DIY two deco glass panels in hollow core interior door

LLC
by LLC
I have two pieces of a bi-fold door that has a decorative glass panel in each piece. I want to put these glass panels in my hollow core interior door to my sewing/craft room. Is that possible or do I need to buy a solid wood door? Either way, what are suggestions?
glass panels are 10" wide
  6 answers
  • Country Design Home Country Design Home on May 14, 2015
    It depends on whether you want to see all the way through the door or just have it one one side as decoration. A hollow core door is just that, hollow, but there are interior layers that hold it all together. In the illustration here: http://www.renovate.org.nz/assets/Uploads/_resampled/SetWidth696-Fig-3.103.jpg So in order to add these glass pieces, you would need to cut perfectly through the door and the cardboard interior, create an inset frame that the glass would fit into, then add trim all around it to keep it in place. You would also have to replace any bracing inside the door where you cut-it's what keeps the door straight and strong. Not saying it cant be done, but would be very tricky and require some perfect cutting.
    • Leah M Leah M on May 15, 2015
      @Sue@CountryDesignHome Those doors must be modern, the one that fell apart on us just had some wood bracing inside that fell out when the bottom was sawed off.
  • Hope Williams Hope Williams on May 14, 2015
    If you frame the panels out first. Then cut and frame out the door. Then slide in and secure with glue and finishing nails. Or.... Take one side of the luan off and go from there.
  • Stacie Stacie on May 14, 2015
    Hi, LLC! You definitely need to frame out the door. You can then use small quarter round to "frame" the border to set the glass, and then small quarter round to frame in the other side. Or you could save up $200 and buy an interior door with glass in it already : )
    • LLC LLC on May 14, 2015
      @Stacie Thanks for the response. I particularly want to use this glass if at all possible, but appreciate your suggestions.
  • MuranoBlue MuranoBlue on May 14, 2015
    Google "raised panel door." If you don't want to tackle it yourself, a cabinet maker or a handy friend with a router could make the frame and use your glass for the panels.
  • Cathy C Cathy C on May 15, 2015
    You can cut out the hollow door to the size needed. You'll need to reinforce by cutting pieces of wood and sliding them inside the edges of the cut out and nail in place. You could then use molding like 1/4 round.... tack to your reinforcement on one side... all the way around the opening. Lay in your glass on top of the 1/4 round and tack more on the other side to hold in place. If you install the glass with a little silicone calk on the 1/4 round it will keep the glass from rattling in the new framework.
  • Leah M Leah M on May 15, 2015
    I love those doors! I'd use them as a room screen if nothing else! Is the bi-fold doors themselves too small or large for the door you want to use them on? Perhaps you could take off the hinges, add something that makes them a flat door and then change out the hardware? You couldn't have a knob that way, but it would fill the space. Another option is to get a full sized door with plain glass and then make a frame to put the pretty glass on the door over it. I don't see how you could use the hollow frame door. I once lived in a rental that some previous renter had sawed the bottom of the hollow door off of the bathroom, the insides fell out! I guess you could take the outsides off and reuse the wood parts to try and make the door, but it might be harder, if less expensive, to do it that way.
    • LLC LLC on May 15, 2015
      @Leah M Thanks Leah. I did some research on the hollow core doors and you definitely have to put wood in to reinforce the hollow area. I had hoped to do what you mention - just add some wood to allow me to use them as a french door but the width is only 23 3/4 inches and my door is 32 - just not feasible. I was hoping to do a diy, but will call a couple of carpenter friends to see if they will be interested in hiring out for it. The pic is with them just standing in the doorway of the room they are for - love the look.