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Sliding patio door track

user-6651407 | Posted in General Questions on

I have a question regarding our sliding patio door. We had hard driving rain over the weekend. I noticed a small amount of rain water in the track of the sliding glass door. Not much, was able to wipe up with a paper towel.
Should rain water be on the interior side of the sliding door track? According to comments from the manufacturer, the answer is yes. Just doesn’t seem right to me.
For clarifications, this door is going to go out onto the deck, but the deck hasn’t been built at the moment. There is no ground next to the door, it is elevated above the walk-out basement. From what I can tell, the water came in from the exterior side of the track, assuming from the water dripping down the glass.

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Replies

  1. Stockwell | | #1

    No, you should not have water inside, no matter what. Check to make sure any weep holes on the outside are open and not blocked. Does the sill slope down away from the doors?

  2. GBA Editor
    Martin Holladay | | #2

    Birdie,
    Kevin's suggestion to check the weep holes is a good one. They are often clogged by dirt or vegetable matter.

    Another important point is that any exterior door should be protected by a wide roof. What you are aiming for is a roof that keeps rain away from the door threshold except in extraordinary circumstances (unusually high wind). If your designer, architect, or builder omitted such a roof, you should consider installing one.

  3. Stockwell | | #3

    Birdie--as I am in the process of looking at sliding doors right now, could I ask which brand/model of door you have? I'd like to look up the water resistance ratings and see how it compares to your experience.

  4. user-6651407 | | #4

    I am not 100% sure on the specific model, but it is a JELD-WEN sliding door.

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