Need some home repair help

Godiva · 07-09-2007, 01:41 PM

I need to replace a pane of tempered glass in a cheap French door from Home Depot.

I'm having trouble removing the remains of the glass. They didn't use putty, they used caulk. I'm pretty sure. Right now I'm slowing removing bits at a time using a razor blade knife. It is extremely slow going.

I know I can heat up putty with a heat gun and it's much easier. If I heated the caulk up with a heat gun would it soften up and be easier or would it dry out and get even harder?

Rest assured, when I replace the glass I'm using putty.

AuntBee · 07-10-2007, 12:39 AM

Best of luck to you, Godiva. I'm not very handy around the house. I did fix my own drippy kitchen sink fawcet (with some guidance from the guys at Home Depot), and also patched a hole in my dining room ceiling. Besides minor things like that, I usually give up and call a professional.

Sufferin' Prius Envy · 07-10-2007, 12:55 AM

If it's THAT difficult to remove, I'm wondering if it really is caulk.
[A picture would be worth a thousand words

]
If it is soft, try grabbing it with a pair of pliers and pull away from the line of caulk, but in the same plane.

(caulk) ---------------- (caulk)------------------- {grab} >>>>>>>>>> pull >>>>>>>>

[if you were to pull at a 90 degree angle, there is a chance you would splinter off some wood]

Godiva · 07-10-2007, 02:39 AM

It's off.

I'm sure it was caulk. Tan caulk. I had to use a razor blade knife to both separate it from the wood and pry it in places. It kept breaking. And it had little pieces of the shattered tempered glass stuck on it making it harder to remove. I was wearing safety glasses no worries. When I flip the door I'll be using the razor blade knife to trim the caulk that has squeezed out on to the glass on each pane. Really sloppy job.

It's clean now. All glass and caulk removed. I'll be replacing the glass tomorrow. If there's time I'll start prepping the door for paint. (This is how I spend my vacation.)

I did luck out in that I don't have to cut the door down like I did for the garage. It is exactly the correct size. All I have to do is put a bevel on it and chisel out for the hinges. Sweet.

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07-10-2007, 12:39 AM	#2
AuntBee Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Middle Tennessee Posts: 2,383 My Car: 2005 Prius Model: Package: #6 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 4	Best of luck to you, Godiva. I'm not very handy around the house. I did fix my own drippy kitchen sink fawcet (with some guidance from the guys at Home Depot), and also patched a hole in my dining room ceiling. Besides minor things like that, I usually give up and call a professional.

07-10-2007, 12:55 AM	#3
Sufferin' Prius Envy Platinum Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: USA Posts: 3,998 My Car: Other Non-Hybrid Model: Package: N/A Thanks: 0 Thanked 4 Times in 3 Posts Friends: 0	If it's THAT difficult to remove, I'm wondering if it really is caulk. [A picture would be worth a thousand words ] If it is soft, try grabbing it with a pair of pliers and pull away from the line of caulk, but in the same plane. (caulk) ---------------- (caulk)------------------- {grab} >>>>>>>>>> pull >>>>>>>> [if you were to pull at a 90 degree angle, there is a chance you would splinter off some wood]

07-10-2007, 02:39 AM	#4
Godiva AmeriKan Citizen Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 10,340 My Car: 2005 Prius Model: Package: #1 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post Friends: 7	It's off. I'm sure it was caulk. Tan caulk. I had to use a razor blade knife to both separate it from the wood and pry it in places. It kept breaking. And it had little pieces of the shattered tempered glass stuck on it making it harder to remove. I was wearing safety glasses no worries. When I flip the door I'll be using the razor blade knife to trim the caulk that has squeezed out on to the glass on each pane. Really sloppy job. It's clean now. All glass and caulk removed. I'll be replacing the glass tomorrow. If there's time I'll start prepping the door for paint. (This is how I spend my vacation.) I did luck out in that I don't have to cut the door down like I did for the garage. It is exactly the correct size. All I have to do is put a bevel on it and chisel out for the hinges. Sweet.