation will always be that it will function flawlessly as a result for years to come.

Omaha Door & Window focuses on bringing the most value to our customers. Our team of experts provides both repair and replacement services, so we’d be happy to help you identify the signs indicating if your patio door should live to see another day or if it is simply time for a change. Here are some scenarios that can help you determine what your best course of action is:

When to Repair…
• If the trouble with your door can be isolated to a certain component, it’s likely that there will be a fix for that, so you don’t have to replace the door in its entirety. For example, worn-down rollers may be preventing the door from operating smoothly, which we’d solve by replacing the rollers.
• If the glass has failed and moisture is building between the panes, we’d be able to replace both panes within the patio door to solve this issue.
• If there are issues with the screen in the door or the actual frame that holds the screen in place, both can be addressed. We’d either re-screen the door or replace the parts of the frame that have failed.

When to Replace…
• If there is a faulty design element in play, replacement is the best bet to solve for the issue. Technology has come a long way in the last decade and with that, product design has evolved greatly, specifically in the security department. An older door with one hook that latches downwards is considered faulty and not up to modern day security standards. So if you have an older, less secure door, consider replacing it for a new door.
• If your door is made of a material that’s been compromised (such as aluminum or metal, which is prone to ice build-up in the winter), a full replacement is the best course of action.
• If any part of the door shows signs of rot, you’ll want to opt for replacement sooner rather than later. If ignored for too long, the rot can spread and cause larger issues down the road.
• If the weatherstripping design is outdated, it’s likely not doing you any favors. The location of weatherstripping in older door designs has been found to be inferior to newer doors, which not only have more weatherstripping overall, but also utilize more strategic placement to ensure your home is properly sealed off.
• If your patio door was installed before 1990, it’s likely that the glass that’s in use within the door is out of date. Older patio doors contain clear glass, whereas newer doors have one or more Low-E coatings on the glass with argon gas between the panes. By replacing your outdated patio door with a newer model that uses upgraded glass, you’ll nearly double your energy efficiency
No matter the problem you face with your patio door, our years of expertise helping the residents of the Omaha metro area gives us the knowledge and hands-on experience to solve your patio door problems. To learn more about how we can help, contact us. A member of our team will be happy to determine a course of action that is ideal for you while staying within your budget.