How to Install Glass Panels on Kitchen Cabinets
Cabinet doors are routinely "prepped for glass" by the manufacturer, meaning a small "step" has been created on the back of the door to hold the glass. If no clips or moldings have been supplied by the manufacturer to secure the glass, caulking is a simple way to secure it. Best of all, using caulk ensures the glass panels won't rattle.
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Things You'll Need
- Paper towels
- Window cleaner
- Painter's tape
- Clear silicone caulk
- Caulk gun
- Piece of cardboard
- Soapy water
Instructions
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1
Remove the door from the cabinet and remove the door pull from the door. Place the door face down on a clean, flat surface, such as your dining room table. Clean both sides of the glass panel with paper towels and window cleaner to remove any labels or dirt. Place the panel inside the glass frame of the cabinet door to make certain it fits. You should have approximately 1/16-inch of space all the way around between the glass and cabinet door step. Remove the panel from the door.
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With the glass panel face down, run painter's tape as close as possible to the glass edges to protect the glass from getting silicone caulk on it. Keeping the cabinet door face down, run painter's tape as close as possible to the cabinet door step. You are ready to caulk.
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3
Open a tube of high-grade, clear silicone caulk by snipping the tip off the nozzle and inserting the tool on the caulk gun into the nozzle to break the seal on the tube. Load the tube into the caulk gun and pump the gun until silicone starts to flow from the nozzle. Have a piece of cardboard handy to get a feel for how the silicone flows. It's better to practice on cardboard than on your cabinet door.
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Put a small drop of silicone into the corners of the step on the cabinet door. Place the glass in the frame starting with the right side, then gently lowering the left side of the glass panel into place. Run a bead of silicone all the way around the glass panel. Dip your finger into a small bowl of very soapy water and use it to smooth the silicone. Keep repeating until the bead is smooth. Immediately remove the painter's tape so that any excess silicone does not dry onto it. Wait at least 24 hours before rehanging the cabinet door.
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Tips & Warnings
To order your own glass, measure the width and depth of the glass opening. Take an 1/8-inch off the measurements of both the width and depth to get the glass size. Let your glass supplier know you have taken this reduction.
You don't need to be a professional to use a caulk gun. However, you do want to be careful that you don't make a mess with it.
Make sure the glass panel is not too thick for the step that has been created for it on the cabinet door. If it is too thick, the step may need to be routed more deeply.
