Installing glass in wooden door

I have just bought a house. I will be using one of the bedrooms as an office. The door to the room is an older one with the old fashioned keyholes etc. It looks like it used to have a panel of glass in the upper part but the glass has been removed, boarded up and painted. I would like to install a piece of glass in the door but am not sure the best way to go about it. Any suggestions would be great!

Thanks.

 

Take the door off of its hinges, and put it onto a couple of sawhorses or other raised surface so that you can work on it.
If the door has a panel where it had glass, then it will have wood strips holding that panel in from one side.
Determine which side, and carefully pry those strips off with a small flatbar and save them.
There should be a rabbet around the opening that the panel (or glass) set against. Scrape it out clean with a putty knife.
Measure the opening for a new piece of glass, have it custom-cut to fit. It shouldn't be jammed tight. Leave a little 1/16" space around the top and sides to allow for minor normal swelling of the door in humid weather.
Set the glass in with window glass push points. I assume that this is an interior door, so you don't need to use putty. Just install the push points against the glass with a putty knife or flathead screwdriver.
Reinstall the wood strips with small finishing nail brads, set the heads with a nail set, wood-putty the holes, lightly sand the putty.
Paint the door with about 1/16" overlap onto the glass.
Good luck!
Mike

 

Good advice "oldguy" however you could only use flat type push points installed with a proper "gun" which most DIY's won't have. Regular push points wont allow the wood bead to sit flush. Better to set the glass with a little clear silicone and then install wood bead. Please note you should have your glass tempered before you install it into a door. You can have this done for a modest charge at most glass shops.
Hope this helps

 

I agree with Repairman22. The silicone also prevents the glass from rattling. Although the door originally had regular annealed glass, tempered glass is now a requirement in all doors, for safety reasons.

 

laminated glass which also meets safety glass requirements will be more readily available as it can be cut to size at any glass shop. Glass is tempered by heat in an oven which is usually at a fabrication plant and delivery time can range from 1 to 3 weeks. Tempered also can shatter more easily during installation if not handled properly. You could also use plexi however it easily is scratched.

 

Laminated glass meets the safety glass requirement, but the thickness difference may not let the wood stops sit flush. Most of the older doors like that have 1/8" glass, so in my opinion, 1/8" tempered glass is the best way to go, even though it must be custom ordered.

 

5/32" laminated as opposed to the more standard 1/4" laminate was manufactured for the 1/8 replacement. A molding may require a light sanding on the inside (glass side)edge. However the use of thinner bead of silicone subsituted for a puttied bed will allow the moldings to sit flush. It's benefits far outweigh as a door can be weatherproof and secure the same day a glass breaks as opposed to having to wait for delivery of tempered and the added expense of additional trips for measurements and installation. It also is less expensive as minimum charges apply to tempered products.

 

I wasn't aware that 5/32" laminated glass exists. Considering that laminated glass is composed of two pieces of annealed glass with a plastic interlayer, and 3/32" thick glass is considered to be single strength, what thickness glass is used to make laminated glass with an overall thickness of 5/32"? Laminated glass is shatter resistant, but it is definately not crack resistant, especially being that thin.1/8" tempered could withstand several times more impact without breaking.Laminated glass is commonly used in hurricane areas where weatherproofing is a major concern, but tempered is most commonly used elsewhere, because of its durability and safety benefits.

 

The uses of laminate for hurricane resistance or protection and the values of durability with tempered are good points. The subject of this thread and my regards to the practical use of 5/32" laminate is for a replacement or intallation in an interior or exterior door.

5/32 is true to size so I would speculate it is comprised of true 1/16 with a layer of plastic sandwiched. As with any building product a laminated product increases in strength above the components that comprise it so it is stronger than annealed which has been the standard for centuries. The us of tempered as smaller lites in exterior doors was introduced for safety reasons and less for it's ability to endure impact. Laminate is more practical and it's availability keeps many people honest to code as opposed to annealed being used for replacements by DIY'ers, contractors and glass techs who would otherwise not wait for tempered or absorb the cost of tempered due to it's minimum charge requirements.
Stephen

 

Without going into further detail, the main point is that safety glass should be used in all doors, and both laminated and tempered glass meet safety code requirements,although they have different characteristics. My other point was that the thickness of the replacement glass should be compatible with the door, as both tempered and laminate are available in several different thicknesses.