Glass Door Repair: How to Replace Glass

Sliding glass door repair is a bit tricky and is an involved repair process. However, use the following information below to repair your sliding glass door and get in functional without too much difficulty.

Before you Repair

Keep in mind that most sliding glass doors have dual pane windows. This means that there are two panes of glass sealed together. It makes repairing the glass difficult, but not impossible. There will be more to it than just popping out the broken pane and putting the new one in unfortunately. Additionally,  don't forget to measure the length and width of the glass you intend to repair. You'll need these measurements for the replacement piece. 

Remove the Tape

Most sliding glass doors are held to the door frame using a kind of tape. In order to remove the broken pane, you will need to release it from the tape. Grab a simple utility knife and wedge the blade of the knife between the glass and the frame of the door. Start at the top and slice the tape across the top of the door. Then, move down the side, across the bottom, and back to the top of the glass door.

Remove Old Glass

You are now ready to ease the broken pane out of the door. Gently push the glass and ease it out of the door at an angle. Once the glass is removed, you will notice gray rubber settings in the bottom of the door frame. You need to save these for the new pane of glass. These will stabilize and level the new pane of glass in the door.

Putting the New Glass In

Now, before you put the new pane of glass in the door, make sure the tape is in good condition. Spray the tape with window cleaner before attempting to place the new pane in the door. This will prevent it from sticking to the new glass.

You will need two people to put the new pane in. These panes are heavy and they need to be even and centered in the frame. Gently ease the new glass into the frame and make sure that it is centered. Once it is centered, ease the glass back to a standing position. Then, reinstall your plastic stops by re-snapping them into place at the bottom of the door.