Replacing a sliding glass door can seem like a challenge, but you don’t need to call a professional just yet. In many cases, savvy homeowners can handle the task themselves, which can be a great money saver.

Whether your current sliding glass door is damaged or just doesn’t reflect your personal aesthetics, the first step in the larger replacement process is to get the existing glass doors out of the way. Here’s what you need to do if you want to tackle this project DIY-style.

If your current glass door is broken or cracked, make sure to put on gloves and safety glasses before beginning any part of the removal process. This ensures you are better protected from glass shards that may come loose as you manipulate the door.

When it comes to saving floor space, you can't beat sliding doors. The ultimate is space-saving sliding doors are pocket doors, but those can be a little complicated for most DIYers. In that case, a far easier door style to install are the barn-style sliding doors. These doors simply hang over the door frame, suspended either above the frame on the wall or above the frame from the ceiling. In most cases, you can just hang the door from the wall. If you're not sure, that should be one of your first considerations before you start thinking about installing a sliding door for your bathroom. Another big consideration is the wall space on the side(s) of your door space. You'll need to have enough space for the door to open, after all. And it's not just space you should be looking out for—make sure that the door won't interfere with outlets, light switches, windows, etc.

Your final consideration before we start the installation is the privacy aspect. Sliding doors will shut off the space, but they won't shut out light, sounds, and smells. So if the bathroom is a shared space, that means that bathroom lights, impromptu shower concerts, and cologne fog could all escape the confines of the bathroom. However, if that's a not an issue for you, then let's get started.

If you’re wondering whether a sliding door might be right for you, it’s fairly simple to figure out. If you want to install a door in an area that has limited floor space, meaning it will be difficult to install a door that swings open in either direction, a sliding door is a must. Unless you want to install a pocket door, which will necessitate opening up your walls, a sliding door that moves on a track is an easier option.

Of course, before you install a sliding door, you’ll need to install a sliding door track. The track is what the door slides upon. While some sliding doors will need to be mounted to hang from the ceiling, most people can hang one on the wall above the door. Just make sure that you have wall studs and at least 2” above the door. That’s 2” above either the door opening or the door casing, if you have it. Since most people install their sliding doors on the wall, these instructions will cover that, but there will be details for people considering a ceiling mount. Luckily, this is a task that most people can do. All you’ll need is a few simple tools and materials and you can get the project finished quickly.