Durable and Low Maintenance Sliding Glass Door Systems
Apr 15, 2021
Most homeowners have their hands full when it comes to maintaining their homes. Upkeep is a major concern, one that can quickly overtake more weekends than anyone was expecting.
Since most people are leading busy lives, they prefer that every product and finish in their home is low maintenance – from their floors to their high-performance sliding glass patio doors.
Aluminum Vs. Vinyl: How the Two Materials Stack Up
For ease of maintenance, many homeowners are opting for aluminum sliding glass patio doors over vinyl. Recyclable aluminum is also more sustainable than vinyl windows made with PVC plastics. When properly fabricated, finished, and paired with the right hardware, aluminum doors and windows are a reliable, fade-resistant, and low-maintenance choice.
This has become an important feature for homeowners who don’t have time to replace or repair the many components of their property. There may be worse things in life, but stuck exterior glass doors or faded windows can be a blemish on an otherwise amazing place.
More Sustainable: Why Environmentally Friendly Homeowners Choose Anodized Aluminum Over Vinyl
Every product manufactured today has to take into account sustainability, including sliding patio doors. This is not just a necessity for our planet, but a smart business decision that allows brands to make long-term promises.
Sustainability starts with knowing how the decisions made today will affect the decisions of tomorrow. Aluminum is a natural material known for its versatility, making it possible to use and reuse again and again without adding landfill material to the environment. Vinyl plastics are known for exactly the opposite.
The plastic of vinyl doors simply can’t compare to renewable aluminum. Not only does the plastic need to be constructed from scratch, gobbling up any number of limited resources, but these windows and their materials are also rarely recycled.
Anodized Aluminum – Starting with the Right Finish
Anodized is an industry term that refers to the strengthening of material via a specific electrochemical process. When this process is applied to aluminum, the result is a lightweight material that is also incredibly durable.
The anodization process is nothing like that of a protective glaze or durable paint. The acid bath the aluminum undergoes fundamentally changes its chemical makeup. As the oxygen ions are released from the current, they fuse with the metal.
You don’t have to solve ionic equations though to appreciate these popular products. While a standard exterior door can chip, fade, or peel (particularly in high-exposure areas of the home), anodized aluminum holds strong against inclement weather and man-made hazards alike.
Why Choose Aluminum for Hurricane-Prone Areas
Aluminum sliding glass doors have a reputation in the industry for having enough strength to survive (and thrive) in particularly inclement weather. This is of particular concern for homeowners who don’t want to keep replacing glass doors that can’t handle the high winds.
Hurricanes are a serious threat to any property and having the right patio door can go a long way toward protecting both people and property. That’s why you’ll often see high-performance, aluminum sliding glass doors installed over many of the alternatives in Southern states.
Homeowners are always on high alert when the season rolls around every year. Installing the best sliding glass doors is just one less thing to worry about. For property owners who aren’t willing to take a chance on their safety, aluminum is a particularly durable choice for a sliding door.
Is Aluminum Better than Fiberglass?
Fiberglass is made from plastic that has been strengthened with glass fiber. This fiber is treated with a heated resin to make it stronger and more durable against the elements.
Some people might think of fiberglass as an assortment of random materials, but it can also be made into a smoothed sheet. It’s known for its durability and aesthetic versatility, much like aluminum is.
While fiberglass patio doors have many of the same benefits of aluminum, it’s significantly more expensive. Those who don’t want to compromise on durability but do want to conserve their budget will definitely want to compare the costs of both materials.
Anodized Finishes in Endless Options: Patio Doors and Windows that Work with Your Decor
At Panda Windows & Doors, we offer several exterior doors in anodized finishes. By altering the structure of the metal, we make it possible for our customers to avoid corrosion on their patio doors, creating a surface that is perfect for nearly any application (e.g., adhesives, paint, etc.).
So whether you’d prefer a colorful glass door in an industrial house, a more neutral color in a modern home, or even a faux wood finish – you have any number of options to get the design you’re looking for.
Let Us Help You Pick the Right Design
If you’re wondering what patio doors are available and which styles are right for you, we can help you pick the perfect one for your property. A sliding door should be functional, allowing people to exit and enter without hassle, but form is equally important.
A sliding patio door in the right color can serve as a focal point in your home. Or it can mesh into the room so your attention is drawn to the natural show going on just outside the glass.
Why Panda Honors the Tried-and-True Anodization Process
This anodization process was originally popularized in the early 1920s, though the costs of anodized aluminum caused it to lose favor over time — largely due to budget constraints.
Panda Windows & Doors continues to invest in this option though because the results are simply better and more reliable than its less expensive counterparts.
This is not to say that all processes are the same. Not every aluminum sliding patio door will be able to withstand harsh weather or the inevitable bumps and bruises of everyday life. Our glass doors and windows are made with unparalleled durability, giving homeowners one less thing to worry about.
Structural Integrity: The Beauty of Strong Glass and Meticulously Engineered Hardware
When a homeowner considers the kinds of sliding doors they want, they have to take into account just how often they’re going to be used (and by whom).
Structural integrity in a patio door system is critical to how it operates. Some homeowners worry that heavily used, large sliding door systems are more likely to have issues but that doesn’t have to be the case with a reliably durable system in place.
Durable, Smooth European Rollers: Why the Right Hardware Matters
Panda sliding doors use a proven combination of high-end rollers and pulls that make for smooth, reliable operation even after long-term daily use.
Every item we choose to construct our doors was chosen with care and perfectly fitted to go the proverbial distance. When people purchase our doors, they have high expectations.
Resale Value and Aluminum Doors: A Gift that Keeps on Giving
Ideally, our customers want Panda products to come through with flying colors when they use them and when they’re ready to sell their home. Considering how long aluminum windows and doors can last, they are an investment that can pay off in more ways than one.
Panda ensures we live up to the expectations of our clients by treating even the smallest details with the gravity they deserve. We understand how sliding glass doors can help homeowners follow through with the indoor/outdoor vision they have for themselves.
A Sliding Patio Door that Can Gracefully Handle High (and Heavy) Traffic
Whether it’s a party guest or a careless teenager, we know that people don’t always handle a rolling patio door with kid gloves. Having a door that stays aligned and functioning time after time means putting it through the wringer first. By putting performance first, the right patio door will handle it all without breaking a (proverbial) sweat.
For this reason, our patio doors are purposefully engineered for stabilization against any undue stress or pressure. If our customers are going to put their homes to the test, we have to do the same with each and every one of our low-maintenance sliding glass door systems.
Easy to Operate: Opening New Worlds on Your Property
When standing in front of a massive Panda sliding door system, you might think it would be difficult to operate. In reality, Panda doors are engineered to the highest standard, making operation a breeze. No matter the size, our sliding glass doors can be opened with the touch of a finger.
This kind of simple operation makes it more likely that people will either go outside or open up to let more light and fresh air into their property. These uplifting, natural elements are sometimes forgotten about due to the many distractions inside our homes.
It’s not always possible to predict which purchases will have lasting effects on a person’s behavior and lifestyle, but targeting a durable and low-maintenance, multi-slide door system is a great start. If you’re ready to use your patio door more often, it should be a smooth operation from start to finish.
Dust-Free Track Options: How Recessed Tracks Reduce Allergens in the Home
Dust can be the bane of any homeowner’s weekend, but there are ways to keep time spent cleaning to a minimum.
While there is some degree of cleaning when it comes to any sliding glass door system, we offer the option of recessed tracks that can help ward off dust. When the many particles in and around your home don’t have the chance to collect, you can breathe a little easier every time you open or close a sliding patio door.
Care-Free Door Maintenance + Cleaner Air
It’s often the nooks and crevices of a home that collect the allergens that end up interfering with a person’s breathing. They rarely reach the broom or vacuum and can often take more than an attachment to really remove.
Low-maintenance sliding glass door systems have to take into account how much time you have, and Panda knows that you’d like to spend this limited resource with the people you love the most. Instead of kicking up a cloud of debris every time you want to leave or enter the home, opt for a track that can keep the accumulation at bay.
How Energy Efficient Sliding Glass Door Systems Work
Our company got its start in Las Vegas, so one of the first challenges we faced was having to work around the arid climate of the desert.
Unfortunately, a large patio door might not be considered an asset when you’re dealing with these temperatures. Why should any property owner install sliding glass doors if they were just going to cover them all the time to save on utility bills?
The scorching sun in the Mojave is legendary for its stunning skies, but not exactly known for making people comfortable. When we worked on the prototypes, we made sure to put utility bills first so our customers could have the best of both worlds.
Bringing in the Outside World on Unforgiving Days
We found though that the right construction made it possible to meet energy needs and satisfy people’s expectations for comfort. This is no easy feat, but one that we were committed to from the very beginning.
At Panda, we want the outdoors to be accessible, even when the weather is not as welcoming as we’d like it to be. Our first customers found that they had more of a connection to everything that lay just outside their doorstep, even on the most brutal days.
How the Right Patio Door Can Reduce Heat Transfer
Aluminum is known for being a heat conductor, one that can transfer energy pretty rapidly from one spot to another. Panda Windows & Doors essentially kept the best elements of aluminum — its durability and low-maintenance — and whittled down the least desirable aspects.
We ensure that your property is insulated from the outside world with well-constructed patio doors, so you can keep your utility costs at a level you can live with. Smarter engineering and thermally broken systems allow you to take advantage of this undeniably strong and beautiful material.
The TS.X0 Line: Why the Slim Profiles and Massive Panels Are a Work of Art
The TS.X0 line is one we’re proud to crow about. The 15/16” mullions and 6063-T6 aluminum can be combined with recessed headers and jambs to create a floor-to-ceiling glass illusion on your property.
Sought after for its high ratings in every category, a TS.X0 Multi-Slide door is highly resistant to corrosion, boasts an excellent surface finish, and minimizes air/water infiltration when closed.
The design pressure, or the test of external forces against your pressure, is built to keep out harsh winds and errant debris alike. At every phase of our cycling tests, the TS.X0 came through without a scratch. It was the same result when the doors were overloaded.
It all boils down to doors that keep you and your home safe when you need them most. And if you’re concerned that your space might be too large for these doors, consider that Panda patio doors can boast panels up to 250 sq. ft. and up to 16 ft. high.
The track, rollers, and lightweight aluminum make it possible to move panels that are 800 pounds without any effort at all. Should your panels rise above 10 ft., you won’t have to worry about whether they can still handle heavy traffic.
Panda engineers create these patio door panels to be durable and structurally sound, regardless of the configuration of your property. With the help of reinforced stiles, the amount of maintenance does not increase relative to the size of the room.
A Warranty You Can Trust
We trust our windows and doors so much that we made our warranty one of the best in the industry. As time goes by and life tests your home, we’re confident that our solid construction will be able to withstand it all.
Whether you’re more concerned with buying an energy-efficient product or one with a track that can keep up with unintentional abuse from family and guests, or both – we have a solution and door system for you.
It’s more than financials that people are concerned about when they contact us. No one wants to spend their time worrying about who can fix their glass door and whether it will be damaged in the process. A low-maintenance and durable product can cut down on how often you even have to think about it.
If you’re ready to learn more about how much time and effort you can save, we invite you to find a dealer near you or reach out and contact us to see how our doors can live up to the everyday wear and tear of your home.
Double-Glazed Glass vs Spandrel Glass: Which Is Better?
A guide looking at double-glazed glass and spandrel glass and seeing which one is better by comparing their features.
Tempered Glass vs Regular Glass: Which Is Better?
Compare tempered glass with regular glass to see which is ideal for your residential or commercial property.
Tempered Glass vs Spandrel Glass: Which Is Better?
Compare tempered and spandrel glass to determine which glass type is best suited for your property.