How To Repair Broken Glass On Your Garage Door

When you think about garage door repair, you probably think primarily about fixing the door's moving parts. However, one common repair requirement doesn't involve moving parts. Should a storm or a stray baseball crack the glass window on your garage door, you will need to repair the garage door glass. You can try to restore a small crack in the glass without removing the entire pane, or you can replace the pane of glass. Fortunately, opting for the latter follows the same techniques as replacing a single pane of glass in a window in your home. And repairing the garage door glass is far less expensive than replacing the garage door, so consider this option first.

Before repairing the glass, it's important to be as safe as possible, especially if children or pets are in the area. Bring a trash can near the cracked window so you can place any broken shards of glass directly into the can. Wear thick gloves to pick up pieces of glass so you don't suffer any cuts. If there are shards on the ground, you can use a flashlight to clean broken glass, as the light should reflect off any tiny pieces of glass, making it easier to see them. Finally, use the sticky side of duct or painter's tape to help you pick up the tiny pieces of glass that are tough to grab with your fingers.

If your garage door glass is completely shattered, you can install a new pane of glass into the space. Fortunately, because the window pane in the garage door is almost certainly a single piece of glass, replacing it isn't overly complex. After cleaning the area, use thick gloves to pull any shards of glass that remain in the garage door's opening.

Then use a putty knife to scrape away any glazing, glazing points, or caulk from the opening in the garage door, called the L-channel. You may also have to remove any final bits of broken glass from inside this channel. Be careful as you pry these items, as you don't want to scratch the wood of the L-channel.

Next, measure the space so you know what glass size to purchase. Calculate the height and length of the opening, using the outside edges of the L-channels as the starting and ending points. Subtract about ⅛ of an inch from your height and length measurements to allow the glass to expand at varying temperatures. A hardware store can cut your new piece of glass to the precise size. With the new piece of glass in hand, wiggle it into the L-channels and add glazing and glazing points to hold the new glass pane in place.

If the glass in the garage door is cracked but remains safe to use, meaning it doesn't have any loose shards or missing chunks, you may be able to repair the effects of the crack, making them less noticeable. This can be a little cheaper than doing a garage door repair that involves replacing the pane.

Start by gently cleaning the window. You want to see any cracks in the glass so that you can fix them properly. Additionally, a dirty glass will not allow the epoxy repair material to stick to the glass properly, meaning your repair job may not last as long as it should. Wear gloves while cleaning the glass. Don't press too hard, or you may shatter the entire window. With a clean window, you can see the full extent of the crack clearly and then determine whether you want to repair or replace the pane.

Visit a hardware store and purchase an epoxy made to repair cracks in glass. You should only need a little bit of epoxy. Some epoxies have more than one compound you must mix just before application; others may be premixed in the epoxy tube. Use a putty knife to force the epoxy into the crack gently. Because the epoxy will dry quickly, immediately use a razor blade to scrape any excess.