Door Window Replacement Made Easy | http://allpurposeconstructionco.com
If your interior doors have windows, at some point door window replacement will likely become a necessity.
Door Window Replacement Made Easy
If your interior doors have windows, at some point door window replacement will likely become a necessity. Whether the glass is broken or you decide to replace it with decorative glass, the steps are the same.
Step 1 – Remove Interior Trim
Each window in a door has a small piece of trim holding the glass into the window. Although a window may appear to be part of the frame, if you run a utility knife under the window’s curved edge, you will discover a small piece of trim.
Cut through the paint with the utility blade, and begin to pry the trim up with a putty knife. Use a hacksaw to cut through any nails holding the trim in place.
Step 2 – Measure Window Opening
With folding or flexible ruler, measure the interior of the window area. Subtract ¼ inch from the measurement of width and ¼ inch from height. This allows room for any adjustments that need to be made.
Be sure that the trim is wide enough to cover any gaps or blemishes once it is returned to its place in the window after the replacement glass has been installed.
Step 3 – Obtain Replacement Glass
If you are replacing plain, clear glass, you can cut a piece to the right dimensions out of a larger piece of glass. Alternatively, if your window is a standard size, you may be able to find pre-cut glass in the size needed for your window.
If you need to cut the glass to size yourself, get a sheet of glass and place it on a piece of particleboard. Score the glass with a glass cutting tool, using the measurements that you made early in the process. Use a straight edge with rubber backing in order to be sure that you are able to get a straight and true line.
Step 4 – Install New Glass
Clean away any debris that is left from the glass removal process. Brush the frame clean and wipe it with a damp cloth to ensure that the glass goes in neatly into the setting. You’ll want to be sure that all nails are removed or cut down so you don’t damage the glass.
Put a small bead of latex caulk around the frame, and then place the glass in the setting of the window.
Step 5 — Replacing Window Trim
After the new piece of glass is installed, it’s time to redo the trim that holds in the glass.
Use small finishing nails for the purpose. In order to avoid splitting the trim pieces, use a hammer and make the ends of the nails slightly blunt, then hammer them in. Use great care to avoid hitting the glass as you hammer.
Use a nail punch to put the head of the finishing nail below the surface of the trim.
Step 6 – Finishing
Finish up the glass replacement project by running caulk along the outside of the seam of the trim.
Finish the project by filling the nail holes with putty and painting the areas with extra paint.