iwant to take panels out of my front door and replace with glass. How do i do this?
Answers:
Use some tools, that will make it a lot easier!
Other answers:
very carefully
very carefully
Are you sure that you really want to do this??????????
HOPEFULLY THE DOORS' INSIDES AREN'T STEEL/ METAL CORE--MAKE SURE YOU FRamE THE GLASS THAT YOU'RE PUTTING IN, I ALWAYS WANTED TO PUT STAINED GLASS IN THOSE PANELS IN A REGULAR DOOR; YOU WILL HAVE TO PROBABLY USE A RECIPROCATING SAW (SAW SAW) TO CUT THOSE PAANELS OUT; MAKE SURE THAT YOU CUT THEM STRAIGHT- PROBAB;Y WILL HAVE TO BE ONLY A SINGLE PANE OF GLASS, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK WE COULD EVER GET THAT VACUMN SEAL, BETWEEN TWO PCS, OF GLASS FOR A DOUBLE INSULATED WINDOW; ON THE OTHER HAND YOU JUST MIGHT WANT TO HAVE AN ACTUAL CARPENTER DO IT, YA KNOW.
buy a new door. most doors are made with toungues and grooves all thru it, and especially is it has panels in it. to get them out, it is next to impossible.
The people at the bottom are assuming that is is a door with panels inset into it. However, alot of exterior doors are made with tongues that lock into the styles and rails (the horizontal and verticle wood in the door). so be sure before you start chiseling away at it, that it is indeed trim holding the panels in and not grooves.
This can be done,
but I would only do it if the original door is a solid core door.
If it is hollowcore, meaning paper is corrogated through it to give it its' strength, it will not have sufficient support built into it to carry the weight of the glass.
however, if it is indeed a solid core door,
(you would know this by the heaviness of the door),
if it is a solid core door, than the replacing of the panels with glass should be relatively easy.
Around the panels, should be a surround of wood holding the panel in.
When you remove this quarter-round, or beading, (whatever was used) the panel should pull free, leaving an opening.
If you have your glass cut to about 3/16 undersize of that opening, it should just replace the panel.
You may have to do some altering to the beading, or quarter-round, (whatever was used to hold the original panel in) IF the thickness of the glass is larger than the original wood panel.
If the glass thickness is thinner, then the problem won't be there and the replacing of the beading/quarter-round would be your last step, outside of paint or staining touchup.
GOOD LUCK, and handle that glass carefully :-)
(when you have your door laying flat on a surface, make sure the glass is supported underneath)
AGAIN, if the original door is a hollow core door,
then just go buy a solid core slab blank door and put your existing glass you wanted to use, in a freshly cut opening in the new slab door.
(If you don't have hole-drilling tools, then ask the door supplier to drill whatever hole you need for your hand-set, before you pick it up and bring it home)
IF you never had glass to use in the first place, BUT you want to get away on-the-cheap,
ask a local doormaking shop (they are referred to as "sash and door companies) if you could look through their mistake pile.
You can find great bargains there.
GOOD LUCK!
:-)
Very carefully use a good pair of gloves.
you don't say what kind of door it is? I gather it's wood.Also the glass you put in should be tempered (like the side windows in a car) for safety reasons.You can get different styles of windows depending what kind of look you want you don't mention where you live?It makes a difference of how thick of insulated glass you want. Insulated units with frames can be ordered from any large hardware or builders store they might have some in stock.Make sure you know the thickness of the door and what size the opening is.The surround is larger than the glass.also watch out for the word "custom" that always mean big bucks.
Working for a door company I get to do this on a regular basis. Using a router and a Template cutter with a top bearing I cut out the molding on the inside of the door and remove the panels. Assuming you don't have access to this sort of equipment, I would lay the door on a flat surface with the inside facing up. With a sharp chisel, pare away at the molding holding the panel in. With the chisel held vertically and using the edge of the molding as a guide carefully clean up the edge until it is smooth. To fit the glass put a bead of clear silicon caulk on the molding and put in the glass. Use a Miter Box and saw to cut glazing bead, (available from molding and trim work companies) to fit the opening and fix with panel pins. When the silicon is dry, and not before, use a sharp blade to trim off the excess.
Hope this at least gets you started in the right direction.