Does a cracked front-door insert mean buying a new door?

No, in most cases. The insert in a steel or fibreglass door sits in a frame that unscrews from both sides, so the glass is swapped while the door stays hung. Wood doors with glass held by stops can be reglazed. A new entry door is needed only if the slab is damaged.

Do the sidelights beside my front door need safety glass?

Wide ones do. The Ontario Building Code, as written in 2012 and 2017, calls for tempered or laminated glass in any sidelight broad enough to be taken for a door. Narrow ones may not be covered, but safety glass beside a door is sensible anyway. The pro confirms the current rule.

The decorative glass in my front door has fogged. What are the options?

A fogged insert has a failed seal. The usual fix is a new glass unit in the existing insert frame, or a new insert matched to the pattern. If the sidelights are the same age and style, doing them together keeps all three matching.

Why does door glass cost more than window glass of the same size?

Door glass is usually safety glass, often decorative, and frequently a sealed unit with grilles or a pattern that has to match its neighbours. Each adds to the order. A plain tempered storm door pane sits at the simple end; a bevelled insert with matching sidelights at the other.

Can the half-round glass above my front door be replaced without touching the door?

Yes. A transom or half-round is a separate unit in its own frame above the door. It's made to a template of the opening, so expect a measuring visit first. Mention it if it sits over a two-storey foyer, since reaching it may need extra equipment.

Door glass

New glass for front doors, sidelights and transoms

Many Markham homes built from the 1980s on have glass-heavy entries: a door with a decorative insert, sidelights, sometimes a transom or half-round above. When one piece cracks or fogs, the door can usually stay. The glass is replaced on its own, made to size and, where the code calls for it, in safety glass. We connect you with an independent local glass pro who handles door glass; a photo of the whole entry and a close-up of the damage is the best start.

The door usually stays in place
Safety glass where the code requires it
A photo of the whole entry to start

Get a free quote 905-201-8120

Only the cracked left sidelight needs new glass.

Glass only

Glass you can replace without replacing the door

Door inserts

The glass is clamped between two halves of a frame, screwed through the slab. Unscrew it, fit the new insert, and the door never leaves its hinges.

Sidelights

Usually a sealed unit held by stops, taken out and replaced with a matching unit.

Patio door glass

The sealed unit in a hinged or sliding patio door is replaced in its panel. If the door also sticks, see sliding door repair.

Storm door panes

A pane that lifts out or is held by a retaining strip. Covered below.

The code

Sidelights and safety glass

The Ontario Building Code names three door locations that need safety glass, tempered or laminated: sliding doors, storm doors, and sidelights broad enough to be taken for a door (2012/2017 text; the pro works to the current edition).

Tempered glass is sized before it's toughened and can't be trimmed afterwards, so the pro measures first and fits the glass on a second visit. Until then, tape clear plastic over a spreading crack from inside. If a window broke in the same incident, see broken window glass.

Inserts

Decorative and privacy inserts

Matching matters most at the front door, where the insert and sidelights are seen together.

Matching a pattern

Bevelled, leaded-look and textured patterns vary widely. A straight-on photo helps the pro match yours or suggest doing all three pieces.

More privacy

Textured or frosted glass lights the foyer without showing the hall, in the same frame as clear glass.

Grilles between the glass

A new unit can carry grilles that line up with the ones in your windows.

Cabinet doors

Glass for kitchen or china cabinets is cut and edged to size. See custom glass.

Above the door

Transoms and arched glass above the entry

A rectangular transom is replaced much like a sidelight. An elliptical or half-round one over a two-storey foyer is custom-shaped: the pro templates the opening, notes the grilles and may need staging to reach it. Those units have their own page, arched, transom and foyer glass.

Pricing factors

What sets the price of door glass

Which piece: insert, sidelight, transom or storm door pane
Size and shape, especially arched or elliptical transoms
Glass type: tempered or laminated, textured, bevelled or leaded-look
A single pane or a sealed unit, with or without grilles
Matching a pattern, or replacing a set together
Reaching high glass over a two-storey foyer

Photograph the door straight on, then the damaged piece up close, and add the glass's rough size. That's enough for a first figure, confirmed after measuring.

Get a door glass quote

Asking costs nothing. The pro quotes you directly.

Storm doors

Storm door panes and inserts

Storm door glass has to be safety glass too. Doors with interchangeable panels take a new panel of the same size; older ones with glass held by a retaining strip are reglazed in the frame. A slamming closer or a latch that won't catch is hardware, covered under storm doors.

Questions

Door glass questions

Explore your options

Glass pros we work with replace door glass across the city, including Angus Glen, Cathedraltown, Berczy Village, Cornell and Buttonville.

Send a photo of the door and the glass

One photo of the whole entry and one close-up of the damaged piece is plenty. A local glass pro who handles door glass gets it and quotes it.