Here Are The Amazing Benefits of Updating a Patio Door Separator

Discover three amazing benefits of updating a patio door in your home.

What’s the deal with patio doors and blinds? In our very first home the patio door had cheap vertical blinds that were constantly breaking. The door itself leaked so bad it whistled in winter. When we moved to our present home the patio doors had a better set of blinds and seemed more efficient. Below is a view of our old patio door.

However, after only a few days of living here we discovered the blinds blocked the doors from closing. (Below you can see the wear on the door trim where they would hit.) Chris and I had to physically move the blinds over every time to get the door to close properly. Sebastian would get so frustrated trying to shut the door that he would end up slamming it. (Which of course, every parent loves.) And he still couldn’t get the door to close because of the blinds.

And our doors didn’t seal well at all. We would freeze sitting next to them in the winter months. Did I mention the patio screen? It had a ton of holes that the precious owner attempted to patch with tape. Tape people!

Naturally when the lovely people at Andersen Windows reached out to me about a new Perma-Shield Gliding Patio door with built-in blinds — I was beyond thrilled! That doesn’t really describe it — I was ecstatic!

Installing the Door

Unfortunately, installing a patio door is way beyond my diy skill level. So we hired out. Casey and his crew did a fabulous job and I really enjoyed watching the whole process. I couldn’t wait to kiss those old doors and blinds goodbye.

The doors happened to be shorter than our original opening. So Casey filled the space in with a 2×4 board and then secured the door to the wall frame. Next, he filled in the area between the door and the walls with insulation foam.

The last step was adding new trim around the door to finish the installation process. After Casey and he’s crew left, I was left with this beautiful view.

Amazing, right?! All I had to do was paint the trim and repaint a tiny bit of the wall above the door. That kind of diy I was totally able to do! 😉 And now let me introduce you to our gorgeous new patio door.

Protection Both Inside and Out

Our last door was just a simple builder-grade vinyl door that was obviously wearing out. But the great thing about our new Perma-Shield door is that the exterior and interior are low maintenance and built to last. The door won’t peel, blister, flake or corrode and we will never need to paint it. The frames exterior is protected by a tough vinyl cover that also resists dents and repels water from rain and snow.

Cut Heating and Cooling Costs

I can’t wait to see the difference in our electric bill this year. Even after two snows, we have already noticed a difference on the warmth in the dining room. The doors flexible weatherstrip provides a positive seal between the frame and panels. It’s designed to keep out drafts, wind and water. And I think it’s doing an excellent job!

The stylish door hardware helps with efficiency too. The unique Andersen reach out locking hardware pulls the door panel snugly into the jamb for a weather tight lock. So there will be no winter whistling with these doors!

Our previous door would jiggle even after you locked. It never seemed really secure. Now I actually love locking the door because you turn the latch and feel it connect. But then the latch turns just a little bit more and you feel the door pull in tighter. It gives you a really nice sense of security and safety.

And let’s not forget the glass! The Low-E tempered glass in the door panels also helps with heating and cooling costs. Because it reflects heat in the summer and helps keep heat inside in the winter. Which is perfect for our sunny and snowy days in Colorado.

Protection for Blinds

I mentioned before how our previous patio door blinds were horrendous. So you know I absolutely love blinds that are safely located between the panes of insulated glass. Cue the hallelujah choir!

No dust. No cords. And no damage from little boys!

To raise the blinds up, I simply glide the lower slider down.

The upper slider smoothly tilts the blinds up or down. During the day, I have the blinds tilted down to let in plenty of light for us and my fiddle leaf fig. 🙂 At night, I tilt them up for privacy. It’s like a dream come true to be able to close the door so easily with blinds!

Who knew blinds and patio doors could live together in such perfect harmony? Andersen Windows knew! And I am so glad they do. Everyone is loving the new doors. Not only did they give our dining room a more modern, sleek look — but they also saved us all from daily frustration!