How to fix a crack in sliding glass door?

[Cattoos]

Hi,

My sliding glass door has a crack appeared (see image).  I don't know how it happened. Please advise if it's possible to hide the crack with any solution or will I need to replace the glass? How much will the new glass cost? Thanks 

[CSParnell]

Hi @Cattoos welcome to Workshop and thanks for posting your question.

What you need for that crack is a windscreen repair kit that has a thin viscosity super glue like product and sheets of acrylic that is purposely designed for chip and crack glass repairs. 

I have had a search through the products available at Bunnings and unfortunately it is not available in the product range but it is available at any of the automotive part retail shops.

It may not hide the crack completely but it will fill it and hopefully stop it cracking further.

For cost of replacement I am not sure on that one, a call to your local glass replacement place with some measurements should give you a good idea and then maybe consider if insurance and excess is a cheaper option or not.

Sorry I can't magically point you to an on the shelf product but hope that helps some.

Carl

[EricL]

Hello @Cattoos

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's wonderful to have you join us and thank you for sharing your question about the cracked glass on your sliding door.

It's great that you've received excellent advice from @CSParnell. If you are looking to disguise the crack in the glass, I suggest using Pillar 0.9 x 2m Static Crackle Privacy Window Film. You only need to do the bottom part and not the entire door. However, if the glass has lost its integrity and is moving within the aluminium frame, I suggest that in the interest of safety replacing the glass. You'll need to contact a local glazier in your area and see how much it will cost to replace the glass in your sliding door.  

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[CSParnell]

Fantastic advise @EricL I'm forever learning off you mate thank you 😊

[Cattoos]

Thanks. Does Bunnings sell replacement custom size door glass too? Replacing glass shouldn't be as expensive as replacing the whole door or frame? Thanks 

[MitchellMc]

Hi @Cattoos,

Unfortunately, we don't sell glass, but it should be far cheaper to replace the glass than to purchase a new frame with glass. 

I recommend having a glazier come out and quote you for the repair. It will only take them an hour or so to replace the glass, and it will be money well spent. I've replaced the glass panel in a sliding door, and it's not a particularly fun experience. I might have saved myself a couple of hundred dollars, but it took me quite a few stressful hours to do the job myself. Even moving the new unframed sheet of glass around is difficult. You risk breaking the new sheet of glass every time you put it down or move it. 

If you are considering replacing the glass, I recommend getting the measurements. This involves removing the glass from the frame to get the full size, which is more than what can be seen as there is glass inside the frame. You can then call around to price the glass and delivery. Also, get a glazier to come out and quote the job. If there isn't a huge price difference, I suggest getting it done for you.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

[Cattoos]

Hi,

Please see attached glass crack image that was sent earlier suspecting it cracked due to heat temperature changes, etc automatically. I saw that glass again and it is cracking automatically further downwards... do you confirm that in the past and the current random progression in this window glass cracking is due to heat and temperature changes? Thanks.

[MitchellMc]

It's hard to tell why the crack is migrating further @Cattoos, but they typically do that. It could be due to temperature changes or the door being used. Given this doesn't appear to be safety glass, I'd encourage you to have the issue solved by a professional as soon as possible.

Mitchell

[Cattoos]

Thanks @MitchellMc but door is not being used. There is no other explanation as the door was never been contact with any object. O'brien glass suspect it could be heat damage automatically and I shouldn't be liable for any damage as this is natural disaster. However, I trust bunnings staff more so I would appreciate your confirmation too on it and your confirmed thoughts that it is indeed could be very well a heat or temparate change issue due to the fact it is progressing with no reason whatsoever and happened without reason in the first place too.

Thanks.

[MitchellMc]

Hi @Cattoos,

Glass cracks naturally progress, so they should be attended to as soon as possible. If you get a tiny crack in your car windscreen, you should have it fixed, as it will progress across the whole screen. In your case, it could be the heat cycles between day and night that have caused the crack to progress or the movement of the building, which once again could be due to heat. Ultimately, though, it should be assumed that a crack in glass will get worse. Seldom do they stop progressing until the crack terminates at the other side of the glass. 

Mitchell