Woodstove and Fireplace Insert Glass Replacement

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The History and Use of High temperature Wood Stove Glass

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Many homes in the United States and world wide are heated by burning wood or Peat as a fuel source for heating homes. Many of these furnaces are constructed by case iron or heat treated steel. However there is always a glass product that provides a view of the flame in the burning chamber. This is not ordinary glass product. Due to the extreme heat and pressure created inside the chamber, the glass needed has to withstand high heat conditions. In the last 20 years the creation of the fireplace insert was introduced into residential homes.

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During the process and manufacturing of woodstove glass, boron is added to float glass and rolled on tin sheets filled with water, which is commonly known as float glass, which gives the glass smooth transparent look like you have when you look outside your picture window at home. To make this glass less brittle, it undergoes another process called annealing. Which makes the glass less brittle and easy to cut. This is the reason why we can cut any size or any shape from a sheet of Pyroceram III woodstove glass. however the higher concentration of boron that is introduced into the product does give it a slight amber color, being that boron is a amber colored element. But do not concern yourself with the transparency. Even though it is not clear you can still see through this glass clearly and once installed in the wood stove or fireplace insert new really don't know the difference. It does not take away from the ambience of the flame which is the main reason why we have glass in fireplace inserts so people have the best of both worlds. One is your living room efficiently by burning the wood, pellets, or if you still old fashion Peat.

As you see on the left all the different shapes and sizes that we are able to create for you we do need patterns to copy and make your glass perfect. The life expectancy of woodstove glass is approximately 20 to 25 years. The major reason for breakage of woodstove glass is  overfilling the chamber with wood, and it is disturbing that when you fill you woodstove, or fireplace insert before going to bed, only to wake up and see a crack is usually due to a rolling log that hit the glass. To help this woodstove glass and breaking when this happens is the use of a high temperature fiberglass rope which sometimes will help in absorbing the shock. Check with your manufacturer's booklet if you still have it about the use of this would stove fiberglass rope. It is prudent that this rope is used to separate itself from any metal that is in a frame that surrounds the glass. Although there are many different applications of woodstove glass that are attached to either the woodstove with a fireplace insert is always smart to try to put a woodstove rope around the glass and the metal frame which keeps it in place. If you are replacing this glass because of age and the loss of clarity is crucial that you replace the glass with a new rope. Another reason for the high breakage rate of wood stove glass in the marketplace today is the manufacturers have replaced true woodstove glass with a substandard product called borosilicate. You will know the difference if you see the glass in the doors to be clear rather than Amber. I have been to the two largest hardware chains that sell wood stoves and wood stove inserts which I will not mention year, and seen these woodstove products with the clear glass in it. We have sold many pieces of glass to very unhappy customers after the first or second burn with the glass is broken for no reason. when the customer calls the manufacturer or the retailer many times they get the answer well it was your fault a lot must've hit the glass. They know the problem but again if you go to a reputable store that sells wood stoves and fireplaces inserts you will notice the amber color and the glass. However you will spend more than $1000 for anything of quality. Instead of getting painted high speed steel expect to see cast-iron or other high quality material. Remember when buying a brand-new woodstove or wood stove insert they are a lifetime investment something that you do not want to cut corners on.  At full burn, the atmospheric temperature inside your woodstove or fireplace insert reaches as high as 1100°. Our product can handle this very easily, however the clear borosilicate can only handle up to 800°. It was a cost-saving measure as some of these items are sold for less than $1000 and the manufacturer had to cut costs in some way. So if you would just using one or two logs you can get away for a while but if you burn a lot and reach the 1100° atmospheric temperature that is normal in the unit this glass will reach its critical thermal breakdown which is around 900°. Our product easily handles up to 1450° with a thermal breakdown of 1650°. The other reason for replacement of woodstove glass, is that over time the glass will go under a thing called atomization. This is the pitting and the discoloration of the glass over a long period of time. Like I said woodstove glass could last a very long time but eventually everything does have its point of no return.

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Anytime you replace the woodstove glass from the door,  it is always smart to take the door off the hinge, and laying it on a flat surface. Yes I know sometimes the handle gets in the way, and yes the screws sometimes are difficult to remove due to the age and the constant heat bombardment, but it is much easier to work on your head on a table. If you have difficulty in removing the screws we must remember that they have suspension and contraction capabilities just like the frame around itself. Both also might need to be replaced. All of these materials, the rope, the screws, the possibly bent frame, can all be found in any local retail location that sells woodstoves and fireplace inserts for living. Just like any glass product there is no uniform or consistent size of the glass nor is there any one way of installing or removing this product. So you must use common sense sometimes. If the screw is hard to remove from the frame, first try to use a liquid wrench type product and let it soak. The other and more quicker way is to apply high heat using a propane torch on the screw which usually will expand and become easier to remove. These screws are made for high temperature. Do not try to substitute them with a low grade stainless steel as they will not hold up with the heat stress. Also when surrounding the rope around the framed metal remember to always just hand tightened the screw. Too many people think we have to make it tighter so the glass will fall out this is not the case on the installation of the woodstove glass. This is why it is imperative to use the woodstove rope so the glass will not snap. It is always smart to screw this in a counterclockwise and tighten slowly as you go around.

Feel free to write us if you ever have any questions. Also when measuring the glass prior to ordering, it is always best to remove the glass from the frame. The best measurement is from the glass it's in it now unless you had problems with this glass due to previous replacement. Unlike tempered glass you can cut wood stove glass. If you have to cut anything less than a half an inch glass shops using wet carbide belt sanders have the ability to shorten this product. If you need to do this do a search in your local area plate glass and mirror shops as many of them will always have a standup wet carbide belt Sander. No respectable plate and glass company could ever run successfully without one.

I hope you have learned more about wood stove glass than you ever have before reading this article. To get a price and to order simply click on the blue links that say click here to order your woodstove glass

Click here to order your woodstove glass

Pyroceram III  woodstove glass is not ordinary glass.  It is a amber transparent ceramic product.  Pyroceram III has entirely different characteristics from tempered glass, as tempered glass goes through a heat process creating an outer shell surface of normal plate glass that can handle up to 550° with a thermal breakdown of 650. You cannot use tempered glass as a replacement for woodstove glass. The price of woodstove glass is much higher than tempered due to its features and the elements needed to produce the product. Pyroceram III has a high thermal ceramic with a heat rating of around 1450 degrees and is normally used in high heat applications such as woodstoves and fireplace inserts. Fireplace doors do not generate enough heat to exceed the thermal rating so if you need to replace you fireplace door, hi strength tempered glass is you best cost effective option. However there are new fireplace door inserts. These new products are inserted into your fireplace and act as a mini wood stove. They do create enough heat for the use of Pyroceram III. So if you need to replace the glass in your fireplace swing doors, and not a fireplace insert or  a woodstove, then you need a tempered product.

 Pyroceram III Ceramic glass breakage usually occurs as a result of impact or the retaining hardware was too tight or during eventual thermal breakdown which can take several year or even decades. When broken it will usually just crack like normal glass. Pyroceram III is amber in color and is made of 3/16 or 1/8th thick glass and is the best glass product to replace for your wood stove.

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