Glass Front Door Repair (San Antonio, Austin: how much, houses, contractors)

[scuba steve]

Stupid the dog broke one of the etched glass panels on my front door today when somebody rang the doorbell, and now I need to get the stained glass portion of my front door repaired. A bunch of the leaded joints are damaged, and one panel is broken. It has a design etched into the glass (rather than it being clear). So I've got a few questions...

Anybody know a good place to do this? I wouldn't mind refinishing the front door too if they'll cut me a good rate for it.

What are the odds that they'll be able to find glass with the same design? It means the difference in replacing just the broken piece vs. the entire thing and it's pretty large.

Anybody know how to get Stupid the dog to quit running up to the front door barking so this won't happen again? He's in his cage still, he seems to know what he did.

[scuba steve]

I found Austin Cut Glass on Servicemagic. Looks like they're about the only company out there that does stained glass repair on doors? There's gotta be somebody else around who's run into this sort of problem before...

[sinsativ]

One way to deter the dog, Vicks mentholatum, rub it around the door trim, the smell keeps the away. any kind of mentholatum rub will do. as long as the door is laquered it won't hurt the finish either. put the vicks, or cheap imitation low, and higher, he'll get the point. start staying away real soon.

[sinsativ]

Home - Cavallini Company

This place can repair the door, or replace the panel.

But I think this one is going to be more price efficient and time wise better for you, the one you found.

http://www.servicemagic.com/task.Sta...SP_ID=14496777

Austin Cut Glass
David Dillon
PO Box 65211
San Antonio, TX 78265
(210) 301-1317

[scuba steve]

Yeah I wound up calling Austin Cut Glass since they handle both the door and glass parts, and I have no idea how to safely separate the glass from the door. Looks like I'll get the glass panel repaired, solder joints redone and the entire door refinished for less than I thought it'd be. The glass material is called "glue chip" (loads of images if you google image search for it). It comes out looking kind of like live oak leaves. BTW those service magic numbers listed, they lead to some phone-in line. I thought the business would answer but instead it was them.

There are lots of stained glass companies around that handle just the glass part though, and I have an antique piece salvaged from a house being demolished that needs to have the lead redone and a newer piece that was damaged a few years ago. I may be stopping by the other place sometime later to take care of that.

I've been doing loads of research today about the dog... I plan on giving this plan a try since it doesn't rely upon distracting the dog (impossible to do):
Canine Behavior: Zoe the rescue foxhound, american foxhound, daughter age

He'll get his original name of "Snowy" back once he learns to knock off this behavior.

[sinsativ]

good luck on the training, I've used the mentholatum on several items where I wanted dogs to stay away, they sniff, lick, only once, then never again, the eucalyptis, gives them the willies, but doesnt hurt em at all.

[scuba steve]

UPDATE
Still looking for a company to build the window and refinish the door. For over a month I've had countless missed appointments and "I'll call you back later today to schedule" with no follow-up. My front door still has a big band-aid on it and I really want to get this fixed.

I have a design - I just need a company to build it, install it, and refinish the door. There has to be someone out there that can do this! Anyone know who can? Reasonable service would be a plus...

[sapphire]

Have you tried this place?

H&h Glass Design
10520 Culebra Rd
San Antonio, TX 78251
(210) 680-8377


I pass by them every day, but I don't know what services they offer....just know they've been there awhile.

[scuba steve]

I may have to go that route... I've found a few stained (leaded in this case) glass places around that just build windows, and a bunch of places that seem to refinish doors only. Very few seem to combine the glass part with the get it in the door and refinish the wood part. You really think there'd be a bigger market for that.

On one hand, it'd be a lot more hassle to find one place to make the window and then find another to redo the door (and how to get the glass in the door?). But on the other hand, I've had exactly nothing done so far over the last almost 40 days so how much worse could it be?

[sapphire]

Have you asked at Lowe's or Home Depot if they know of any contractors that are reputable and do this sort of work? I mentioned to one guy at Lowe's that my glass had a crack in it, and I could swear he mumbled someone's name......I just want a new door, though. The cracked glass is really only visible to me and the door is fully functional, so replacing it is on my long list of things to do. 30 year old houses are full of fun.