How to Replace a Broken Window Pane in a Wooden Frame

Removing the Glass

• 1

  Carefully remove the pieces of the broken pane from the frame. Use heavy leather gloves and pliers to avoid nasty cuts. Dispose of the glass immediately to avoid injuries.

• 2

  Use a utility knife to cut the glazing around the outside edge of the frame. Scrape the glazing from the frame with a sharp chisel. If needed, use a heat gun or soak the glaze with linseed oil to soften the putty and make scraping easier.

• 3

  Remove the points with a pair of needle-nose pliers. Points are the small steel triangles in the frame. They are used to hold the glass in place while the glazing sets. Save them in an envelope or resealable baggie for reuse.

Replacing the Glass

• 4

  Measure the inside of the window frame from side to side and top to bottom. Make a note of the dimensions. Take the dimensions and a piece of the glass, wrapped in newspaper and tape, to a hardware store or glass company. The glass cutter should be able to determine the appropriate replacement glass and dimensions from this information.

• 5

  Place the new pane of glass in the frame. Use at least two points on each side of the pane–a total of eight–to secure the glass in place. Tap them in using a flat-blad screwdriver and a hammer. Work carefully to avoid putting pressure on the glass.

• 6

  Re-glaze the window using latex glazing compound. Cut off the tip of the caulking tube at an angle, with a utility knife, to provide a 3/8-inch opening. Depress the thumb button on the caulking gun and pull the plunger all the way back. Drop the tube into the gun and squeeze the trigger to push the plunger into the tube. Use a stiff wire or long screw to poke the foil seal inside the tube.

• 7

  Run a 3/8- to 1/2-inch-thick bead around the outside of the frame. Smooth the glazing compound into the corners on all four sides of the pane with a dampened finger. Use a razor to remove excess glaze from the glass. Wipe the wooden frame with a damp cloth to remove any glazing residue before it dries.