Hello:

Moving into a house with a glass sliding door leading to a deck.

This is the typical type of sliding glass door I guess; one large single
sheet of glass in an Aluminum frame with a handle and simple lock on it.

a. is there any simple way to tell if the glass is thermo-pane, or some
other (good) insulated type of construction ?

b. the door track (on the floor) is pretty bunged up. Do they sell
replacement tracks of a generic type, as I
have no idea what the brand is. The door's probably about 25 yrs of
age.

Thanks,
Bob

Robert11 wrote:
Hello:

Moving into a house with a glass sliding door leading to a deck.

This is the typical type of sliding glass door I guess; one large single
sheet of glass in an Aluminum frame with a handle and simple lock on it.

a. is there any simple way to tell if the glass is thermo-pane, or some
other (good) insulated type of construction ?

Single pane, 25 years old, bunged up sill? You've answered your own
question. It's not insulated.


b. the door track (on the floor) is pretty bunged up. Do they sell
replacement tracks of a generic type, as I
have no idea what the brand is. The door's probably about 25 yrs of
age.


Generally the side jambs are on top of the sill and screwed into the
studs, with interior and exterior finishes attached. I don't know of a
real simple easy way to replace the sill without disturbing the sides.
All things considered, I'd weigh out the labor involved if it is worth
the effort save that single pane settup as compared to leaving it alone
or installing a better unit, be it glass, french doors, etc.

"Robert11" wrote in message

a. is there any simple way to tell if the glass is thermo-pane, or some
other (good) insulated type of construction ?

If it is a single sheet it is not insulated. If it is two sheets is was
indulated, but 25 years later, the seal may be gone. If you see any fogging,
it is gone for sure.



b. the door track (on the floor) is pretty bunged up. Do they sell
replacement tracks of a generic type, as I
have no idea what the brand is. The door's probably about 25 yrs of
age.

I used to have one of those. I bought a new Pella door and got rid of the
aluminum cheapo from the builder. Best move I ever made in that area.

A door like that likely is 1 R at best and wind infiltration is very
high. A new door lowE Argon will be apx R 3.5. I relpaced my aluminum
single glass and noticed a big improvement in heating - cooling costs
and comfort. All are different on ratings Air infiltration, solar heat
gain, condensing factor, R value etc, compare specs before you buy,
Anderson has great specifications.

Robert11 wrote:

Hello:

a. is there any simple way to tell if the glass is thermo-pane, or some
other (good) insulated type of construction ?



light a match.... hold up in front of glass

1 reflection, single glass......2 reflections, some type of insulated glass.



Lenny