How the glass broke tells you how dangerous it is

Sliding doors break in a few common ways: debris thrown by a storm, a forced entry, a person or object hitting the panel, or a panel that rubbed its frame until the edge chipped and the pane gave way. What you see next depends on the glass:

  • Tempered glass breaks all at once into thousands of small, blunt pieces. Some may stay in the frame for a while and fall later, so the area under and around the door stays dangerous.
  • Laminated glass, the glass used in most impact doors, cracks into a web but stays bonded to its plastic interlayer. The pane usually stays in the frame and still keeps out rain and intruders for the moment, though it is no longer at full strength.
  • Insulated glass may break on one pane only. The door may still close, but the unit has lost its seal and needs replacing.

A door can also become an emergency without broken glass: a panel that has jumped its track, or a lock that has failed, can leave the house open overnight.

What to do in the first hour after the glass breaks

  1. Keep everyone away. Children and pets out of the room. Wear closed shoes and heavy gloves before going near the door.
  2. Do not pull on hanging glass. Pieces still in the frame can fall without warning. Leave them for the person securing the opening.
  3. Take photos. Photograph the door, the glass and anything that hit it before anything is moved. Your insurer may ask for them.
  4. Clear what is loose on the floor. Sweep and vacuum small pieces, working away from the door.
  5. Close the opening if you can do it safely. If the panel still slides, close and lock it. If the glass is gone, a temporary cover such as plywood or heavy plastic keeps rain out until the opening is secured properly.
  6. Call. Describe the door, what broke and whether the panel still moves. The step by step guide what to do when your sliding glass door shatters covers this in more detail.

The SlideSavvy Repairs line is listed as always open. Visits are set when the schedule allows, and after a storm many homes need help at once.

Securing the opening comes first, the permanent glass second

An emergency visit is about making the house safe and closed. A typical sequence:

  1. Assess. What broke, whether the frame and track are damaged, and whether the panel can still move and lock.
  2. Remove the hazard. Loose and hanging glass is taken out of the frame and cleared from the site.
  3. Secure. The opening is closed with a temporary panel or board fastened so it keeps out rain and cannot be pushed in, or the damaged panel is stabilized if it is safe to leave in place.
  4. Measure for the permanent repair. The glass makeup, the size of the glazing pocket and the door's approval are recorded so the right replacement can be ordered.
  5. Fit the permanent glass. When the replacement is ready, the panel is reglazed or replaced and the door is adjusted and tested. This is the same work as a planned sliding glass door replacement.

If a storm or a forced entry also bent the frame, broke the lock or damaged the track, those are repaired with the glass. See lock and handle repair and track repair.

Some breaks can wait for morning and some cannot

Call right away when the opening is open to the weather, when the door cannot be closed or locked, when tempered glass is still hanging in the frame, or when a storm is on the way. A cracked laminated pane that is intact in its frame, or one broken pane of an insulated unit on a door that still locks, can usually be handled as a scheduled repair.

If the whole door is damaged, compare a repair with a new patio door installation. The guide when to call for emergency glass repair and when it can wait goes through more cases.

Florida storms, impact glass and HVHZ approvals shape the repair

Getting a slider ready before a storm does more than any repair afterward. NOAA states that taping windows gives no protection against wind borne debris, and that shutters or plywood, properly installed, do protect an opening.

In Miami-Dade and Broward, the High Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ), a replacement panel or door must match an approval for that zone, an NOA or an HVHZ state approval. A temporary board is only temporary. The permanent glass in an approved impact door should be the makeup listed in its approval, so the door again matches what was tested.

In condo towers, a broken balcony door can involve the association, building security and elevator access, and many buildings have their own rules for contractors. Tell management early.

Questions to ask during an emergency glass call

  • Is the opening secure against rain and entry tonight, and how is it secured?
  • Will the broken glass be removed from the frame and the site?
  • Was the glass makeup and the approval recorded for the permanent replacement?
  • What is the total for the emergency visit, and separately for the permanent repair, confirmed before work starts?

The service areas page lists the counties and cities covered.