| Tempered glass needs to surround decorative glass | | | | should always allow for an extra 1/8" in the finished |
| used in a door. This protects people from injury if the | | | | opening of your door, in case the two sheets are |
| glass is broken and it also serves as a barrier against | | | | slightly misaligned.#7 Finally, the completed "sandwich" |
| heat loss during cold months. Tempered glass must | | | | of glass is clamped in a table and hot butyl rubber is |
| be ordered in advance and once its been tempered, | | | | forced between the two sheets of tempered glass |
| it can't be cut or ground. (there are pictures that | | | | and filling the gap between the two. This covers the |
| were taken to illustrate this article at Here the panel | | | | foam tape completely.#8 Here, the completed |
| is lightly cleaned to get any dust off of it that may | | | | window is ready for the customer to pick it up and |
| have collected after you take it to them. They only | | | | to install it in their door.Finally, the completed panel is |
| do a light cleaning, you are responsible for making | | | | installed in the door and it looks great!To correctly |
| sure that it is as clean as possible when you take it | | | | size a window, we recommend the following:The |
| to them.#2 Next, the tempered glass is sent through | | | | decorative panel should be sized 1" smaller than the |
| a machine which "super cleans" and dries it.#3 The | | | | actual opening in the door. This allows there to be |
| stained glass is next laid out on one sheet of the | | | | enough space for foam tape in the bottom of the |
| tempered glass. It is centered and there is a gap on | | | | opening to support the window and for silicone in the |
| each side and top and bottom of 5/16" (the size you | | | | sides and top to hold the panel securely. The |
| subtracted from your finished size when building your | | | | tempered glass (ordered in advance from the glass |
| panel).#4 Now, a sticky backed, foam tape with a | | | | company) should be 1/8" smaller than the actual |
| metal skin is applied to the stained glass panel and | | | | opening on each side or 1/4" smaller in total.The |
| the tempered glass below. It sticks to both pieces | | | | window trim must be 1/2" or greater on each side. |
| and holds them firmly.#5 The metal tape is scored on | | | | This will allow any slight gaps between the foam tape |
| each corner so it can be folded around the corner | | | | used when applying tempered glass to the decorative |
| with a sharp clean edge. The tape can vary in width, | | | | panel to be covered by the trim.David Gomm started |
| this tape is 1/2", (we recommend 1/4" since the air | | | | building stained glass windows professionally back in |
| gap will be less noticeable and the final width of the | | | | 1983 and has become an expert at many aspects of |
| piece will be 1/2" total.#6 Laying the second sheet on | | | | stained glass building, design and repair. He writes a |
| the foam tape requires help because they only get | | | | monthly newsletter at his better stained glass |
| one chance to do it perfectly. Once the top sheet | | | | website. |
| touches the tape, it's stuck. For this reason, you | | | | |