Broken window in front door

[Common Tator]

The front door to our house in the burbs has been sticking. Today my son lost his patience with it and leaned into the large window in the upper half of the door with his shoulder. He broke the window! He is fine, and he (rightfully) feels bad that he broke the window.

It is gold glass. 1960's ugly bottle glass, that I don't think we can match. I am off to HD to look for ideas. We can't afford to replace the double doors. To make matters worse, the doors are right next to a bathroom window that has the same ugly yellow bottle glass.

I will be pricing out new glass, and just for fun, I will see what replacement doors will cost. I have never been comfortable with the large panes of glass in the front doors. On the opposite wall is a large sliding glass door to provide back lighting, so even though you can't look through the glass and see detail, you can see if someone inside is walking by or walking up to the front door. I have also worried that if someone wanted entry all they needed to do is break out the glass and reach in and unlock the door.

I am off to look for ideas, but I would appreciate ideas from my good friends at HT too. Thanks!

[soulsurvivor]

Sorry to hear of your broken glass but maybe it's a sign that you need to upgrade your home security. We don't have the glass problem, but we had old doors that weren't safe, secure, or water/weather proof. The back doors are doubles, with one that's stationary and doesn't open/close. We had to have these doors special ordered and made. The total cost including installation was less than $900.

Get lots of estimates. You may find it's cheaper to have the doors replaced than to try and match glass that's no longer manufactured.

[retire2$]

Stained glass. Your local library should have books on the subject. The essential tools (glass cutter, soldering iron, nippers) will run about $75. It may end up costing you as much as a door replacement but you will have a stained window. Depending on the type, color, and style of glass you may also have a little more privacy. Also, depending on the design and how much caning you use you may have a little more security.

[edcopp]

Originally Posted by Common Tator

The front door to our house in the burbs has been sticking. Today my son lost his patience with it and leaned into the large window in the upper half of the door with his shoulder. He broke the window! He is fine, and he (rightfully) feels bad that he broke the window.

It is gold glass. 1960's ugly bottle glass, that I don't think we can match. I am off to HD to look for ideas. We can't afford to replace the double doors. To make matters worse, the doors are right next to a bathroom window that has the same ugly yellow bottle glass.

I will be pricing out new glass, and just for fun, I will see what replacement doors will cost. I have never been comfortable with the large panes of glass in the front doors. On the opposite wall is a large sliding glass door to provide back lighting, so even though you can't look through the glass and see detail, you can see if someone inside is walking by or walking up to the front door. I have also worried that if someone wanted entry all they needed to do is break out the glass and reach in and unlock the door.

I am off to look for ideas, but I would appreciate ideas from my good friends at HT too. Thanks!

Here is my idea: take DS along to the building supply store. Tell him to bring his money, lots of it. His break, he buys. That's just reality.

[Ross]

HD here has decorative stick on decals that change the regular glass to frosted or etched or patterned glass. I doubt you'll find a match but maybe there will be something that would work.

[Danaus29]

Lexan, probably not cheaper but much safer. You can put frosted contact paper on the window if you wish.

[Callieslamb]

Yo might see if HD has one of the windows with grills for more safety. I believe you have to special order those anyway and might be able to get one the same size to fit your door. The next time a glass broke- at least it would be a small pane, rather than the whole window. Ask about the safety features also - someone's got to have them.

[Beeman]

Doors should not have standard glass, too easy to break and cut yourself on. Glass should be tempered or a plastic type.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

lexan . polly carbonate , plexi but get the thicker stuff , then a light collored curtain.

i like curtains on the door they are simple home sewn , let light in but don't let people see in , and i can move the curtain aside and see out before opening the door i think it is important to be able to see out , first

[Rick]

What causes the sticking?

Is it a swollen, unsealed frame; loose screws in the hinges?

[Common Tator]

The latch wasn't retracting all the way when the knob was turned. I have fixed it. I tried taking it apart and washing all of the parts in hot soapy water, but there is a buildup of something (probably 10W40) that has turned into a glue like substance.

I switched out the latch mechanism with another that we had in the house.

[Common Tator]

I just went out to take this picture and I did something that apparently I don't do often. I looked up! I have to figure out how to get rid of that wasp nest before I start replacing anything.



The window on the left is a washroom. The placement is so odd. Imagine sitting on the "throne" and seeing someone walk up to the front door just a few feet away. You can't see much detail through that glass. but if the light is on in the bathroom, they can see you too! Sixties chic! This house is full of it!

[Common Tator]

In December I went to Germany to spend Christmas wit my duaghter, who is serving in the Army there. They have beautiful ornate iron scroll work in the windows of many of the first floor windows, and nearly all of the doors that have glass. This is the front door of the house I stayed in.



This is even more ornate, and I loved it so much I took a picture.



I can't afford to do this, but since I got back, I have been toying with the idea of taking a welding class so I could do something like this. That bathroom window and my front doors lend themselves to doing beautiful scrollwork (as long as it doesn't look like prison bars).

[soulsurvivor]

I love the old iron scrollwork on windows and doors. It might turn out to be a great career if you could learn how to do that.

[Rocky Fields]

I can buy a nice 36" used metal door for $10 and a nice wood one for around $30 at house salvages, flea markets, and garage sales. Start by looking at garage sale ads, Craigslist (Materials), and flea markets. I wouldn't bother with the glass, since you don't like the door. Get another door! Also, if you scour a big city the night before garbage pickup, you might find one for free by the curb. Screw a piece of plywood over the hole from the inside to tide you over.

[Rocky Fields]

Ouch! Just saw double door pic after my response. I'd consider putting a wood or metal panel in where the glass is for security. Same for bathroom window.

[Common Tator]

Rocky Fields, I wish I could find a salvage place around here! I have looked. We have some magnificent Victorian houses, that should be slavaged when they decide to renovate or tear down. Lots of newer houses too in affluent areas where people tear out top of the line features that cost an arm and a leg 10 years ago, to replace with equal or lesser products that are currently fashionable. There are lots of people with way too much money in California.

The closest things I have been able to find to "salvage" is an antique store that charged top dollar for a tiny selection of items, and the area Habitat for Humanity ReStores. I'll keep looking. This house is in Orange County if anyone knows of a Salvage place locally.

This house is in a very nice suburb. Whatever I do, it should be an improvement over the 60's bottle glass. Our house is one of the few in this tract that still has the old glass. Most of the homes have been updated years ago. Hubby and I spent all our money buying the ranch, and there hasn't been any money left over to fix up this place, so our current style is "deferred maintenence". I am sure the neighbors would like for us to update our style in keeping with the rest of the "hood".