Sliding door glass replacement

The glass is probably on our van

Most sliding doors in South Africa are glazed with one of two safety glasses: 6.38mm laminated glass or 6mm toughened glass. Both are made for doors, where people walk into and past the glass every day, and we keep the common types in stock on our mobile teams' vans. That is why a sliding door glass replacement is so often a same-day job.

The two behave differently when they break. Laminated glass cracks into a spider web but stays in the frame, held together by its interlayer. Toughened glass breaks into small, blunt pieces all at once, which is why a toughened sliding door can go from whole to a pile of crumbs on the patio in a second. Either way, we will tell you which one your door had and what we recommend putting back.

When your door needs something special

Some doors use glass we do not carry, such as extra-large panels, unusual thicknesses or special tints. In that case we source it fast and cover the opening in the meantime, so your house is not left open to the garden overnight. Tinted laminated shatterproof glass is also available if you would like to cut glare in a sunny living area while you are at it.

Until we get there

Broken glass is dangerous, so keep children and pets away from the door. If the glass was toughened, the small pieces spread a long way: sweep carefully and wear shoes. If it was laminated, the cracked pane is still held in the frame, so leave it in place rather than trying to pull out loose pieces. Either way, do not try to slide the door until we have had a look.

Aluminium and wooden sliding doors

Aluminium sliding doors hold their glass with rubber glazing seals, while wooden sliders use beading. We replace glass in both, as well as in sliding windows that use the same kind of frame. The sash comes out of its track, the broken glass is removed and the new pane is fitted and sealed before the door goes back on.

Free, mahala, vry

Call-outs cost you nothing. Free, mahala, vry, whichever way you prefer to say it. We are open 7 days a week, so a Sunday afternoon cricket accident does not have to wait until Monday.

Glass fine, door not?

This page is only about the glass. If your door drags, sticks, jumps off its track or refuses to lock, that is a hardware job, and our sliding door repairs page covers wheels, tracks, locks, seals and handles.

Quicker with photos

Send one close-up of the break and one photo of the whole door on WhatsApp. From that we can see the frame, the size of the panel and, often, the type of glass, and get your quote moving.