Glass for doors

[Matt Meiser]

I'm taking my doors for the entertainment center in for glass. The local glass place, which has been around for years, and has always done a good job for me and for my parents, says to just go with regular 1/8" glass. The panels are around 14"x15". I was originally thinking tempered glass but she said it will be expensive, take a week to get, and is not necessary. Am I getting good advise?

[Rich Enders]

The risk with regular glass is someone getting injured by big sharp pieces in case of breakage. Tempered, or better yet laminated is worth the time and money.

[Jim Becker]

I'd go with tempered glass, despite the cost and wait because of the height/location of the glass. Very easy to get whacked inadvertently by feet, toys, thrown beer bottles when the local team screws up the big game, etc... :D

[Robert Parrish]

I'm ordering glass today for a curio cabinet and I'm going with just 3/32" window glass and 1/4" glass for the shelves. There are no small kids in my house only small dogs!

[Jamie Buxton]

I'd take the advise of the glass specialist. She likely knows more about glass than a bunch of woodworkers. Furthermore, she's telling you not to spend extra money. This doesn't sound like somebody who's trying to cheat you.

[Joe Chritz]

This is one case where I would not go with what she said. 1/8" is plenty thick but when it breaks it will break into large pieces. Tempered will break into corn kernel size pieces.

The other alternative is to go with something besides plain glass, like stained glass or something with some texture.

A local glass shop has so many choices I wouldn't know where to begin.

Believe me when I tell you that even small glass can make some bad damage. I know of one person who punched an aquarium and was very close to dying from it. She still doesn't have full use of that hand. The side of that tank was about 15" high and about 30" long.

Joe

[Jeff Duncan]

I usually go with regular glass, there are places where it's advantageous and worth spending the extra money for tempered. But for a small entertainment center door, well, not in my opinion anyway.
If your concerned you can always tell your guests not to punch your glass doors:confused: Personally though if they did I'd just take a pic and send it in for a Darwin award;)
Besides what do you think is going to happen if any of the windows in your house breaks anyway???? To spend extra on a single cabinet when the rest of the house is enclosed with regular glass seems a bit odd no?

just my opinion though....
good luck,
JeffD

[Rob Sack]

The difference in cost between regular and tempered glass is usually not much. This is not an area where you want to cut corners and save a buck. Also, I rarely use 1/8" glass anyway, unless the door frames won't accomodate anything thicker than 1/8". The added cost of thicker glass, which usally isn't that much, is well worth it. The door feels more solid, and it tends to help eliminate rattling.

[Robert Parrish]

Regular glass is stronger than you think. I made a curio cabinet for my daughter several years ago and she shipped it to Europe and back and not one broken pane.

[Jim McFarland]

Have you considered clear acrylic instead of glass? I used ~1/4" acrylic from the local Lowe's on this garage cabinet. Easier for me to cut to size on the tablesaw, very clear (to my old eyes!), lightweight and I didn't really want glass in the shop. Not exactly cheap at ~$45 for a 2'X4' piece but I am satisfied. I also left the blue film on the acrylic, installed in a standard F&P door groove and finished the door. Reasonably easy to peel the film off after completing the finishing step.

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg62/zjem02/IMG_3052_edited-1.jpg

[Lee Schierer]

I would advise against acrylic or lexan as it is too soft and will scratch over time as it is cleaned. It will also tend to attract dust more readily than glass. Tempered glass is a bit more shatter resistant than regular glass and more costly. I believe it also has to be double strength glass thickness so it will weigh more than plain single strength window glass. You will need to account for the thickness in your fastening method.

Above all if you order tempered glass make sure the glass company does the measurements as it cannot be cut once it is temered. I would strongly advise that you take the frames to them and let them do the measuring.

[Michael Weber]

My glass place sells 'double strength' glass which is just slightly more expensive than the standard window glass. Probably still breaks into large pieces but harder to do so I assume. Might ask about that.

[Byron Trantham]

I just placed an order for glass for Media Center doors. I was told that double strenght (DS - 1/8") would be fine. Tempered would be over kill in this application. I think we can see a pattern here. ;)

[Matt Meiser]

Thanks all -- I ended up going with double strength regular glass. $5 for both doors, because they were able to use offcuts that would be too small for them to use for most orders. No big box would have done that!

[Joe Chritz]

Dang Jim that is some back on that cabinet.

Joe

[Jim Kountz]

Have you considered clear acrylic instead of glass? I used ~1/4" acrylic from the local Lowe's on this garage cabinet. Easier for me to cut to size on the tablesaw, very clear (to my old eyes!), lightweight and I didn't really want glass in the shop. Not exactly cheap at ~$45 for a 2'X4' piece but I am satisfied. I also left the blue film on the acrylic, installed in a standard F&P door groove and finished the door. Reasonably easy to peel the film off after completing the finishing step.

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg62/zjem02/IMG_3052_edited-1.jpg
Nice shop cabinet!!

[Jim Dunn]

Dang Jim that is some back on that cabinet.

Joe

Looks like a blond blanket don't it?

Matt, go with the glassssss---glassssssssssssss:D

[Karl Brogger]

I'd do just regular glass. I silicone all my glass lites in so if it breaks, where's it going to go? Typically the center doesn't just fall out. Tempured is significantly more and only worth it when security is in mind, or if its something that will more than likely get broken eventually.

[Steve Clardy]

I just use 1/4" glass. A bit more cost, but stiles and rails are 1/4" grooved, and the 1/4" glass fits just fine.