How to Measure and Install Replacement Ceramic Glass for Wood Stoves

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Wood stoves with glass doors allow you to enjoy the beauty of the fire while you warm up next to the wood stove. Wood stoves produce a lot of heat and ceramic glass is required to withstand the extreme temperatures. We also need to remember that ceramic glass is still glass and very fragile. Breaking the wood stove glass is just as easy as breaking any other glass window or door in your home.

There are many manufacturers of wood stoves and many different styles, models and shapes which can make finding replacement glass difficult. The most common problem people are having with wood stoves is that overtime manufacturers will discontinue certain models which can make finding replacement parts difficult. Luckily ceramic glass is able to be custom cut and is the perfect solution for replacing the glass of your wood stove.

Fireplace Glass and Wood Stove Glass are Different

When shopping around for replacement wood stove glass, you are going to see advertisements for Tempered Glass for fireplace doors. You need to keep in mind that a fireplace and a wood stove are two completely different ways of burning. A traditional open fireplace does not burn as hot as a wood stove with an air tight door. Since the fireplace is burning at lower temperatures, the glass does not have to be as heat resistant, thus allowing for a less expensive glass for the fireplace doors. Tempered glass is commonly used for cooking oven doors and glass cookware where higher temperatures around 470 degree Fahrenheit are common. When tempered glass is exposed to consistent temperatures exceeding 500 degrees Fahrenheit, the glass will start to crack.

Wood stoves generate temperatures much higher than 500 degrees and would cause tempered glass to crack on the first fire. Ceramic glass has a temperature rating of over 1250 degrees Fahrenheit which is much higher than wood stove glass tends to get. In extreme conditions, over firing a wood stove can cause the ceramic glass to crack. However, that is very rare and hard to emulate. If you end up seeing tempered glass advertised for wood stoves, do a little investigating and make sure it is advertised correctly.

How To Measure For Replacement Ceramic Glass

Taking the measurements for replacement ceramic glass for a wood stove is very simple. The glass is held in place by sliding into a channel and is held into position with glass retainer clips. Some stove doors are just recessed for the glass and require many glass retaining clips to attach the glass to the door.

For square or rectangle doors, you will simply measure from the inside edge of the glass retainer from side to side for the length and height of the glass.

For stove glass that has an arched door, you will have to measure the height in two locations. First, measure the height of the side of the glass from the bottom of the door to the point where the glass starts to arch. Then, measure from the bottom of the glass door to the highest point of the arched glass. Also measure the width of the glass just like you would for a square or rectangle shaped door.

Half arched glass is commonly found when a wood stove has a double door. You will need to take the same measurements as the arched glass for the half arched glass.

Ceramic Glass is available in two thicknesses, 4mm and 5mm. Measure the thickness of the slots for mounting the glass to determine what thickness will work for your stove. If your current glass is still intact you can always just measure the size of the current glass. If the glass is in pieces, you can also lay the pieces out and make a template you can measure off of. However, it is always best to double check your measurements from the stove door itself.

Take Into Account The Glass Gasket In Your Measurements

Airtight wood stoves require the door and the door glass to have a gasket to ensure there is no leakage keeping the temperature in the firebox as hot as possible. The glass gasket is usually a flat tape gasket that folds over the outer perimeter of the glass so that both sides of the glass do not come in contact with the steel or cast iron door. Glass gasket is generally 1/8" thick. You will need to deduct the thickness of the glass gasket from the measurements you have taken to ensure there is room for the gasket and the glass has room for expansion as it heats up and cools down. Make sure that you deduct the thickness of the gasket times two for each side of the door. If the glass is too tight in the channel or the mounting slots, the glass is at risk of cracking.

Measurement Example:

You have an arched stove door that measures 16" wide. The height of the side of the glass measures 9 3/4". The total height to the top of the arch measures 10 3/4" with a gasket thickness of 1/8". You will need to deduct a total of 1/4" from each measurement to account for the gasket. This would make out measurements 15 3/4" for the width, 9 1/2" for the side and 10 1/2" for the height of the arch.

Installing Your Ceramic Glass

Now that we have the correct measurements and we have triple checked them, it is time to install the glass on the door. First start by removing the glass retainer clips from the back side of the door. With the clips removed, it would be a good idea to clean the glass channel or slots with stove cleaner to ensure there is nothing obstructing the glass when you set it in place. Make sure the glass gasket is installed on the glass before you place it on the channel or in the slots. With the glass in place you can reattach the glass retainer clips to the back of the stove door. Make sure not to over tighten the glass retainer clips or you are at risk of cracking the glass.

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