How to Replace a Broken Window in a Garage Door

Did a baseball crack your garage door window? Or a crow fly directly into it? It’s not hard to break the glass that lets light into your garage.

Replace a broken window in a garage door.

Fixing the problem takes a bit of elbow grease. If you are an experienced do-it-yourselfer, you can tackle the job yourself. We offer this overview of the process to give you an idea of the scope.

If you’ve never replaced a window, make your life easier by hiring a professional. Ponderosa is your trusted professional for garage door repair and garage door installation in Vancouver, Washington and Portland, Oregon.

Put Safety First

Before you get started, you’ll make sure you have the gear to protect yourself from injury.

  • Heavy gloves. Wear heavy gloves. Glass shards can cause injury to your fingers and hands.
  • Safety glasses or goggles. Invest in safety goggles or glasses to protect your eyes.
  • And the rest. Wear a long-sleeve shirt, jeans and lace up shoes. This isn’t the time for shorts and flip-flops.

The Tools and Materials You Need

You may have several of the necessary items. The rest are easy to find at hardware stores and home improvement centers.

Here’s what you need:

  • Putty knife
  • Glazier’s points
  • Glazing compound
  • Paint and primer for the wood frame
  • Paint brush
  • Replacement glass

Steps to Replace the Glass

Removing the glass: Remove the loose glass from the garage door window frame from the outside. Take the time to carefully and thoroughly remove each of the pieces.

Removing the glazing compound: Use the putty knife to get rid of the glazing compound around the edge of the pane of glass. Sometimes old, dried putty won’t come off easily.

You can speed the process by using a hair dryer or a heat gun warm the old material. Or you can rub linseed oil on it and let it soak in for an hour or two. If the putty knife isn’t not strong enough, try a small chisel.

Getting the frame ready:

  1. Pry out the glazier’s points that hold the pane of glass next to the frame.
  2. Take out the dried putty and paint around the frame.
  3. Brush it to get it clean.
  4. Paint the bare wood with primer.

Measuring for the replacement glass:

  1. Measure the height of the opening, then the width.
  2. Then subtract one-eighth of an inch from the width and the height.
  3. Measure the glass thickness.
  4. Take these measurements to the glass store to buy the new pane of glass.

Inserting the new glass:

  1. Make sure the primer has dried.
  2. Then create a quarter-inch rope of glazing compound. Press it down around the frame.
  3. Put the new pane into the frame. Press around the edges very carefully.
  4. Add new glazing points to make the glass secure in the frame. Use a putty knife to put them into position. Space them every 4 to 6 inches around the frame. Don’t put pressure on the new glass while doing this.
  5. Add more glazing compound to the edges.
  6. Smooth out the new glazing compound with a putty knife held at an angle.

Painting the frame:

  1. The putty needs to dry for about 7 days.
  2. Then you can prime the frame and paint it so it matches the rest of the frame.

Garage Door Repair in Vancouver, Washington

Ponderosa Garage Doors handles garage door installation and repair work. Contact us for help with your door.