Cracked glass is often a fact of life when picture frames, mirrors, kitchen glassware, or door glass meet hard objects. Short cracks can rapidly develop into long ones that spell the end of the entire glass item. But you can quickly and inexpensively repair that glass and stay ahead of complete replacement with epoxy and a utility knife blade.
Fixing Cracked Glass With Two-Part Epoxy
The aim of do-it-yourself glass crack repair is to minimize the appearance of the crack and to contain the crack and prevent it from spreading.
Glass repair will not make the crack completely invisible from all angles. Rather, it is a cosmetic touch-up that reduces the visual appearance of the crack. When viewed from certain angles, the repaired crack may not be visible. From other angles, the crack will be visible.
Two-part epoxy consists of a resin and a hardener. Neither will work on its own. You’ll need to squirt out the two substances and mix them together. For small repairs, it’s best to buy epoxy in a double-cylinder syringe. This syringe regulates the flow of resin and hardener so that they remain within the correct proportion.
Whether gluing the glass in place or working with separate pieces of glass, you won’t have to worry about excess epoxy. You’ll leave the excess in place and let it fully cure. Once the epoxy has hardened, you will slice it off with a razor blade or utility knife blade.
What Kind of Cracked Glass Can You Repair?
Can Be Repaired
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Single-pane glass
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Mirrors
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Glass tiles
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Sidelites
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Picture glass
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Some kitchen glassware
Cannot Be Repaired
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Double-pane windows
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Microwave doors
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Oven doors
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Shower or tub glass
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Automotive glass
Picture glass, door glass or door sidelites, single-pane windows, mirrors, and glass tile can be repaired with the two-part epoxy method. Kitchen glassware that will not be heated can often be repaired too.
Cracked phone or tablet glass can be repaired to a limited degree. Though the crack will be visible, the fix will prevent the glass from falling out and will stop a crack from lengthening. Plus, it will smooth over the crack and reduce sharp ridges.
Round impact cracks tend to repair best if they are no more than 1-inch diameter. Long cracks should be no more than 12 inches. Glass repair will only work on single pane glass.
Do not repair microwave door glass, double-pane windows, shower or tub door glass, or automotive glass with this method.
Source: The Spruce
