Impact Sliding Glass Doors in Doral, FL

Impact sliding glass doors replace the patio and balcony sliders that are often the biggest, most exposed openings in a Doral home. A standard slider is a wide pane of glass on a track, and under hurricane pressure it can bow, pop out of the track or shatter. An impact slider uses laminated glass, a heavier frame and an interlocking design tested for the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, so the panels stay locked together and in their tracks when the wind loads them.

Why sliders take extra planning

The bigger the panel, the higher the wind load it must resist, so a 12-foot slider needs a stronger frame than a 6-foot one. Large panels of laminated glass are also heavy, which affects rollers, tracks and how the door feels to open. Condo balconies on upper floors usually call for higher design pressures than ground-floor patios. We match the rating to the opening, its height and its exposure.

Water at the sill

Doral gets heavy rain in the May to October wet season, often in short, intense bursts. A slider's sill sits right at floor level, so its water rating and the way it is set matter. We check that the patio or balcony slopes away from the door, use a sill with a high enough water resistance rating for the exposure, and seal the pan beneath it before the door goes in.

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Configurations

Sliders are described by their number of panels and tracks. An XO door has one moving panel and one fixed. An OXXO has two moving panels in the middle. Multi-track doors let every panel slide and stack to one side, opening most of the wall. Corner units meet at 90 degrees without a post and suit homes facing a lake or pool. Each configuration has its own approval and its own size limits.

In condos

For condo units, the association's hurricane protection specifications often set frame color and glass tint so the building looks uniform. The city may also treat a multi-story condo as a commercial building for permit purposes. We confirm both before quoting and coordinate access through the building management for the install day.