Automatic door glass replacement is a different job to replacing glass in a fixed shopfront, because the leaf is a moving part with a weight the operator was set up for. This guide explains what changes and why it matters.
Why automatic door glass replacement is not ordinary reglazing
A powered door leaf is carried on rollers and driven by a belt. The operator was commissioned around the weight of the original glass. Put heavier glass in and the door works harder, wears faster and may not stop as it should; put lighter glass in and the settings are equally wrong. The replacement pane should match the original specification unless the whole set-up is being re-commissioned.
Automatic door glass replacement: safety glass is not optional here
Glass in a door is glass in a critical location. Our standard glazing across the range is 6.38 mm clear laminated safety glass, and a powered entrance is exactly the situation the requirement exists for. If you are unsure what is currently in the leaf, our safety glass identification guide explains how to tell, and the glazing compliance centre covers where safety glass is required.
What a proper automatic door glass replacement includes
- Confirming the original glass specification, not guessing from thickness alone.
- Checking the carriage rollers and floor guide while the leaf is out — the cheapest time to find wear.
- Refitting with the correct gaskets and beads so the pane is held properly in the moving leaf.
- Re-testing the operator afterwards: opening and closing speed, hold-open time and reversal behaviour.
- Confirming the safety sensors still hold the door open for a person in the opening, per EN 16005.
While the door is apart
Automatic door glass replacement is the sensible moment to deal with anything else the leaf has been tolerating. Floor guides are R195.00 to R390.00 and a roller set is R3 551.92 — all published in our spare parts range. Fitting them during a job that already has the leaf out costs far less than a separate callout, a point covered in our automatic door repair cost guide.
Planning an automatic door glass replacement around trading hours
A broken pane in a powered entrance is usually urgent, because the door is both a security boundary and the way customers get in. Where the leaf has to be taken out, the entrance is out of service for the duration, so the work is normally scheduled before opening or after close.
If the pane is cracked rather than shattered, tell us that on the call. It changes whether the door can safely keep running until a booked slot, or whether the entrance needs securing immediately. Either way, an automatic door glass replacement should end with the operator re-tested, not just the glass refitted.
Our standard glazing is 6.38 mm clear laminated safety glass, supplied and cut to the leaf. See the automatic door repair cost guide for the other components worth checking while the leaf is out.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use any glass in an automatic door?
No. The replacement should match the original specification so the operator settings remain correct, and it must be appropriate safety glass for a door.
What glass do you use as standard?
6.38 mm clear laminated safety glass is our standard glazing across the range, with other options available on request.
Does the door need re-testing after new glass?
Yes. Speeds, hold-open time, reversal behaviour and the safety sensors should all be re-checked once the leaf is refitted.
Can you replace glass in a door you did not supply?
We specialise in MC-125 and MCW-100 systems. Send us the make and a photo of the leaf and we will confirm before booking.
Broken pane in a powered door. See automatic door repairs, and automatic glass doors for the wider range.
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