I have a job coming up. They are Pella sliding patio door about 25 years old. They have the removable inside glass panel. They have always fooged up in the winter even though the vent holes are kept clean.
So I have a price for insulated glass panel to re-glaze the units. Question is how much undersize should the glazing be relative to the opening?
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How is it held in place? the turn keepers or something else? Ya lost me here...
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
You gonna play that thing?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32Ln-SpJsy0
The exsisting Pella unit has the removable inside glass panel. What I am thinking about doint is remove ALL the exsisting glass and replace it with the insulated glass panel. I will use a interior wooden stop to retain the unit.
I am wondering how much I should undersize the unit to allow for expandtion/contraction?
Tom
Couldn't you just measure what is there now and replace it with the same size? Or ask Pella what they recommend? I may be wrong, but how much does glass expand and contract?--it would only be affected by heat/cold--not humidity/dryness. I would think that the frame it's in would expand and contract too--probably at a greater rate than the glass. Seems like if you planned for putting glass in when the opening is at it's smallest, you would not have to worry. But during what season that would be is hard to tell--is door aluminum or wood? Wood, of course, will swell with humidity, so the opening may be smallest in summer, but if aluminum, heat will make it expand and opening will be largest in summer. Sounds like you have wood, so I'd say if you make the glass slightly loose now, you'd be okay. But see what others say, I'm just guessing.
I'd use the existing as a template or size reference, and stick with that. I mean you don't need to factor in a "tolerance" and you also don't want an "interference" fit. Shoe horning in the IG unit MAY put undeu pressure on the glass seals, but in a modern home with a Pella door, I'd not expect the DOOR frame to be more active..thay use staved cores and are reliable as far as shrinking and swelling.
Give yer self an 1/8 all round just for SQ. adjustments IF the door is reasonably sound, w/out sagging.
DO get neoprene setting blocks from the glass monger, it / they keep the lites from sliding past each other and impnging on the seals between the lites( panes, if you will)..glass settling will be the issue, not expansion and contraction.
BTW, DO not , ever, rely on the glass to "hang" an out of square door (or window) and keep it Square, it will get point load and buckle, glass is a LIQUID, a slow, thick LIQUID..deformations will show years from now, if you ignore that.
I "float" single panes in caulk, yup, NO bedding putty.And you want the IG doubles to be sealed ( with Big Stretch or similar, NO SILICONE!!!!!!!) to the rabbet, and then seat the IG unit with the spacers ( you will get a pile from the glass guys, I hope) and then install the stops. I use 23 ga pins and azek as stops, screw the idea of putty, it fails. Often.
Sorry if I went beyond the scope of your issue, but, I am quelling futer questions about the similar issues.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
You gonna play that thing?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32Ln-SpJsy0
Generally 3/8" to 1/2". The unit should set on rubber blocks.
Custom sized tempered insulated glass is expensive. I'd consider replacing the unit before putting any money in a 25 year old slider.
I'm working up to saying the same thing. I've seen a lot of 15YO Pellas that need whole unit replacement.
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Thanks for all the input.
As for the units there are in very good shape. All the parts work fine and I just re-did the weatherstrip. The new glazing with low e tempered is $350 for 2 pieces so that will do one complete slider. So basically what I am going to do is "convert" the Designer Series to a Proline. Just tired of looking at the fog in the winter time.
BTW after these units are done I will be redoing the 3 sahes in the Dining Room. No tempered there so the cost comes wat down. Just need to check and see if my trim router will be able to squeeze into a tight area.
Kunger
If the unit is 25 years old, then so is the weatherstriping and the rollers.
Knowing what I know as a contractor, and seeing what the RO looks like when the old units come out, then as a HO I would put my money towards a complete new unit.
25 year old Pellas in cold climates usually have very badly stained or rotten interior wood from all the condensation.
That's my 2 cents.
Rich
Is complete replacement an option? After 25 years, the rollers, tracks, latches, etc are probably well worn too.
If re-glazing is the only choice, the glass guy should be able to size the replacement panel(s) for you.