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Smooth-gliding, well-sealed glass doors since 1986
GTS Windows & Doors has installed windows and doors from our Bridgeport base in Kitchener since 1986, and sliding patio doors are among the jobs we quote most often. We replace worn, drafty sliders in homes across Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Guelph and the surrounding townships. The doors we are typically called about have stiff rollers, fogged glass and a sill that has let water in for years.
Good patio door replacement is less about the door itself and more about what happens at the sill. We set each new frame on a sloped, flashed sill, support it properly where it meets a deck or walkout, and tie it into the wall's air and water barriers so the opening stays dry. That detail is where most leaky patio doors go wrong, and it is where our installers spend the most time.
Our customers are homeowners, landlords and builders who want a door that glides easily, locks securely and holds heat through an Ontario winter. We are licensed, insured and WSIB covered, we install ENERGY STAR rated products, and our installations carry a 20-year parts and labour warranty. Every price we give comes from an on-site measure, and we walk you through frame, glass and lock choices before you commit to anything.
A sliding door can often be repaired, so replacement should be a considered decision. These are the signs we look for when a homeowner asks whether their door has reached the end of its life.
If only one of the problems above applies, our sliding glass door repair service may be the cheaper fix. When replacement is the right call, these are the choices you will make.
The standard two-panel slider comes in widths of roughly 5, 6 and 8 feet, with one fixed panel and one operating panel. Three- and four-panel units suit wide openings onto a deck or backyard, with one or two panels that move.
Most doors are about 80 inches tall, and taller units are available for homes with higher ceilings. We size from the rough opening, not the old door, so the new unit fits the structure rather than the trim.
Vinyl is the most common and best-value frame, with multi-chamber profiles that insulate well and never need painting. Fibreglass is stiffer and more stable in dark colours, so it resists the bowing that makes wide vinyl panels drag.
Aluminum and aluminum-clad frames give the slimmest sightlines and a modern look. For our climate we only recommend aluminum with a proper thermal break.
Every panel uses tempered or laminated safety glass, which the Ontario Building Code requires in sliding doors. Most doors we fit are double glazed with Low-E coating, argon gas and warm-edge spacers, and triple glazing is available where comfort near the glass matters most.
Blinds sealed between the panes are popular in kitchens and family rooms because they never collect dust and pets cannot bend them. Tinted, frosted and laminated glass can also be specified.
A slider saves floor space because the panel travels along the wall instead of swinging into the room. That makes it the practical choice where a kitchen table or sectional sits close to the doorway.
Hinged doors seal tighter because the panel presses against weatherstrip on all four sides, and a pair opens the full width of the doorway. If you are weighing a swinging door, our page on French door installation explains in-swing and out-swing options.
A garden door, with one fixed panel and one hinged panel, sits between the two and suits narrower openings. All three styles are part of our full range of exterior doors, so we can price them side by side for the same opening.
| Factor | Sliding patio door | French or garden door |
|---|---|---|
| Floor space needed | None, the panel slides | Clear swing area inside or outside |
| Usable opening | About half the unit width | Full width with a double door |
| Air sealing | Good, with pile and fin weatherstrip | Very good, with compression seals |
| Locking | Multi-point locks available | Multi-point locks common |
| Typical installed cost | Lower for the same width | Usually higher for the same width |
Most patio doors in Waterloo Region open onto a wood deck, a raised walkout or a concrete patio, and each one creates its own water problem. The sill is where water collects, so it gets the most attention on our installs.
Once the old door is out, we probe the subfloor, rim joist and sill plate for rot left by years of slow leaks. Soft wood is cut out and replaced before anything new goes in.
The rough sill is shimmed and covered with a sill pan or self-adhered membrane that turns up at the back and ends. Any water that gets past the door drains outward, and the pan laps over the exterior flashing, never behind it.
A patio door sill needs continuous support along its full length, or it can flex under foot traffic and open the seals. Where the deck sits well below the sill, we add solid blocking underneath.
Where a deck ledger is fastened to the house just below the door, the ledger flashing and the sill membrane have to work together. We check that the flashing is present and lapped correctly, because a leak here rots both the rim joist and the deck connection.
We keep a small step down from the door sill to the deck surface so snow and standing water sit below the sill rather than against it. Deck boards raised flush with the threshold are one of the most common causes of winter leaks we find.
The gap between frame and framing is filled with low-expansion foam and sealed to the house wrap and interior vapour barrier. We finish with interior casing and exterior capping or trim to suit the house.
Older sliders were easy to lift off their tracks or pry open at a single latch. Current doors close most of those gaps, and a few low-cost additions close the rest.
A sliding screen that tracks smoothly makes the door far more usable from spring to fall. We fit a new screen with every patio door, and worn screens on other doors can be replaced through our screen door installation service.
The ranges below are typical 2026 installed prices in Kitchener-Waterloo, including removal and disposal of the old door, a new flashed sill, foam, and interior and exterior trim. Your written quote reflects the exact size, product and condition of your opening.
For a side-by-side look at how patio doors compare with windows and entry doors on price, see our Kitchener window and door cost guide.
| Door type | Typical size | Typical installed price |
|---|---|---|
| Vinyl two-panel slider, double glazed | 5 or 6 ft wide | $2,800 to $4,800 |
| Vinyl slider, triple glazed or with blinds between the glass | 6 ft wide | $3,800 to $6,000 |
| Vinyl two-panel slider, double glazed | 8 ft wide | $3,800 to $6,500 |
| Fibreglass slider | 6 to 8 ft wide | $5,000 to $9,000 |
| Thermally broken aluminum or multi-panel slider | 9 to 12 ft wide | $8,000 to $16,000 or more |
| Widening the opening (added to the door price) | New header and framing | $2,500 to $6,000 |
A standard same-size slider is usually installed in one day, often in 4 to 6 hours. Made-to-order doors typically arrive about 4 to 8 weeks after the final measure. Rot repair or widening the opening adds time to the install day.
Yes, we replace patio doors all year. The opening is only open for a short time before the new unit is set and sealed, and we protect the room from snow and cold while we work. We use sealants and foam rated for cold-weather application.
Yes, and turning a narrow slider into an 8-foot door is a common upgrade. Widening an opening in an exterior wall needs a new structural header and usually a building permit, which we plan for in the quote. Our guide to window and door permits in Kitchener explains when a permit is required.
Modern ones are far better than the doors they replace, with Low-E glass, argon fill, warm-edge spacers and insulated frames. Choosing an ENERGY STAR certified model is the simplest way to confirm performance. A qualifying door may also count toward Ontario's home renovation rebates, which we explain on our window and door rebates page.
Tell us the size of your current door and what it opens onto, and we will book an on-site measure. Your written quote will spell out the door, glass, sill work and trim.
Call or text226-806-0597