How Long Do Patio Doors Take to Install?

You may think that by installing patio doors yourself, you can save a lot of time and money. This is true, and if you’re just removing the existing set of patio doors and installing new ones - it can be done, although you do need to be fairly knowledgeable and skilful to do it. If you’re installing patio doors for the first time, however, you may not want to take on the task yourself. Cutting a hole in the side of your home, making certain everything is sealed correctly, and handing any electrical wiring or piping that needs to be moved is a very complex set of tasks. In this case, hiring a professional may be a much better idea.

However, replacing patio doors or installing doors after an opening is cut isn’t that bad. It will take a good portion of the day, though, so expect to spend six hours or so doing this part of the project, perhaps more. You’ll need a number of different materials as well, including wood shims, silicone caulk, nails, screws, interior moulding, exterior moulding, roofing paper, and drip edge flashing. As far as tools go, you’ll need a circular saw, a hammer, a spirit level, a drill with a screwdriver bit, and a flat crow bar.

Once you’ve got your doors purchased and all the materials and tools gathered it’s time to start the installation. Note that you’ll need at least one other person to help you with the installation. While it may be possible to do it alone, manoeuvring the large glass doors can be difficult, and you don’t want to accidentally drop one and shatter the glass.

Because of the difficulty of cutting an opening in your home, you should almost always leave that portion of the installation to a professional. They will have to install posts to hold up your roof, frame the opening, and more. Once this is done, though, you can take over and handle the rest of the installation.

The next step is to cut your siding. Since you want the exterior moulding to fit under your home’s siding, you need to measure the exact height of your door and decide where your siding needs to be cut. Use your circular saw for this, and be careful you don’t cut too deeply. You may also want the professional to take care of this part.

Next, it’s time to seal off the opening. Pull back your siding and place roofing paper (around a ten-inch piece) under the siding until the entire area is covered. You can secure roofing paper with a standard stapler, although a staple gun makes the process much quicker. Just be certain to get every inch of exposed wood covered.

Now it’s time to position the door in place. Make sure all four sides are level and then tap in the shims. Don’t drive them in too tightly, though, or you’ll bend the door jamb. Once that’s done, nail the moulding to the house frame, then cut off the shims and install your interior moulding.

The final step is to seal off the outside joints with caulk. Make sure there are no places where water can get through. Congratulation - you now have a great looking set of patio doors, and it only took a day or so to install them!