If you want to truly open up a room in your home and feel closer to the great outdoors, then there are few home improvement projects that can beat installing a large panoramic folding glass door leading outside. You’ll get a lot more fresh air, plenty of sunlight, and maybe you’ll even hear the birds chirping in the morning.

Of course, that’s all fine and well until you get your first big rainstorm…

Thankfully, most folding doors are manufactured to a high standard of quality and are designed to be insulated against rainwater and even minor flooding. However, if you have an older set of folding doors or a defect in your track system, then you may end up with a leaking glass door.

In today’s post, we’ll guide you through some of the most common causes of leaky folding door systems and what you can do to prevent the problem in the future. After all, it’s still hurricane season, so you’ll want to make sure that you’re protected the next time a big storm comes along.

Why Do Folding Doors Leak?

Your folding doors may be leaking for a number of different reasons. Before we get into some of the best ways to fix your leaky folding door system, it helps to understand where the root cause of your leak is coming from. This will allow you to make an accurate assessment of the problem so that you can fix it the first time around!

Old Doors

If you’ve had your folding door system for 10 years or more, then there’s a good chance that your doors are just old. While some folding door systems are designed to last 20 years plus, others won’t survive quite that long. Either way, most doors have a limited warranty that doesn’t usually surpass 10 years.

After this period of time, weather stripping can break down, the door materials can shrink and expand, and hinges and rolling mechanisms can lose their watertight seals. Additionally, your house itself can shift incrementally over the course of 10 years, which can warp your doors or the track they roll on.

Improper Installation

If you have a newer set of folding doors that shouldn’t be leaking, then there’s always the chance that they were just installed the wrong way. If your contractor didn’t pay special attention to the instructions or they were negligent with their work, then you could end up with leaks. Perhaps they didn’t install the weather stripping the correct way, or the track wasn’t properly secured to be watertight.

Most contractors have a satisfaction guarantee on their work though. So, as long as you’re within the bounds of reason, it shouldn’t be an issue for them to come back out and take a look at your door to make sure everything is secure. If it turns out that the error was on their end, then they’ll likely fix it for no additional cost.

Flush Bottom Mount

A lot of homeowners and business owners opt for the flush bottom-mounting track for their folding door systems. Flush bottom mounts have several advantages, including:

• They aren’t a tripping hazard.
• They’re wheelchair-friendly.
• They give your folding doors a more modern, high-tech appearance.

However, the one disadvantage of flush bottom mounts is that they don’t have a protective lip to act as a barrier for flooding. This means that if the door’s weatherstripping isn’t up to par, that water will be able to enter your home from underneath your door. This especially tends to be a problem with folding doors that go straight into the outdoors (instead of opening up to an enclosed porch or overhang).

The Angling Of Your Porch

Lastly, if your multi-fold door is leaking, then there’s a chance that it could be due to the angling of your porch. Exterior porches are supposed to be angled slightly away from your door. This allows any rainwater to roll away in the opposite direction of your folding doors. However, if your house has shifted or your porch was improperly built, then the rainwater could be rolling toward your folding doors.

To check the angle of your deck, you can place a level tool on the porch directly in front of your door. This should tell you if it’s what’s been causing your leaking folding doors.

Can You Fix A Leaky Folding Door?

Thankfully, most folding door leaks can be fixed to prevent them from happening as frequently. If you live in a super-rainy area that’s prone to flooding, then you may not be able to entirely eliminate them. However, it’s always worth a try.

Additionally, you may be able to modify your existing folding door system by adding a weatherproof lip, new weather stripping, or even a drain in front of your doors to prevent water from building up and entering your home.

How To Prevent A Leaky Folding Door

So, that being said, let’s take a few minutes to look at some of the best ways to prevent a leaking folding door in the future (or fix your current leaking doors).

1) Purchase A Weatherproof Folding Door

They say hindsight is 20-20, but if you’re in the market for a new set of folding doors, then you may want to consider purchasing hurricane-proof (or at least weatherproof) folding doors. These shouldn’t let any water in at all.

2) Install A New Bottom Track

Your folding door company may offer various track options for the bottom lip of the door system. One of the most permanent solutions to a leaking glass door could be to simply remove the glass doors, install a new bottom track with a raised lip, and then set the doors back in place.

3) Install A Drain In Front Of Your Door

If you don’t want to modify the door itself, then one of the easiest things you can do is to install a small drain or grated gutter in front of your door. This should prevent any rainwater or flood water from puddling up directly in front of your folding door.

Final Thoughts

Having a leaky folding door can certainly be a bummer. Thankfully, they’re also relatively easy to fix! The first step is to identify where exactly your leak is coming from. Then, you should call the door’s manufacturer to figure out the best course of action to prevent future leaking. Nine times out of ten, they’ll recommend doing one of the fixes that we mentioned above.