Half-glazed internal door - how to get glass out?!

[Lobster]

Further to my 'toughened glass' post a few days back - for which thanks for the feedback - I want to replace the two panes of glass in an internal panelled door with toughened stuff. However I'm struggling to see how to get the old glass out.

The glass 'appears' to have wooden beading on both sides holding it in, but I'd assumed that on one side the 'beading' would be integral to the door timber, with genuine beading on the other. Yet I can't seem to prise it out on either side and since my attempts are increasingly beginning to damage the door I've called a halt... and I'm wondering, is it possible/likely that the door (which isn't very old) would have been manufactured and assembled with the glass actually in situ? In other words, the 'beading' is integral to the door on both sides?

If that's the case, how do you replace the glass - or are you expected just to buy a new door if this is necessary? If it's a case of hacking away the old 'beading' with a chisel and then replacing with 'real' beading later, I wouldn't rate my chances of getting a good result :(

David

[Adrian Brentnall]

HI David Not sure if it applies in your case - but I have seen some 'new' timber panelled doors where the glass was actually slotted in from the top edge of the door....

..these had the appearance that you describe, with apparent beading on both sides, but the beading was actually part of the door structure...

Adrian

[Lobster]

Well I guess that answers my question "is it possible/likely", then!

Certainly can't see any way of dismantling the door :( What's the solution?

David

[Andrew Gabriel]

Glass is not intended to be replaceable in most newer internal doors nowadays. It's a new door job if you break it.

[Adrian Brentnall]

My experience of this particular one was second-hand - the owner of the door wanted to design & build a couple of stained-glass panels to suit - and I helped with supoplying the glass & know-how - they did the building & fitting of the panels. I know that they had to remove the door so that they could access the slot in the top of the door to 'post' the stained-glass panels into position....

It may be, as Andrew says, that your door has been built around the glass - in which case I guess your only options would be 'new door' or 'safety-film' applied to existing glass....

Adrian

[Tim W]

Or cut and break the glass out so that you can replace it. Depends on your level of patience and skill how you go about it but for most people I would think it would be the quickest and cheapest way, and if you can't do it you probably can't hang a new door either.

Tim W

[Chris J Dixon]

Then, in true Haynes Manual style, re-assembly is the reverse of this process.

Can't quite manage to get the new glass sections to bond together. ;-)

Chris

[Adrian Brentnall]

Getting the existing glass out (even in bits!) will be a fiddle - but then you've got to apply woodworking skills (?router? - maybe) to remove the unnecessary 'built-in' moulding to allow you to get a new piece of glass back in (in one piece!)

Lots of work - what's a new door cost nowadays ? Adrian

[stuart noble]

IME most pre-glazed doors are beaded by design (i.e. the same doors can often be supplied unglazed), but the beading is glued with a silicone type adhesive, making it impossible to remove cleanly. Once the glass is out though, it shouldn't be difficult to see which side is beaded.

If the door really is built around the glass, chisel out one side and replace with a mitred off the shelf bead. I'd rather do that than have the hassle of hanging a new door

[Bob Minchin]

Just a case of cutting out the bead on one face with a router and then fitting new beads. Not a difficult job for a diy-er.

Bob

[Peter Johnson]

I have a new internal door, installed in September, that I am certain had the toughened glass installed during manufacture. There's no slot in the top either. One of these:

Cost £99 when I got mine.