Service
Sliding Glass Door Glass Replacement
Glass in a door is not the same as glass in a window. Building code requires tempered safety glass in any door panel, and getting it wrong is both a legal problem and a real hazard. We measure, order to spec, and fit it ourselves.
Cracked glass
A cracked door panel is a security problem before it is a cosmetic one, and tempered glass that has been compromised can let go without warning. If a panel is cracked, keep people away from it and do not attempt to slide the door.
We can secure the opening the same night if needed, then return with the correct tempered unit. Replacement is at the panel level: the frame stays, the glass comes out and the new unit goes in.
Fogged and cloudy glass
That milky haze between the panes is a failed seal on a double-glazed unit. Moisture has entered the cavity, the desiccant is saturated, and the insulating gas is gone. It cannot be cleaned, dried or repaired — the sealed unit has to be replaced.
It is not purely cosmetic either. A failed unit has lost most of its insulating value, which shows up on summer cooling bills in inland areas like El Cajon, Santee and Escondido where afternoon glass loads are severe.
What we install
Tempered safety glass as standard, because code requires it in door glazing. Where the original was double-glazed we replace like for like, and we will usually recommend a Low-E coating on west and south-facing openings.
Low-E costs modestly more per panel and cuts a large share of the solar heat gain. On a big west-facing slider in an inland valley it changes how the room feels in August.
How the timing works
Glass is the one repair we cannot finish in a single visit. Every panel is measured on site, because openings are rarely the nominal size and a unit ordered from a catalogue figure will not fit.
The unit is then made to that measurement, which typically takes five to seven working days. We fit it on the return visit. If the door is currently insecure, we board or secure the opening in the meantime at no extra charge.
From the van
Glass replacement — from real jobs
Photographs from work we have carried out across San Diego County.
Questions
Glass replacement — common questions
Can you replace just the glass, or do I need a whole new door?
In most cases just the glass. The panel comes out, the failed or broken unit is removed from the frame, and a new one goes in. Replacing the entire door is only necessary when the panel frame itself is corroded or bent.
Is foggy double glazing dangerous?
Not dangerous, but it is not cosmetic either. The seal failure means the insulating gas has escaped and the unit has lost most of its thermal performance, which you pay for in cooling costs on any sun-facing elevation.
Does sliding door glass have to be tempered?
Yes. California building code requires safety glazing in door panels and in glass adjacent to doors. Tempered glass breaks into small blunt granules rather than shards. We do not fit anything else in a door.
How much does sliding glass door glass replacement cost?
For a standard residential panel, typically $380 to $850 depending on size, whether it is single or double glazed, and whether you add a Low-E coating. Oversized and multi-slide panels are quoted individually because handling them safely needs two technicians.
Related
You may also need
Sliding door repair
A sliding door that fights you is almost never one broken thing. It is a chain: a worn roller drops the panel, the panel scrapes the track, …
Sliding door repair →
Window repair
Sliding windows fail in exactly the same way sliding doors do, for exactly the same reasons, and they are almost always in the same house. I…
Window repair →Emergency service
Broken glass or a door that will not lock is a security problem, not a scheduling problem. We secure the opening tonight and glaze it proper…
Emergency service →Available in San Diego · Chula Vista · El Cajon · Oceanside · Carlsbad · Escondido · La Mesa · Poway and everywhere else we cover.
Get a quote
Book glass replacement
Send the form or call. Estimates are free, and you get a fixed price before anything is dismantled.
- Hours
- Phones answered 24 hours, 7 days
- Estimates
- Free and on site, fixed price before work starts