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Regardless of if he needs the use of the door or not, one should NEVER block an egress. Ever. That can create a fire hazard.
I too would suggest thermal drapes or curtains. Another option is to buy a draft dodger and lay it against the tracks. That will also cut down on the drafts.
Regardless of if he needs the use of the door or not, one should NEVER block an egress. Ever. That can create a fire hazard.
I too would suggest thermal drapes or curtains. Another option is to buy a draft dodger and lay it against the tracks. That will also cut down on the drafts.
Nobody was blocking any egress. Neither an insulated curtain nor a sheet of plastic prevents a door from being used. I believe that egress doors have to be hinged, so a slider technically does not count as an egress in any case.
Bubble wrap will help with the windows themselves but not any drafts from gaps. Cut to the size of the glass, spray some water on it and stick it on. Not the greatest looking solution but it allows light to come through, easy on/off and if the glass is recessed enough it won't interfere with using the door.
Never did it on such a large surface, if it wont stay put use some tape in the top two corners.
The easy, cheap fix is to seal the door off with plastic. You can purchase a kit from most hardware stores. It is a sheet of plastic that you affix to the frame with double sided tape, then shrink to fit with a standard hair dryer. This stops the air flow, and creates a pocket of air that has some insulating value.
Take it off in the spring and you are good to go.
Does not work if you have cats though.
I'm renovating a house right now where apparently someone used that stuff, because there's sticky tape residue all over the trim around the windows. I've been using Goo Gone to slowly remove it. What a pain!
Regardless of if he needs the use of the door or not, one should NEVER block an egress. Ever. That can create a fire hazard.
A slider IS NOT recognized as a means of egress-
R311.2 Egress door. At least one egress door shall be provided for each dwelling unit. The egress door shall be side-hinged, and shall provide a minimum clear width of 32 inches (813 mm) when measured between the face of the door and the stop, with the door open 90 degrees (1.57 rad). The minimum clear height of the door opening shall not be less than 78 inches (1981 mm) in height measured from the top of the threshold to the bottom of the stop. Other doors shall not be required to comply with these minimum dimensions. Egress doors shall be readily openable from inside the dwelling without the use of a key or special knowledge or effort.
Blocking an egress door IS NOT a fire hazard. An unattended open flame is a fire hazard, a space heater too. Lose to flammable materials is a fire hazard.
If "replacing the unit" is a far stretch- at least replace the weatherstripping. And while the door is out replace the rollers.
I have a slider in my bedroom. I just tack up an old blanket over the blinds, and leave it up there for a couple of months.
I can still open my slider if need be.
I also have a roll up awning that i use to block the sun in the summer and cold in the winter.
Got it at Home Depot.
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Not the greatest looking solution but it allows light to come through, easy on/off and if the glass is recessed enough it won't interfere with using the door. 
