Glass Repair & Replacement

Parent Q&A

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  • The wooden front door of my 102 year old house has four small ( 7" x 9") panes at eye level.  Two of them were completely broken in an act of vandalism a while ago.  I'm looking for someone skilled both in glass replacement and in working on old houses.

    My son threw a hacky sack and broke a square window pane 9" x 9" in our living room.  I found Simmons Glass on yelp.  He was able to come out same day, repaired it within 1.5 hrs.  Was happy with the result.  https://www.yelp.com/biz/simmons-glass-emeryville?osq=window+repair

    A number of neighbors have recommended this business on nextdoor.com for replacing windows on older homes:  https://www.theframeworkswoodwindows.com/

    I had some small, 100+-year-old, leaded glass panes around my front door repaired by Margaret Pederson, Sea of Glass Studios, www.seaofglass.us, 510-351-1324. She's your woman. 

Archived Q&A and Reviews


Window Glass Repair Other Glass

Repairing Sliding Door Trim around the Glass

Sept 2011

My dog clawed and broke a small area of the old, brittle vinyl trim adjacent to the glass in a patio door, not the frame of the door itself. How can that be fixed?


I'm pretty sure you'd call a glass company. Although I live in Berkeley, I found the service and prices at Valley Glass in Walnut Creek to be worth the drive. I think they will come to you, to do repairs. We've bought glass for cabinets, and had screen doors repaired by them. Valley Glass, 1177 Boulevard Way, Walnut Creek, CA 94595 (925) 933-2940 heidilee


Replacing glass in window that is high up

Aug 2011

Can anyone help -- I need someone who can replace the glass in a window that is large and quite high up (second story and on a down-slope, so it is a huge drop to the ground). The seal in the window has failed so it looks streaky and may well be leaking into the wall below. So far the two places I contacted did not get back to me; I guess they were not interested in a single pane that's up so high. Any ideas are most appreciated! Miriam


Try Arrow Glass, Albany. Have used them and been very pleased with quality of work and service. My husband also uses them in his business. And they are a locally owned and operated business. support the local businesses


Replace a glass pane in door?

March 2009

We have broken a glass pane in an older wooden door. Does anyone know if this can be repaired? Do we need to replace the whole door? It is a heavy wooden door with 18 glass panes of differing sizes in it - only one is broken. Any recommendations where to go for a quote? Please help! Clueless


I would recommend Arrow Glass, Co. at 640 San Pablo Ave., Albany, 510-525-2118. They were quite busy when I was there mid morning, but seem equipped to take care of a variety of different sized projects. kathryn


I highly recommend The Glass Man, 510.523.5046. We found them in the Diamond Certified handbook. They have replaced many single panes of broken glass in multi- paned doors and windows in our house. They will tell you when the glass must be tempered, not cheap, but safer. tomasikfamily


Check with Mike at UC Glass. He replaced a full door pane in our old door quickly, for a great price, and was a pleasure to work with. 510-845-3367


Replacing glass is really easy. You take out the old glass and clean away the old putty around the edges. There will usually also be some small brads holding the glass in place. Measure the space very carefully - repeat the measurements twice to be sure you're right, then go down to the glass place on San Pablo and get them to cut and temper a piece of glass for you. The tempering is important because it is a door. Pick up the glass and a small tub of putty. The glass will fit perfectly because you measured it so well. Push it into place and hold with small brads, squeeze a strip of putty around the edges (it's a lovely tactile experience) and smooth it until it looks like the other panes. Depending on the type of window putty, you will have to wait to paint it. Some doors may use a narrow strip of wood on top of the putty - just copy what's there. Fiona


Hi, sounds like a relatively straightforward ''points & glazing'' replacement. In old wooden doors, the panes are often held in by wood with small finishing nails or simply with glazing, a hardened clay-like substance. The pane is measured & ordered, the paint cut if applicable, the wood and/or old glazing carefully removed and new ''points'' (which hold the glass in place) and glazing putty are inserted. A few days later, when the glazing is dry, the pane is cleaned. If applicable, it can be painted any time, even at the end of the summer. I'd be happy to look at the job and give you an estimate. I mainly do spiritual theater with kids, but have done repair work for many years. At this point, I prefer relatively smaller fix-it jobs that others pass by. Feel free to call. I have numerous references. All the best, Skye


C Glass Company - 510-689-6410 or 510-485-4265. They were fast and fair, according to a smart homeowner friend who hired them in Alameda. Hope your job fares well. Melissa


2004 - 2007 Recommendations


2003 & Earlier


June 1999

We have used U.C. Glass to replace broken window panes, as well as to put safety glass into some windows and a tv/stereo cabinet.they have done excellent work, and prices are reasonable. Natasha


Custom glass needed for noguchi coffee table

May 2008

i have a vintage noguchi coffee table base, but i need the glass top cut. i have the template. does anyone have a recommendation of where to get a glass top made? this would be the perfect addition to our home if i can just get the right piece. gabby


Arrow Glass on SanPablo.....they have done 2 good table tops for me. Bothe custom and thick. Very smooth rounded edges, perfect! I have also gotten custom mirror from them. A couple of times it was even done on the spot. I like them. Satisfied customer


As long as you don't go to an auto glass place, you can get the glass just about anywhere. I got some new glass for an interior door with some odd shapes cut specifically to measure. And I was able to choose from many different types of patterns. One hint you will be getting tempered glass. Be sure to ask them to NOT put the stamp that says tempered glass on it. Or your look will be ruined. The place went was just off San Pablo at 40th (can't remember the name). They must have had about 150 types of glass patterns and colors to choose from. good luck glass user


Where to get glass to protect tabletop?

Sept 2006

I received a very nice black table as a wedding gift but it scratches very easily and now my family will be using it as the primary dining table due to space constraints. I was thinking the best way to preserve the table top (but still enjoy its beauty) is to put a piece of glass on top of it. I have a 2 year old so I want to make sure it is tempered glass. Any recommendations on where I can purchase/order such a thing... or alternatives for table toppers besides table cloths? Thanks for your help DK


You should be able to get the piece of glass you need at any hardware/home improvement store. But I would probably go to TAP plastics and price out an appropriate piece of acrylic. I'd think it'd be cheaper, it'll be lighter and a bit easier to move, and less concern about breakage. We have neighbors who did this just for design purposes -- they wanted their tabletop ''tinted'' a bright color and so used translucent colored plastic -- and it looks great, is easy to clean and nicely durable. (Of course you could get clear plastic too!) anon


We use a clear plastic cover as a tablecloth on our kitchen table. My husband bought the material at Poppy Fabrics on Broadway in Oakland (very close to College Ave) and cut it to fit. It was inexpensive and protects the wood from our every day, all the time use a simple solution


There is a great glass place on Shattuck near Alcatraz on the West (bay) side of the street. I forget the name but they are right near the corner. bring them the exact measurments and they will help you pick the glass - thickness, edge, tint (if any). glass customer


Glass panels for built-in cabinets

July 2004

The previous owners of our craftsman bungalow decided, in their wisdom, to take the glass out of our dining room built-in cabinet doors and replace it with fake wood paneling. We now want to restore the cabinet doors to glass. I don't need anything really fancy (like leaded glass or stained glass), just a store that would be helpful in finding a glass that at least looks a little older. Any recommendations would be much appreciated.


I found the best prices and glass selection for cabinet and bathroom window glass at the stained glass store on 4th Street in Berkeley next door to Sur La Table. They have many, many different styles of glass and can cut it right there without an appointment. I had assumed they sold only stained glass, but they have much, much more in stock from simple to obscuring... candace