How to Prevent Water Leaks on Your Sliding Glass Doors

Sliding glass doors offer homeowners a great alternative option to traditional hinged doors, providing the benefits of space-saving functionality, increased natural light and a seamless connection between a home’s indoor and outdoor spaces. However, they are not without their own challenges and a common challenge that many homeowners with sliding glass doors face is water leakage. In this post, we take a closer look at some of the most common causes of water leaks on your sliding glass doors and the steps that you can take to prevent them from happening.

Common Causes of Water Leaks on Sliding Glass Doors

There are many different factors that can lead to water leaks on sliding glass doors, including:

Poor Installation

This cause is most common in newer homes, and water leaks caused by poor installation tend to manifest within weeks of the installation being completed. In cases where the door is not level or flashing isn’t properly applied, water can easily seep through the gaps around the frame.

Clogged or Dirty Tracks

A buildup of dirt and debris, such as leaves, along the tracks of sliding glass doors can eventually lead to the drainage holes being blocked over time. This might cause water to pool and eventually overflow into your home, causing a water leak.

Extreme Weather Conditions

With poorly maintained or older sliding glass doors, extreme weather conditions such as exceptionally heavy rains might overwhelm the caulking or weatherstripping, causing water leaks.

How to Prevent Water Leaks

Most homeowners would know that water leaks, whether on windows or doors, can be very troublesome to deal with and can cause a lot of damage to the surrounding areas. As such, here are some things that you can do to prevent water leaks on your sliding glass doors:

• Keeping Door Tracks Clean: Cleaning the tracks of your sliding glass doors regularly can help prevent dirt and debris from building up and clogging the drainage system.
• Inspect Regularly: You should also inspect your sliding glass doors regularly to ensure that the waterproofing elements, such as weatherstripping and caulking, are in good condition. Replacing any damaged or worn-out weatherstripping elements can help reduce the likelihood of water leaks when it rains.
• Check Alignment: Even if your doors are professionally installed, they may become misaligned over time. Thus, check the alignment of your doors periodically to ensure that they seal properly and that there are no gaps through which water can seep into your home.

Get Your Doors and Windows from Valley Windows

Valley Windows is the leading manufacturer and supplier of custom windows and doors in Melbourne. Our extensive catalogue includes both timber sliding doors and aluminium sliding doors, as well as countless other door and window designs that you can choose from. Contact us today to find out more about how we can help with your window and door needs!