You may be looking for the wrong material. Plastic seems better and available at many sources, e.g. auto customizing shops (which sell one-way plastic to darken car interiors.)
Temporarily you could just stick there a piece of old shower curtain using Blue Tack or something cleanly removable.
I used to replace windshields on my motorcycles. I'd buy a suitable piece of acrylic at a glass shop, saw the proper curve, drill screw holes, warm it in the oven, and bend it to the right curve. We also used acrylic in the military, where glass windows would have broken.
If I were you, I'd figure the thickest piece I could make fit, then have a glass shop cut a piece of glazing plastic in that thickness. Sanding would frost it. I might leave part of it masked while sanding, to leave a clear spot for viewing.
You can leave a key on a string near the door, but beyond the reach of an arm sticking in through the broken light. Or hidden, so the person outside doesn't know it is there.
Don.
You can also get thin plastic that is a one-way mirror. So you can see who is outside, but they can't see in. Or switch to one-way mirror glass. Maybe with a second thin sheet of plexiglass on the inside.
Don.
Wouldn't the one-way mirror work the wrong way when you turn on interior lights at night?
Tempered glass is there to prevent jagged shards when it breaks, not to make it break-resistant. If there is a deadbolt within reach of any window (in the door or a side-lite) it should be of the sort that is keyed on both sides and the key should _not_ be kept in the lock as that would be as bad as having an unkeyed lock.
If the frame is amenable, you can use thicker frosted Lexan although it might be simpler to obtain some shatter-resistant film instead.
Making clear glass less transparent is as simple as an application of one of the chemical etching compounds available at most hardware or craft stores although it is still easier to apply a frosted film. I took this route on my shop and basement windows and it is pretty easy and cheap.
A simple thin dusting with white paint will work just fine. Just spray from a couple of feet away so the paint is almost dry before it hits the glass. Done it several times. Even frosted a clear light bulb that way.
Crystal laquer used to be the simple solution to that problem. Nor sure where you would get it today. I believe the most common one in use was by Sheffield Bronze.
Not quite the crystal laquer I remember from my boyhood, but lowes has a spray glass frosting --Valspar glass frosting spray paint, #105953 Rustoleum makes a similar product available at Home Despot.
Might be dangerous on tempered glass. Not sure. Most tempered frosted glass is frosted before tempering from what I remember from my window days.
MacTac used to make all kinds of dedorative glass film, but I have not seen it in a number of years - possibly because I wasn't looking for it - or possibly because it doesn't exist any more??
That would probably violate building codes. In NJ, you can't have a double-keyed deadbolt on the main entrance door; it would hamper emergency escapes.
I'll have to investigate frosted Lexan, because it might also be more resistant to burglars. Tomorrow, I'll measure the thickness of the present glass, and see if the inner and outer frames allow for a greater thickness.
Unfortunately, the windows in this ranch house are easy to reach because they are so close to the ground. And they are single-pane (surprising for Florida, with its extended air-conditioning season).
When selling a house in NJ, it needs to pass a Certificate for Continued Inspection before it can be sold. A double-keyed deadbolt on the main door is strictly forbidden. It's okay on another exterior door, like in a laundry room.
Great lead. I especially like the polycarbonate because of its break-resistance. Watch the video here:
Thanks,
R1
Super idea that I never considered. Wouldn't help with burglar resistance, but there are so many other vulnerable windows that it may not matter. From a security point of view, this house was a poor choice with its low, single-paned windows. Security should have been a top consideration when I was house-hunting in June, since my previous house was burgled and I had a hefty loss.
Thanks.
R1
If I decide to use frosty polycarbonate as a replacement, I do just that to the old glass. I already have such a center punch.
I wonder how I missed that. Thanks for the lead, Susan.
R1
Hi, My entrance door has side light like that, we installed mini blind there in lieu of drapery.
A wonderful, simple, inexpensive idea. Thanks.
R1
If they can only see through the window when you open the door, why worry? They can already see you through the open door.
The purpose of the window is so you can look out and see if a thief is outside. You can tell because he'll have a knit cap over his head with only his eyes showing. If he's a thief, don't open the door.
How do the women in your household feel about not being able to see through the window.
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