While sliding glass doors can offer a chic, functional design option for your home, transporting them can be a bit tricky. They feature tempered glass, which is very sensitive to edge shocks and shouldn’t be thrust against the sides of a truck bed. So, how do you safely transport a sliding glass door?
The best way to transport a sliding glass door is in a well-cushioned, upright position. However, if it needs to lie flat, transport it on a long truck bed or trailer and ensure it’s strapped securely in position to prevent shaking and bouncing. Use foam, styrofoam, and cardboard for padding.
The good news is that you don’t have to take the glass panes apart or transport them separately from the door frame. Let’s take a closer look at the full process so that you know how to do everything correctly.
Can a Sliding Glass Door Be Transported Flat?
It’s generally a bad idea to transport sliding glass doors flat on a truck bed without proper padding underneath. You should always transport them in an upright position and protect them against mechanical shock with proper padding and fastening.
If you must transport the glass door flat, go for a flatbed trailer and ensure there’s enough padding to protect the glass. Tempered glass is sensitive to edge shocks and should only be exposed when it’s securely inside the door frame and not subject to aggressive vibrations.
To transport a glass door safely when flat, use 2-4 inch foam sheets between the glass door and trailer bed. You should also tie it down securely to prevent bouncing.
Ultimately, the downside of hiring a flatbed trailer to transport your sliding glass door is that it will be very expensive.
What’s the Best Way to Transport a Sliding Glass Door?
The best way to transport a sliding glass door is in a well-cushioned, safe, upright position. While it sounds counterintuitive, the safest way to move large glass sheets or structures with large glass panes is in this position.
You’ll need to fasten the glass door securely in position and ensure the supporting structure is rigid enough.
You can pad the edges of the frame that will lean against the supporting structure with styrofoam (polystyrene), packaging foam sheets, or cardboard. This is to absorb any impact shock while on the move and prevent the glass from breaking.
While the glass door should stand upright, you want to ensure the supporting frame isn’t too tall to stand in a stable position.
What Type of Car Do I Need to Transport a Sliding Glass Door?
The best vehicle to use for transporting a sliding glass door is a truck with a wide and long enough bed.
To keep the glass in a safe, upright position during transit, the truck should be equipped with an upside-down T-style frame for holding patio doors and large glass panes.
Alternatively, you can hire a trailer equipped with a frame for holding the glass doors upright. Once secured upright on the truck bed or trailer, have the sliding glass doors strapped down with corner protectors to prevent shattering.
Do I Need a Trailer?
If your truck bed isn’t large enough to hold the sliding glass door, go for a trailer with a built-in rack for holding glass.
Most trailers suited for this job have a rack with timber and rubber pads to dampen vibrations that may shatter the glass.
Moreover, they’re fitted with special straps for securing the glass in place. This way, it won’t shake or hammer against the supporting frame and shatter during transit.
Like with pickup trucks, ensure the trailer you go for is long enough to accommodate the entire length of the sliding glass door or doors without overlapping. For example, you don’t want to transport an 8-foot long sliding glass door in a 5 x 4 axle trailer.
Should I Hire a Professional?
If you can’t find the right vehicle or equipment to transport your sliding glass door safely, it’s best to hire a professional for the job.
A glass shop will more likely have specialized vehicles for supporting and moving large glass sheets.
And if your sliding glass door breaks during transport, they could replace it. But if you transport the sliding glass door improperly and it breaks, the replacement cost will be on you.
You can also hire the services of a professional glass, art, and marble moving company. They’ll transport the sliding glass door safely without taking the glass out from the frame like some moving companies might do.