Adding a Glass Panel to a Door

Install a Glass Panel in a Mobile Home Door

I live in a manufactured (or mobile) home. Though it is built with a wood frame, it still has the traditional mobile home doors. The cost of of a new door with glass is way out of my budget. I had always wanted to install a glass panel in the mobile home door and I did it myself for less than $50!

Note that this project will be done at your own risk! It works best with doors that are flat slabs, not raised panel doors and it may not work for you. If you have any hesitations, consult a professional!

Mobile home doors have solid polystyrene (foam) doors. They have a steel skin with a vinyl overlay and a wood grain texture. They are strong and have decent insulating properties. The 9-lite panel consists of two pieces – the outside piece with the glass and the inside frame. The window portion of the panel fits inside the hole in the door, and the door is then sandwiched between the frames.

I started by removing the tiny window that was already in the door. It was easily removed by taking out the screws holding the inner frame in place, then I popped the outer panel out.

I drew cutting lines on the door incorporating the portion that was already cut out. Matt used a reciprocating saw with a fine-tooth blade to cut the piece out. (He’s awesome with that saw!)

We inserted the outer panel and secured the inner frame with the provided screws.

I used 100% silicone on the outside of the frame to seal it from rain, snow, and cold. I used a regular caulk with silicone on the inside to help further seal out any air. Both are paintable.

That’s it – it is really that easy! The glass panel does add a bit of weight to the door (which is really light anyway) but it doesn’t negatively affect the door in any way.

Instead of using a 9-lite panel, a replacement transom (half-circle) panel can also be used or even an oval panel.  Have you ever installed a glass panel in a mobile home door? Leave a comment below!

Please ignore the horrid shade of green on the house… I live in a humid climate and at the time I took some of these photos, I hadn’t had time to clean the siding. It is sparkling clean, now!

Originally posted 2015-08-17 08:00:11.