We have sold a home we remodeled and the sliding doors were install in 1968. There is NO markings on them stating whether or not they are made with SAFETY glass. Am I to assume that they are NOT safety glass, and is there a way to tell?

Also two of them have lost their seal, and can such be restored or do the panes need to be replaced. The sale is not hinging on safety glass or the panels sealed again, but buyer would like to know, as do I.

Thank You,


Dale in Indy

 

Safety glass usually has a small etching in one corner of the glass. Sometimes they are very hard to see- some get worn down over the years.

Don't quote me but I think that 1973 was the date it was enforced in residential doors. But that doesn't mean that your manufacturer didn't put it in ahead of time. I would just assume that it *IS* tempered because it only makes sense to use tempered glass in a door where breakage and injury could result.

If there is no etching on the top or bottom corner of the glass, then the only way I know of to tell if it's tempered is to break it... probably not an option, right?

If you have a couple that have a failed seal, the insulating glass unit (IGU) will need to be replaced. This can usually be done by any glass shop, and it does not require getting a new door, its just changing the IGU.

 

XSleeper,

There are three doors, and two are mostly out of the weather so to speak, so I doubt they have worn away. I have searched high and low and NO sign of a etching.

I will call a glass company tomorrow or Monday and ask if they have any thoughts on this.

Thank You though for your input, FOR SURE.

Dale in Indy

 

Glad to help. Not that it matters any, but I've been replacing old doors and windows for almost 20 years and I haven't come across a sliding patio door without tempered glass. Tempered glass breaks up into tiny bits when they get thrown into the dumpster.

 

Safety glass has a plastic membrane in the glass, but the glass is not necessarily tempered. Tempered glass is what is required in new doors. And as suggested above, if it is tempered it will have a mark indentifying it as such. Yours likely is not. Fogged glass is not repairable, but is usually replaceable.

 

The safety glazing law went into effect in 1974. If it's tempered it is required to have it etch in one corner. You can find out if its tempered by running a glass cutter on the glass. If it's tempered it will just slide on the glass without making a score line (try it near an edge). It could be, but rarely used, laminated glass that has plastic between 2 pieces of glass. My guess is that it's not safety glass and the ones that lost the seal must have new tempered insulating glass units.

 

I might comment on what Johnam said about the glass cutter.

Tempered glass can be scratched with a glass cutter, but it takes more effort to do it. (many people accidentally scratch their tempered glass trying to get gunk off with a dull razor blade) I remember once I had a large piece of 3/16" glass that I thought I'd cut up and use. I scored it with the cutter, but it wouldn't break. Well, it was tempered glass. Point being, the glass cutter did score the tempered glass, but it was harder to score- I had to push pretty hard.

A sharp glass cutter would EFFORTLESSLY cut non-tempered glass.

 

Since we are 90% sure these sliders DON'T have tempered or safety glass, CHILDREN should not be running near them.

We have given the new owners a price adjustment, and they should when possible replace these with tempered units.

Correct?

Thank You,

Dale in Indy