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Design Dilemma
jcorn1

Advice on sliding glass door options, Pella?

12 years ago
last modified: 12 years ago
Hi. Could someone tell me if I've put this in the right area of Houzz? We are considering a high end Pella sliding glass door, with blinds between the panes. I have a couple of concerns, though, and hope someone can provide input. I am trying to attach a photo of our style choice but it didn't upload the first time so I had to leave it in a comment below so see that for the photo of the style we're considering.

First, I was assured that the blinds (we choose a neutral color for ease in later resale of the house) would not get dusty or be a problem. Has this been true for those of you who have used Pella sliding doors? We'd really like to get the blinds option because curtains aggravate our allergies but I'd be bothered by looking at dusty blinds between the panes.

Also, we are not going with vinyl sliding glass doors because I think the Architect and Designer series seems more upscale and helps maintain or add to home value. Do buyers care about that as much as I'm assuming?

But most important: how happy have any of you been with Pella sliding glass doors? Thanks! This is a relatively expensive decision for us.
Featured Answer
  • 12 years ago
    I have Pella and would never want blinds / blinds inside so can't comment on that. I have some french doors and a double sliding door. One thing abuot pella sliding doors (and I agree they are superior to vinyl) is that they make them with the screen on the inside. I'm not a fan of that - it was not a nice surprise. Anderson and someother aluminum clad wood sliders presumably leave the screen door to the outside as you expect.

    Comments (26)

    • 12 years ago
      Full disclosure-husband used to sell Pella and now sells Renewal by Andersen. We have two sets of Pella sliding doors and, as far as function, they are fine. The blinds between the glass have a tendency to stick. We ended up taking them out of one set because it got too frustrating to try to wiggle them down. It is a investment so, I would check several reviews before committing.
      J Corn thanked User
    • 12 years ago
      Thank you.

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    • 12 years ago
      The above photo shows the type of door ( but not the exact color of trim or hardware). Opinions about Pella sliding glass door with blinds inside?
    • 12 years ago
      last modified: 12 years ago
      We were told we can omit the screen. We don't want or need a screen and had an unfortunate experience when we put a new door in our family room, only to have someone walk through the screen 2 days later! . It looked invisible at night, even with outside lights on. I like having the screen option on our windows, though. Just not crazy about them on a sliding glass door. Just a personal preference based on several screen mishaps. .
    • 12 years ago
      I have 2 Pella sliders with blinds.
      Each is in a different home and was bought at different times, so design of each differs.

      I love having the blinds as window treatments are sometimes difficult on sliders.

      You can access the blinds and also clean the glass between the two sections of glass.

      I don't have much need to raise and lower the blinds, I generally leave them down and just open or close the blinds.
      Grandchildren and pets can't bother with them.
      I've been happy and unless another brand offers blinds between glass, I would buy Pella again.
      J Corn thanked Judy M
    • 12 years ago
      So helpful to get such a range of viewpoints! I really appreciate it.

      I have been researching like crazy and faced some sticker shock and a reality check while looking at the various options and price ranges. We would be leaving the blinds down and just open or close them to let in light...like Judy M noted in the above comment.

      I want to make a choice that meets our current needs but also helps our home maintain or even increase in value (one less thing for a potential buyer to replace). Am I wrong to assume that potential buyers would notice the difference between less expensive options (vinyl) and the higher end ones? I have no idea what buyers do and don't notice. Of course, we also want something that we'll enjoy before we downsize.

      Light control, a streamlined look, and less allergies (the kind that come from curtains) are major factors in choosing blinds. We could then get rid of our curtains.

      I figure it could be cost effective in the long run to pay more now and have a door that (hopefully) lasts longer.
    • 12 years ago
      Do you have a Pella showroom or lumber yard near you to look at them in person?
      There locks are very good as well.

      I don't know if all buyers will notice or if a certain type door will matter to them, but it does for me.

      Without the blinds, at night a slider becomes two large black boxes, a look I don't like.

      Summer time we don't always close them as our neighbors are not close but in winter we do close them.

      The newer slider we have is in a vacation home and the houses are closer, so the blinds were important for privacy.
      I'm a fan!
      J Corn thanked Judy M
    • 12 years ago
      My experience is that most buyers don't appreciate the difference. There will be a few buyers who do, but the majority probably would be perfectly happy with the vinyl especially if it matches or complements your exterior trim.

      I had Pella Architectural Series wood exterior French doors, not sliders, and I was not happy with them. The finish on the handles did not last more than two winters in our winter weather. The doors seemed to swell and shrink with the weather causing the locks to not fit well without us pushing or pulling or making adjustments. Pella used to be an excellent brand, but when their high-end product performs like this, I think they are not as well built as previously. Our doors were purchased new about 12 years ago.
      J Corn thanked prairiegourmet
    • 12 years ago
      I notice windows and doors in houses when looking at open houses, homes for sale, etc. In my area listings will call out brand names if windows are Pella or Anderson etc. I think it is a selling point.
      J Corn thanked maxdc
    • PRO
      12 years ago
      Cheap windows and doors usually don't work very smoothly after just a couple of years and that is very noticeable when you look at a house for sale.
      J Corn thanked Linda
    • 12 years ago
      Wow, quite a range of viewpoints! We do have snowy and cold weather for weeks at a time here so that is a factor too.
    • 12 years ago
      We have 2 sets of Pella sliders and all the windows in our home are Pella with the blinds . Ours are very old from the early 80's. Still lovely and going strong. I really like the slim shades(that's what ours are called) as they cannot be touched by dogs or kids. I find I only have to take the windows apart once a year to clean. Mine do not have the ability to rise in the window but they do open and close.
      J Corn thanked bschr
    • 12 years ago
      From the 80s? Wow! I am impressed. If the current ones last as well, I'll be very happy! Do you happen to live in an area with winters?
    • 12 years ago
      I'm in the Northeast, our deck had four feet of snow up against our slider during Blizzard Nemo last year.
      I would say one of our doors is about 15 to 18 years old and one is eight years old.

      We have some issues with the sliding screen getting stuck on the older one. No problem with screen on the other.
      J Corn thanked Judy M
    • 12 years ago
      @jcorn1, I do have winters, I live in Ontario, Canada.
      J Corn thanked bschr
    • 12 years ago
      My experience is that the older Pella windows from 20+ years ago were made much better than in recent years. I had Pella windows in another home and had no problem with them, so that is why I went with Pella Architect series for this home. Not only was I disappointed with the French doors, but the windows have also had similar problems. The only Pella windows I haven't had problems with are the stationary ones probably because there are no moving parts.

      I had asked for recommendations from professionals in a previous discussion regarding windows for a new home we are constructing and the consensus was Andersen over other brands.
      J Corn thanked prairiegourmet
    • 12 years ago
      We had Pella sliding doors (chose not to do the blinds as had read reports of condensation in the blinds area) on a house we built 6 years ago. We loved the doors and they withstand a LOT of coming and going by 9 children.... My husband is a contractor and always goes with Pella. We have lots of winter and moist weather here in Northern Indiana
      J Corn thanked toomuchbeige
    • 12 years ago
      last modified: 12 years ago
      I am so grateful for all the feedback so far. I couldn't respond immediately because I was chasing after a grandchild, on babysitting duty. We would put off replacing the door due to other expenses but it has become a priority before winter. The door simply won't completely close, about a 1 and 1/2 gap and nights are already brisk. It happened suddenly, not sure why, and we've tried everything to get it to shut. The door is wooden, heavy, and oversized.

      At this point i'm scared it will fall off the tracks and then we'll really be in a bind! Our home is well maintained - we even have an annual home inspection but this potential issue was missed.

      You can imagine how weird it feels to live in a room with insulating window film to keep drafts out and an exterior door that is now partly open. Thank goodness for electric blankets.
    • 12 years ago
      last modified: 12 years ago
      Fingers crossed! Doors going up today. Will try to upload photos soon. Went with the sliding doors, Pella, with blinds between the windows.
    • 12 years ago
      I have Pella sliding doors in my dining room, kitchen and bedroom and I love them!
      The blinds inside are not dusty and I really like the look of them.

      The one thing that upset me - I thought I broke my bedroom blind when the magnet slide (Ithat you slide up and down to lift up / down the inside blind) - slipped off and the counter magnet fell to the bottom of the inside of the doors. Here I went with this massive production to try and take the doors off and examine them....to no success. Hubby came home after explaining what happened he just flipped the top magnet over and saved the day and the inside blinds worked again. Needless to say, I am very careful with the magnet that lifts the binds up and down!

      You will really love your sliding doors and I have to say they are well made and make sure you get someone who really knows how to install them. The insulation is great! We never feel drafts coming from the windows or doors.
    • 10 years ago

      I had 3 sets of Anderson sliding glass doors in a house I built in Connecticut in 1986. We had problems with leaking, so I'd never use them again. I've only heard good things about Pella, so we priced out the Architect Series and quickly decided NOT to go with them because they were $5K more than their Designer Series double pane slider with blinds. I like the fact that it looks at the top and the bottom of the door, not like the crappy one I have now where it only locks in the middle. More than I wanted to spend, but it will really help with our heating and cooling bills.

    • PRO
      10 years ago

      Royal Windows and Doors has the ideal Patio Doors for
      your home. Royal Windows and Doors offer distinctive design options like
      between-the-glass grilles, and shades, as well as double-pane Low-E
      insulating glass and foam-insulated panels.



    • 10 years ago

      An update: we went with the Pella door and are very happy. However, we don't use he door daily but mostly in the summer months, imam extremely careful to keep,the tracks clean of dirt and debris. I have never had to dust the interior blinds.

      It is so effective at keeping drafts and chills from our bedroom that our bedroom can be very warm, even with the thermostat set at 66 degrees at night! We do turn the thermostat down even more when we're not home and the room heats up quickly when we come home and reset it. Our heat bills this year are $100 less, budget plan than last year...but last year was super cold. So,I'm not sure how much is from he new door...but it sure helps.

    • 10 years ago
      Did you go with Architect or Designer series? Photo? I'm considering a Pella slider with blinds. I've heard I may want to get triple-paned since I live in a cold environment (Chicago).
    • 5 years ago

      We are considering the Pella Architect Series multi stacking slider. Has anyone had one installed on an existing home by Pella contractors?
      Would love to hear your experience.
      We live in the Mid-Atlantic area.

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