So it was lots of fun sharing my first before and after diy here so I thought I would do another one.

This one is sooooo simple, and the kind of thing that makes you go “Why didn’t I think of that”!

I am going to show you how I transformed my bland, but still working very well, patio doors.

Want versus Need

So this is what they looked like when I moved in:

And this is what I wanted:

Okay, well, this is what I really wanted:

But then I came back down to earth for the following reasons:

1) My patio doors worked perfectly well and I could not justify spending over 1000.00$$ on new white ones just to get the mullions!

2) While I love the black version, this WAS NOT in my budget and really, they didn’t work in my 1200sq ft bungalow - just a little too grand. ; )

But I wanted those “mullions”/sometimes called “mutons” - the BARS ON THE WINDOWS. I wanted that! I knew the mullions would open up those doors and make the living room look “grander” in its own way.

The Search Began

My first step was to call a Window and Door stores right? I thought, simple - I’ll just buy the mullions. Hmmmm…. did you know it can cost up to 500.00$$ just for mullions! That was half the cost of exchanging the doors completely. Not an option.

Then I researched other sources that sold just mullions. And I found them! All I had to do was provide my patio door measurements and they would tell me exactly how many pieces I would need to create squared panes on my 3 patio doors. Simple. They came back with a quote of over 300.00 US$$. Not an option.

Looked like I was going to have to go the DIY route

Wood? Wasn’t wood molding an option - it came in all shapes and sizes. Ok, so well, I would have to cut the individual wood lengths to size, and then, well, I would have to create mitred joints where they intersect and then, well I would have to meticulously paint each piece with a white that, well, matched the patio doors exactly. Sounded like a lot of work. What were the odds I could do a “perfect” job of the mitred corners and the paint and not have it end up looking like a really bad diy. Not very likely. Not an option.

Tape? I considered this for only a second since I thought this would look tacky and cheap, and obvious. Not an option.

But I don’t give up easily. I have been here 4 years, with my bland patio doors, and all the while, in the back of my mind, I was still looking for a good solution. And I finally found it. Here are my patio doors - transformed.

Pretty convincing right?

Above is a bit of a closer look.

And I love how they look at night.

The Final Solution

So okay, I’m gonna share.

Here is what I used: Molded wire covers like these below. You know, those pvc, rounded lengths that are normally used to cover unsightly wires in your house. For example, if you have tons of wires coming out of your computer station you can use these to guide the wires through the lengths to “hide” all that mess. And guess what, you adhere them using the self adhesive strip already built in.

I didn’t even end up buying the kit above (more expensive) which included the “L” shaped joiners. It really wasn’t necessary. Instead I used the individual lengths sold as shown below and did very tight, very clean, cuts with an exacto knife! It turned out perfectly. The intersections were fitted so tight, that you could not tell they were cut and not mitred.

Oh and btw, the self-adhesive on the strips of 5 foot lengths “stuck” like, well, like I dunno, like nobody’s business. It’s been over 6 months and not any sign of slippage!

I couldn’t be happier with the results and how easy it was to do!

Final Note:

Not one person who has entered my house since their installation (6 months now) has ever questioned my diy “mullions”. No one has even, what they thought was inconspicuously, gone over to my patio doors to check out my mullions!!! If ever there were a person to do such a thing!

Here are the details of the cost:

Rounded Wire Covers 21.99/5 foot length
- 6x 5 foot lengths for 3 panes
Labour Free (did it myself)
Time to complete Less than 2 hours

TOTAL COST = $131.94 Canadian Dollars

What do you think of my DIY. Have you completed similar or other DIY that you want to share? Let me know. I’d be happy to feature you here. Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts!

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DIY: Before and After Patio Door Transformation for less than 135.00$$