Introduction
I’ve always been a bit clumsy, so it’s no surprise that I’ve broken a few glasses during my time in the kitchen and I need a glass replacement within a week. Glass is a delicate material, and it can break if you’re not careful. But don’t worry! It’s actually not too hard to replace a glass yourself. Follow these steps for replacing your own broken kitchen glass:
Remove the glass.
To remove the broken glass, use one of the following tools:
- A putty knife. This tool is used to remove smaller pieces of broken glass. To use it, place the flat side of the blade between two pieces of glued-together glass and pry them apart; you should be able to easily separate them with a little force. If this doesn’t work for you, try using a hammer instead.
- A chisel or scraper blade on a hammer drill or reciprocating saw (a drill-like tool). The tool will cut through the glue holding your new piece together, allowing you to lift it out and place it in its correct spot on your kitchen cabinet door frame or window casing without issue. (Note: Be extremely careful when using power tools around glass!)
- Glass cutter/scraper combo kits are also very effective at removing old pieces from their mountings; however, I don’t recommend using these unless they come with instructions specifically tailored toward removing old windows or doors from their frames!
Clean the frame.
- Lay the frame down on a towel and soak it in soapy water for about 5 minutes.
- Use a toothbrush or sponge to scrub the frame thoroughly, removing any residue or build up that you find on it.
- Rinse the frame with fresh water and wipe it dry with paper towels before using a vacuum cleaner to clean off any remaining dust or dirt particles from inside of the frame
Measure the glass.
Start by measuring the glass from corner to corner, or from the top to the bottom. Make sure you measure all four sides of your window pane; this will help you determine how much glass you need to purchase for your replacement job. Next, measure from edge to edge and outside edge to outside edge. This can be helpful if there’s a small crack in between two panes of glass that is not visible from one side or another—you may want to replace both pieces of broken panes with new ones so they match up perfectly after they’ve been installed.
Purchase new glass.
To begin, you will need to purchase new glass. The size of the new glass must be identical to that of the old one (in this case, a 36″ x 80″ rectangle). The thickness should also match; if your old glass has 5/16″ thick panels and your new one is ¼”, there’s going to be quite an obvious difference! Finally, it’s important that you buy a replacement with similar shapes and finishes as those on your existing piece—you don’t want something drastically different from what was there before.
If you’re having trouble finding anything close enough in appearance from local suppliers, consider shopping online at places like Amazon or Google Shopping. This can be particularly helpful if you live somewhere where options are limited due to zoning laws or other factors outside of your control (such as needing specific materials because they’re made locally).
Put in the new glass.
Carefully remove any remaining shards of glass using a putty knife. The frame will be covered with drywall, so you’ll need to peel back the top layer and carefully remove the broken glass from underneath it.
To clean your frame, use a damp cloth to wipe off any dust or debris that may have accumulated over time. If your frame has been painted or varnished, make sure you don’t damage it by cleaning it too vigorously. You can also cut out an old piece of Plexiglas from another part of your home and use that as a “scratch protector” for the inside corners that are prone to chipping during installation!
Once your frame is clean and dry (or protected), measure out how much replacement glass you’ll need based on its size and shape (we recommend having extra just in case). Cut out this amount so it fits perfectly into each corner without leaving any gaps around its edges; this will ensure maximum strength when gluing them together later on down the line!
Breaking things isn’t fun, but it’s sometimes inevitable, and knowing how to fix them is useful.
The first step to making a broken glass whole again is to understand the problem. Glass is an incredibly versatile material, but when it breaks, you want to make sure you know what kind of breakage you’re dealing with. If the glass has shattered into small pieces, there will be sharp edges that may cause injury if touched or ingested. A glass with very deep scratches or chips should also be handled with care; these still pose a potential hazard even after they’ve been cleaned up. If your glass has broken in half, then it’s possible that one piece of the broken item could fall out and become lost or damaged further during cleanup efforts.
If all else fails and no viable options present themselves (such as using superglue), then it’s time for plan C: bite the bullet and call an expert! In some cases like these where DIY remedies don’t work out well enough on their own merit alone without adding an extra layer of complexity onto what was already supposed to be pretty straightforward issue (i..e., replacing just about anything other than maybe changing out something simple like lightbulbs), reaching out for help may actually save both parties time money overall instead of trying keep going until everyone gets tired enough not anymore.”
Conclusion
We hope this article has given you a few ideas on how to replace an old kitchen glass, and we wish you the best of luck with your repair. Remember that there are always other options in life than just fixing things ourselves: if something breaks, sometimes it’s better to call someone else out to take care of it! Learn more to consider buying glass for your kitchen.
