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This question is similar to another one already on SE but this one focuses on the task as a repair issue rather than as a remodeling one.

How can I cheaply and easily (I am a layperson) create a stable, opaque "replacement" for a broken glass pane in a(n inside) door?: Painting over glass is stupid

Apparently one of the doors in my flat is partially made of glass and someone (either the previous owner or the renovators-- the house management of course denies that it could be the renovators' fault) decided to simply paint over them in order to make them "unglass". The glass plate itself seems to be 2mm thick and the cutout in which the plate sits is about 2cm deep (measuring both sides).

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errantlinguist
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As @jphi618 indicates in his comment, glass or sheet acrylic would be thin, fairly strong and fairly cheap, then painted to match the door. There is also sheet steel, which would be much heavier and expensive, but similar in thickness.

There are other materials, such as sheet MDF and plywood that are available in 1/4 inch thickness and hardboard that is available in 1/8 inch thickness. These are all thicker than standard window pane glass, but the glass in your door may well be double thickness, which is around 1/8 inch.

Plywood and MDF are fairly easily cut with power tools, as is hardboard, but the latter is tougher. All of them can be painted.

If you use something other than glass of the same thickness, you probably want to adjust the moldings to accommodate the additional thickness. You also may want to replace the other panel so they look similar. This also eliminates the chance of the other panel breaking.

The danger of painted glass, especially if it is not thicker than window pane, is the risk that people push on it believing it is wood or some other non-fragile material. People tend not to push on unpainted glass unless it is obviously very thick.

bib
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The molding that holds the glass in place probably is held in place with small nails. Just gently pry up the molding with a wide (1" or even wider) wood chisel or screwdriver. Try not to dent the molding so you can reuse it. The wider the tip of the tool you use to pry it up, the less likely it is that you will damage the molding. Remove the old glass and replace w new glass or plastic. G'luck.

Yehuda_NYC
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