Few things make the dramatic difference in your home or office as a large set of panoramic folding glass doors. The large panes of glass let in plenty of natural light and can really open up your space. There’s only one drawback to large glass doors, though – they’re susceptible to breaking!

Thankfully, most of the folding doors on the market today are made with thick, high-quality glass that shouldn’t shatter easily. However, no matter how thick the glass is, it can happen from time to time.

So, what should you do if you notice a crack or chip on your folding doors? Can it be fixed, or does it need to be replaced? If it can be fixed, is it a simple DIY job, or should you call a professional?

In today’s post, we’re going to answer all of the questions. We’ll explain the different types of cracks that you may be looking at, show you how to fix folding door glass by yourself, and explain when you should just replace it or call a professional. Let’s get cracking!

Step One: Identify The Type Of Crack

Before you jump into trying to fix the cracked glass yourself or start calling a professional, you should first identify the type of crack that you’re dealing with. There are three main types of window cracks that you’ll come across:

• Stress cracks (usually caused by pressure or temperature change).
• Chips.
• Impact cracks (say, if your kid chucked a baseball at the glass)

Depending on the type of crack that you have, you’ll want to approach the situation from different angles. So, with that being said, here’s how to identify the type of crack you have and what it means as far as replacing or repairing the window goes.

Temperature/Stress Cracks

One of the most common types of cracks to see in folding glass doors are stress cracks. These are typically the result of extreme temperature change or undue stress on the glass. As far as temperature cracks go, the most common causes are:

• An extreme difference in temperature (e.g., it’s super hot outside and the A/C is freezing inside).
• Fires, blizzards, or other extreme weather.
• Improper use of a heat gun while tinting the glass.

When the glass is exposed to extreme temperature differences (or rapidly changing temperatures), the particles of the glass expand and contract faster than normal. This can break the brittle bonds of the glass particles and cause a stress crack.

Stress cracks are most commonly caused by one of the following instances:

• Somebody leaning on the glass.
• Large dogs jumping up on the glass.
• Slamming the doors too hard.

Stress and temperature cracks are all caused by too much stress being put on the glass at one time. Whatever the cause, the glass wasn’t able to withstand the stress and “cracked under pressure” (which is where that term comes from).

Small stress cracks can usually be fixed, while larger stress cracks may need a full-scale replacement.

Chipped Glass

Chipped glass is the easiest to identify and repair! A chip usually doesn’t penetrate all the way through the sheet of glass. Rather, it’s like a small crater on the surface of the glass. As far as folding doors go, this is usually caused by flying rocks or debris from storms or a weedeater. Chips may also be caused by birds flying into the glass.

Impact Cracks

Impact cracks are usually impossible to fix or repair. Heavy impact usually causes a large portion of the glass to shatter and break, and can often cause large, wide cracks that span the length of the glass door pane.

While modern folding glass doors are designed to be shatter-resistant, the structural integrity of the entire door panel can be compromised by a heavy impact. Unfortunately, this means you’ll probably need to call a folding door repair expert.

Step Two: Fixing The Crack

Alright, so now that you’ve identified the type of crack that you’re dealing with, it’s time to get to the fun part – fixing the crack! Below, we’ve listed a few of the most common DIY repairs for a cracked glass door. Take a look.

Check The Manufacturer’s Warranty

Before you go trying to fix the door by yourself, double-check your manufacturer’s warranty. Although most manufacturers don’t cover impact cracks or chips, they may cover certain types of stress cracks if they’re the result of a manufacturing defect.

Either way, it’s a good idea to try to contact them first. You never know… you may just get it fixed for free!

DIY Glass Repair

Assuming that it’s not a warranty repair, it’s time to move on to the next step – repairing the cracked glass door by yourself. Here are the options you’ll be able to choose from.

Option 1: Clear Nail Polish

This is a common choice for small cracks or chips, as most people have an extra tube of nail polish lying around the house somewhere. While it’s a good method for preventing the crack from spreading, it won’t be able to fully restore the structural integrity of the glass itself.

Option 2: Epoxy

Ultimately, your best bet is going to be filling in the crack with a clear epoxy solution. Once it dries, epoxy is incredibly strong and hard and will be able to restore structural integrity to small cracks and stress fractures in the glass.

First, find a transparent epoxy solution and mix a small amount according to the directions on the label. Then, take a small brush and apply it generously along the length of the crack. Then, let it harden and dry. The next day, you’ll want to come back with a flat razor blade and scrape away any of the excess epoxy that’s hardened on the glass.

If you do this the right way, it may completely eliminate the crack!

Conclusion

Many small cracks and chips can be easily repaired with an epoxy solution. However, if you’re dealing with an extra-large crack that spans the length of the entire glass pane, or the glass has become loose within the frame, then you’ll likely need to have the entire glass pane replaced by a professional.