Sometimes we see the glass actually SEPARATING from the gasket and metal framing!
This causes our clients to get very excited and we affectionately call this problem “Separation Anxiety” since they are experiencing anxiety over the separation of their glass and metal. Part of the reason doors have glass separation is because the unevenness of the door system has put such a strain on the glass panels that eventually they give way and the weakest link, basically the weakest screw breaks or no longer holds the glass panel together.
This typically happens because the moving panel strikes the interlock unevenly. This can happen on either a moving or a non-moving panel, either near the wall side, or in the center. Although serious and potentially dangerous to the glass, this is fixable.
TIP: Caution must be used in cleaning out the gasket that surrounds the glass to be sure no foreign debris that
could cause the glass to fracture has been trapped.
Once you are sure it’s clean, then the whole thing can be reassembled and new screws put in.
One of the problems that sometimes happens is that the old screw holes will have corroded and enlarged,
so this frequently requires longer screws and sometimes additional support to keep this glass panel together.
TIP: We recommend replacing the screws with stainless steel ones to avoid future separation.