Glass is one of the most common materials in home construction, with about 39.7 million homes in the United States having at least one glass door. However, accidents can easily leave the fragile material broken.
What’s the best way to safely deal with a shattered glass door? From hiring professionals to handling it yourself, there are many ways to get over this hurdle.
If you’re curious about how to go about handling a broken glass door, we’re happy to help. Read on to learn about the risks of a broken glass door and how to handle the issue. We’ll also look at a DIY guide on how you can safely remove shattered glass from your home.
Risks of a Broken Glass Door
To start, what are the risks of a broken glass door? It’s critical to handle your glass door replacement as soon as possible. Here are five of the main issues with a shattered glass door.
Aesthetic Fault
One notable problem is the fact that a shattered glass door is simply unattractive. It can make a home look trashy or poorly kept if a pile of shattered glass is sitting in front of a broken door.
If you live in an area with a homeowner’s association, they may take issue with the sight. You can avoid any fees or unwanted letters by handling your broken glass door swiftly.
Danger of Injury
On the more practical side, broken glass poses a significant threat to the safety of you and anyone else near the door.
Broken glass can penetrate the skin and cause severe lacerations. When broken, glass has similar qualities to needles, razors, and other sharp materials.
Studies assert that the person most likely to be damaged by broken glass is the person handling the material. Keep this in mind in case you decide to do a DIY fix.
Less Secure
If you’ve had a glass door shattered, your home or business is less secure. When shattered, the door is effectively removed.
If the door is a sliding glass door, it’s become an entryway into your home. The entryway works for anyone who may want to sneak into your house.
Don’t only assume burglars or criminals. There are plenty of pests, animals, and other creatures that will happily take the open invitation to step into your home.
Loss in Energy Efficiency
Windows and doors are critical for the energy efficiency of your home. These glass installments help to keep your home warm by allowing sunlight in. They also can help heat escape when your home needs cooling.
Additionally, natural light stops you from needing to use the lights. If your glass door is broken, you’ll need to board it up with something blocking the light.
These issues can cause your home to become significantly less energy efficient. You’ll need to keep the air conditioning on longer to compensate for the air escaping out of the broken window. You’ll also no longer have the benefit of the natural light you were enjoying.
It’s important to handle your glass door replacement quickly. Contact us at Complete Window Care for a speedy and effective glass door replacement.
Further Breaking Possible
Finally, if your glass door is only partially broken, you’ll need to replace the entire thing. Primarily, this is because the door is at risk of breaking further.
Do your best not to handle any of the broken glass until you’re ready to remove it. The glass is much more brittle and can easily break or shatter further. When it does so, sharp pieces can cause you harm.
Find Professionals
Your first step in handling a broken door should be to find professionals. A professional glass replacement company will handle any task. That includes cleaning up the glass, fitting the door, and installing the new glass.
Repair
When a door is shattered, there’s often necessary repair. For example, a screen door may have been damaged in the process of the window shattering.
Some types of glass also can be repaired. While standard glass will need removal, you may be able to look into a professional repair to save money and time.
We specialize in vinyl window repair, especially in the case of hail damage. In some situations, you may be able to repair the glass rather than replace it, saving money, time, and stress.
Replace
When dealing with a shattered glass door, replacement is often the only option.
Replacing glass is an exceptionally tricky task. Removing the glass is dangerous and difficult without the proper tools.
Another crucial step is measuring the glass and ensuring you have the right size. A fraction of an inch mistake will render the new glass unusable and require a new measurement. These mistakes can cost days, hundreds of dollars, and an extreme amount of stress.
Leaving these tasks in the hands of professionals can make the job significantly less stressful. Let us handle your glass door replacement so you can have your door working again as soon as possible.
DIY Steps
If you’re set on cleaning up glass yourself, there are important steps to know. Here are your steps to cleaning up the shattered glass left behind.
Find the Necessary Tools
Your first step is to find all of the necessary tools to carry this job out. While some people will remove the glass by shattering the rest of it and then sweeping up the remainder, this is not an advisable idea.
The shards of glass can stay in the frame of the door. Once there, they can be extremely difficult to remove. Unfortunately, you’ll need to remove them before you can install another pane of glass.
We recommend the following tools:
- A putty knife for wedging glass out of cracks
- Masking tape to help pick up small shards
- A broom and dustpan to sweep up the remaining glass with
- A vacuum to get rid of glass dust and shards too small to sweep
- A disposable bag to store the glass in and then throw away
- A larger garbage bag to put the disposable bag in further lowering the chance of glass sticking out of the bag
Some DIY enthusiasts will even use slices of soft bread, such as white bread, to pick up some shards. While this is certainly a functional method, we don’t recommend it. You can pick the glass shards up in other ways without wasting bread.
1. Wear Protective Gear
Along with the tools listed above, it’s critical that you wear protective gear. Glass is dangerous and can easily get places you don’t expect it to. Nothing is more unpleasant than a sharp, tiny shard of glass in your eye from dropping a piece of glass.
Above all else, wear thick, protective, close-toed shoes. These shoes will stop you from getting glass in your foot.
Heavy-duty gloves are also a must. We suggest gloves that are fit for intense yard work. Thin or cloth gloves will be virtually useless in protecting you from the glass.
Finally, you should wear long sleeves, thick pants, and protective glasses. Keeping your skin from being exposed will ensure no shards of glass stick to you unexpectedly.
With all of your protective gear on, you’re ready to begin removing glass.
2. Focus on Bigger Shards
Your first step is to begin by removing the biggest shards. If glass is on the ground, you should sweep it up and remove as much glass as possible. Doing so will stop the area from being too hazardous while you work.
Once the area is ready, begin by removing the large shards that are still in the door. Wiggle them out carefully and do your best to avoid sharp tips.
If you can’t get shards out, don’t hesitate to break them. The glass will be thrown away regardless, so there’s no need to be gentle. However, make sure you don’t damage the rest of the door in the process.
You can break away larger shards and chunks if it helps. Just make sure you put them in the bag instead of dropping them.
3. Sweep Away Chips
Once the glass is removed from the door, sweep away the larger chunks. When this task is done, go over the area with your broom several times to make sure you’ve gotten as much glass as possible. Glass is exceptionally difficult to see and can sometimes be hidden from your broom in the cracks of concrete.
4. Remove Particulates
Finally, use your vacuum to remove particulates and glass dust. Even if you can’t see glass anymore, you should go over the area with your vacuum. Doing so will make sure that no leftover glass ends up in your foot after a few days have passed.
Handling Your Shattered Glass Door
A shattered glass door is a significant safety hazard until the glass is replaced. It’s also an aesthetic nightmare and can have negative impacts on your home’s ability to be energy efficient. Make sure you contact professionals to replace the glass as soon as possible and remove the glass whenever you can.
Interested in learning more about how to safely handle a glass door replacement? Reach out to us at Complete Window Care for a solution to all your glass needs in Colorado Springs.