Is it Timber, or Aluminium…?

This will likely be the first question you’re asked after Googling something like: Sliding Glass Door Repair. While increasingly rare, timber-framed ones do exist, and they hold the glass in differently to the more modern aluminium sliders.

What’s the Repair Process…?

Well, this depends on what kind of glass you’ve already got there (to a certain extent, but we’ll get to that later). To simplify things, there are two ways this de-glazing and re-glazing can take place to replace your damaged panel.

The first is that we get information from you, quote, you accept, and then we come out and cut the panel on the day, install, and all done.

The second is the same, except that when we come out we do so to get exact measurements. Then, we go away, cut the panel, send it off to get re-baked, and then come back to install within 5 business days or so (subject to the toughening process).

What Glass Can Be in a Sliding Door…?

You probably noticed that little bit in the last paragraph about the ‘5 business days or so’. What’s this about? Well, that relates to toughened panels.

There are two kinds of glass you can put in doors if the panel size is above .26m2 (that’s about the size of an A4 sheet of paper): one is called toughened, and the other is called safety laminated glass. Toughened glass can’t be cut once it has been re-baked, which is why a measure needs to happen first with this panel type. Following that, we go away, cut it, re-bake it, then come back later and install. With safety laminated, this can be cut onsite and doesn’t require re-baking, which means if it can be used it’s often the best choice. It’s also used for shop fronts as it’s very hard to break through.

It’s Just Regular Glass in there, though…

Many customers, especially those who are renting, will explain that the existing glass isn’t safety glass, so can we just put the same back. The short answer is a very firm: no. This would break the regulations that govern us, AS1288-2006, and if anyone ever went through the panel and got seriously injured, the glazier who put it there would be responsible.

Shouldn’t My Landlord Have Changed the Panel to Conform to Regulations…?

Again, the short answer is: no. The latest regulations were confirmed in 2006, and they were reconfirmed in 2016. As you can imagine, many houses were glazed before 2016, and the rule is that ‘if’ they were glazed before then, whatever glass is in there that may not be up to current regulations is okay. However, when one of those panels break, then current regulations must be followed and the prescribed glass type for that needs to be used.

The next time you Google something like Sliding Glass Door Repair, you’ll be better informed and able to get things done more quickly now!