What to Look for in a Good Sliding Patio Door with Built-in Blinds?
Asked by CuriousCat42
I need to replace my old sliding glass patio door (60x80). The current one is cheap, doesn't lock properly, and I'm hoping to upgrade to something more secure and durable. I got a quote from a company for almost $9,500 for a basic door with installation, which was a real shocker since I can find the door itself for way less. I'm considering buying the door and doing the install myself with some help from family, but I'm looking for recommendations on decent quality doors that have built-in blinds and good security without breaking the bank. Has anyone replaced theirs and can suggest brands or models to look at? Any pitfalls I should be aware of?
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I had a 72" x 96" door replaced recently using a local company, and it was around $2800, which felt fair compared to some of the outrageous quotes I got before. At first, I thought about doing it myself, but watching a pro took away my certainty—it can really take longer than you think! We decided against built-in blinds because if they fail, fixing them can be a hassle.
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If you go the DIY route, I’d suggest buying your door separately and hiring a local contractor for installation. We had four pretty complicated exterior doors replaced and saved a lot by doing that. The doors cost about $6k and labor was about $3k which is much better than what some of the bigger companies were quoting. They often want the easy jobs on newer houses and will give crazy estimates just to avoid dealing with older ones.
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Check out Stanley dual sliding doors; I've had great luck with them! They come with built-in mini blinds, which is a nice feature. Here’s a link to one on Home Depot that I really like: [Stanley Doors at Home Depot](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Stanley-Doors-72-in-x-80-in-Double-Sliding-Patio-Door-with-Internal-Mini-Blinds-600004/204999750). They’ve been really solid for me.
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JonesyDIY: I’ve heard mixed reviews about built-in blinds, though. They look sleek but can be a pain if anything goes wrong with them. Just something to think about!