Just put my hand through a glass door....

[MdB]

Only a little bit of blood so I think I was lucky...

click for larger version

It is a lovely old door and the plan was to remove the many layers of paint on it and give it a little TLC. The plan wasn't to break any of the pains though (which are red, blue, yellow and clear - didn't come out too well in the picture). Fortunately, the one I broke was one of the clear ones and I guess it wouldn't be too difficult to get hold of something similar to replace it.

The question is, should I replace it with an identical pane as the broken one was only 1mm thick? It looks like it has been broken before in the past as it appears to non wavy modern glass as does the non broken pane below it. The other two large clear panes are wavy (old?) glass, both being on the left hand side near the hinges which would have given them a bit of protection.

It would seem to be sensible to put a thicker maybe laminated pane into the door to replace the broken one and to reduce the chance of another accident in the future. However, I would guess that this would stand out rather badly.

Having now seen that the glass in the door is only 1mm thick and how easily it breaks, it would be nice to improve the safety properties of the door. Is there anyway of doing this and keeping the old glass?

I know you love old glass here (and so do I as long as it is not stuck into my hand) so would appreciate your views.

 

[Nemesis]

Oh dear - lucky it wasn't worse.

Consider putting some safety film over the larger glass sheets - it's doubtful that the smaller ones will be any danger.


http://www.llumar.co.uk/

 

[biffvernon]

Talk to the good folk at Tatra Glass. Their clear hand made glass is very nice. Ask for 'P1'. It's about 2.5 to 3 mm thick. If safety really concerns you, they will laminate this glass - usually a piece of float glass laminated with a piece of the P1.

It's expensive but you only need a little.

 

[MdB]

Thanks Biff. I'll probably put a piece of float glass in as a temporary measure and then replace it with some P1 when I get chance to strip the paint off and do the door up properly.

What would you do with the old glass that is already in the door. Is there any sensible way of strengthening it?

 

[Nemesis]

New thicker glass might look odd when you have thinner stuff in adjacent panels.

There is no way of strengthening existing glass that I am aware of but the film I posted the link to works to stop shattering and stops you slashing an artery if it does break.

http://www.llumar.co.uk/gila/prod-security.html

 

[AMc]

Window film (as Nemesis linked) is your best bet - any decent glazing merchant will be able to supply it and it's not that hard to fit yourself.

 

[Nemesis]

I'm about to try it myself, to see if it will stop a mahogany table from fading further.

I'm not sure that I believe too much the stuff about heat retention but it can do no harm.

I think the National Trust uses it in places though.

 

[AMc]

If it has the same properties as 'low emissivity' glass aka low e then it should work.
We used the translucent stuff as a net curtain alternative on our last house, but as the window was north facing I have no idea if it had the advertised effect.

 

[Penners]

Nemesis' idea about film seems an excellent one.

A word of warning - if you're going into a glass merchant to buy a new piece of glass, don't tell them that it's for a door. There are safety regulations about the type of glass that you're allowed to fit to doors, these days, and some glass merchants aren't interested in whether it's an antique door or not. They'll just refuse to sell you glass that isn't to spec for the regulations.

 

[Nemesis]

Yup - same applied when we had a roof repaired on an outbuilding, which is lit from above by glass sheets inserted as is traditional.

Had to get laminated glass. Wouldn't have worried but the roofer insisted!

 

[plumbers mate]

Bet it gets bubbles and creases like sticky back plastic does :-(

 

[Nemesis]

I can do sticky backed plastic without bubbles and creases!

 

[Penners]

Show us one you did earlier.

 

[Nemesis]

Nah you'd be envious.

I have seen window film in place however and it's pretty unobtrusive.

 

[Penners]

I put some obscuring film on the bathroom window (it was clear glass when we bought the house, and I felt the neighbours weren't ready for that kind of shock).

To my surprise, it's still firmly in place three years later.

 

[MdB]

I don't like the idea of putting a piece of plastic onto the glass as it could look horrible if not put on right (as others have pointed out). I think I will probably do it though as I don't want to see the results if a little kid comes running into it.

 

[Nemesis]

I think you will probably find it's pretty hard to spot.

I would even say unobtrusive but not sure if I can spell it.

 

[biffvernon]

You're probably the first person in a hundred years to put their hand through that door. What makes you think it will happen again this century?

 

[MdB]

At least two people have done so before me. The pane I broke and the one beneath it are float glass so are more modern than the rest.

(and no, I have no plans to put my hand through it again...)

 

[Lime]

When I was in my 20s a pretty young girl lived in the flats opposite my house.
She went out drinking with her friends on Saturday night and my attention was drawn to an ambulance outside at about 11.00 pm.
She had fallen drunkenly through the small glass pane on the front door.
Ten years later I saw her again still the lovely girl she used to be but with a large thick red scar from across her chin right up to her eye.
Since she had her terrible accident I have never looked upon glass in doors, nice though it may look, as other than an accident waiting to happen.