If you notice that your French door has a broken or cracked window, it’s not the end of your beautiful door. A broken or cracked window on a French door can allow air to escape from your house and become a safety hazard. Instead of going out and buying a new door, you can easily fix one window on a French door. Replacing a glass pane in your door is simple, easy and requires a little elbow grease.
What You Will Need to Fix the French Door Window
- Five-in-one painter’s tool
- A putty knife
- Glass cutter
- Straight edge
- Nippers
- Pen
- Hammer
- Nail punch
- Folding rule
- Utility knife
- Hacksaw
- Towels
- Gloves
- Safety glasses
- Sheet of glass
- Large piece of particleboard
- Latex caulk
- Wood putty
- Paint
- Oil
Fixing a Window on a French Door
Before you try fixing a window on a French door, you need to first remove the broken or shattered window. Using your safety glasses, cover the broken pane with cloth or a towel and tap out the loose shards. Remove any extra pieces that remain in the putty of the window pane. When you’ve removed the broken or cracked glass, take a measurement of the pane. Once you’ve removed the glass, you need to cut the paints seams along the outside of the trim and at joints using a utility knife. In some French doors, there are nails holding the trim in place, pry the trim up as much as you can until you get enough room to use a hacksaw to cut the nails holding in the trim. Pop the trim out of the frame and label each piece.
How to Fix a Window on a French Door
Once you’ve taken the trim out, take your window measurements and transfer the dimensions onto the glass and place it on the particleboard. Wearing your gloves and safety glasses, dab a small amount of oil on the glass cutter. Score the first line with the glass cutter using a ruler or straightedge. Put the glass on the edge of the particleboard and gently snap the glass. Repeat this process for all the cuts. When you’ve cut the correct piece of glass for your pane, put a small amount of latex caulk into the setting to keep the glass inside the window pane. Replace your trim and be careful not to hit the glass with the hammer. When the trim is completely replaced, run a bead of caulk along the outside of the trim. Putty any visible nail holes and paint.
French Door Replacement Parts and Pieces
French doors are a beautiful feature to any home, but don’t feel as if you need to buy a whole new door if one of those windows is cracked or shattered. At DIY Door Store, we can help you fix any door you have! We have everything you need to replace whatever is wrong with your door! DIY Door Store will help you find everything you need for a fraction of the price! We have door parts from Fox, Masonite, Trapp Doors and more! If you would like more information about how to fix one window on a French door, or need to find a part for your door, call us at (888) 998 - 3667.