Removing grills from a steel exterior door

by Annie

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I'm doing a minor facelift of my kitchen and hate the grills in the door leading to the deck. They only screw in (were put in backwards!) and I'd love to just remove them altogether, not replacing them. They are plastic, discolored, and ugly. Hate the diamond pattern. Am I opening a can of worms by removing them? No manufacturer is on the door. Would I have to add trim at the perimeter of the glass or would silicone seal it? Just can't buy a new door now.

removing grills from a steel exterior door

4 answers

William on Jun 30, 2016
This is going to be tricky! The frame/grid is what holds the glass in the door. If the diamond pattern is not attached to the glass it makes it easier. If it is attached to the glass, with a double stick tape, it gets a little involved. You need to check for that. Most of the time the pattern is not attached to the glass. Carefully remove the screws. They probably screw into plastic inserts in the door. Use a flat putty knife and gently pry the frame away from the door, moving around the frame every few inches. Hold on to the glass as you remove the frame. Use duct tape across the window to keep the glass from falling out. even though the glass is siliconed in the weight can make it fall out. You can reuse the frame by using a hack saw and carefully cutting the diamond pattern out. A little sanding to smooth out the cuts. Then reinsert the frame and screw it in.

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- Annie on Jun 30, 2016
  Thank You William. This past winter I managed to lock myself and my little dog out in the middle of a blizzard. Had to break into the house with a hammer through the glass. Tough job...double layered tempered glass. It took every bit of strength my neighbor and I had to break it. When the replacement glass came in I asked if they could just remove the grille and said no. But there is no adhesive on the glass at all. The grille is really cheesy discolored plastic so I would not want to reuse any part of that. I was hoping to just reframe the glass, probably with a composite molding inside and out, sealing it to the glass with silicone. Does that make sense to you?
  
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- William on Jun 30, 2016
  Yes! Sounds like a great way to go. Do one side at a time and be careful the glass doesn't fall out. Use the duct tape to hold the glass in.
  
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- Annie on Jun 30, 2016
  I'm giving it a shot. Thanks for the tape suggestion. I wouldn't have thought of that and it would be just like me to have it shatter on the deck. Got any advice for getting rid of geese short of a gun?!
  
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- William on Jun 30, 2016
  A shotgun =:)
  
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Johnchip on Jun 30, 2016
William thoroughly gave perfect and thorough instructions. I would simply unscrew it if you can and see what is there. That may just be decorative. But that is not the case and if you can't get it off, there is a simple way. Break the glass out and take the frame off, replace the glass and use a imple few ieces of trim to frame it out again.

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- Annie on Jun 30, 2016
  Thanks, John. As I told William, I was forced to break this glass due to a lock out in a blizzard. The replacement cost $400.00! Had it been another time of year I just would have replaced the door. I watched them replace the glass and no caulk or silicone were involved in the repair.
  
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- Johnchip on Jun 30, 2016
  If you have to break in, you chose the right glass to break. Do you live in Trump Towers or what? Jeez a new door would have cost about the same at Home Depot. I do not understand now, what is the issue now? Didn't you get rid of the 50's Ozzie and Harriet grill or still living with it? If so, I would make the glass guy come back and fix it by removing that Dairy Queen/HoJo door grill for you.
  
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- Annie on Jun 30, 2016
  You're hilarious. There was a serious blizzard and I finally got my dog to go out after a great deal of coaxing. So glad to get her out, I inadvertently closed the door without checking the lock. Long story short, I was desperate for the glass replacement and it cost $400. I live just outside of NYC and all things are expensive here! Trump Towers it's not. The glass installers told me The grilles could not be removed when I asked. So, new glass, uglier than hell Grilles remaining. I just don't want to take them out to have something unexpected and bad happen. The door is awful. On a good day I try to think I'm in Switzerland. Trust me, I am not.
  
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- Johnchip on Jun 30, 2016
  I moved to the tropics.. not a problem here. ;)
  
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Nancy on Jun 30, 2016
Take the frame off. Cut the cross grill pieces off with a hacksaw. Be sure not to damage the outer frame. Sand the cut edges a bit. Paint if you wish with krypton plastic spray paint. Put the frame back on over the glass. This will save you the aggravation of buying new molding to hold the glass in. If you need privacy, find a nice stencil pattern and stencil the interior glass. Patience and time. Good luck.

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- Annie on Jul 01, 2016
  Thank You Nancy. It's just that the grills are also in bad shape. Cracked in places, etc. truly appreciate your time
  
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Annie on Jul 01, 2016
Haven't done it yet, with all this help I know how. Thanks everyone!

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