# What is this piece on my exterior door called and where can I get one?



## jayrod (Nov 15, 2012)

Hi guys. Working on the exterior of my house and Im at the doors. These doors are good all except the frame thing (what is it called so I can better search for it??) that goes over the windows is weathered and warped from the sun. Its pretty old I think. as you can see below it consists of 2 pieces, one on the inside of the door and one on the outside that are screwed together from the inside. Can I find just this whole piece and not have to replace the door? What are my options and what is it called? Thanks!!


*INSIDE - *








*OUTSIDE -*


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## nealtw (Nov 15, 2012)

Door lites: this may help
http://www.trinityglass.com/pages/decorative_door.html


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## notmrjohn (Nov 15, 2012)

That looks like a door that Home Depot sells. I think I have the same doors. I don't remember the Brand name. That's a plastic one piece  frame, with fake mullions, and transoms, right? One on outside one on inside. I doubt that HD will have the frame in stock.  Take a look at doors they have and if it matches they can tell you manufacturer or order one for you. I dunno if you can get just one side or not.

 If I remember right the outside frame is glued to door around edges.  I took mine off for painting. It comes off easily with a putty knife and a little paint thinner. Be careful as it holds glass in place. Its at least a two person job, somebody's gotta hold the glass in, and weight of glass can be a surprise if you're not ready for it. The glass may try to fall out when you unscrew inside. It would probably be easier and safer to take door down and do work on padded bench.

 Its been a while, but I think I laid the door on a bench, unscrewed the inside, don't remember if it was glued, left that frame in place. With lots of hands holding glass and inside frame, turned door over, then removed outside frame. And I think I over did the thinner and broke seal of glass to door so had to re-caulk. There may have been a foam strip around outer edge of glass. Then I ran a thick bead of siliconized acryllic adhesive caulk around edges to seal the frames back.

I don't think you'll be able to replace just the missing pieces. I don't think you'll be able to find a matching profile in wood molding.  But you might luck out, and you might luck out in finding frame. During all that taking apart of my doors I lost the plastic screw hole plugs. Went to HD to see how to order some, guy took me to back room where were a few doors with busted glass, took a packet of plugs off one of them.  Your local guy may sell you a frame off a busted one they haven't shipped back yet.


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## jayrod (Nov 15, 2012)

Thanks guys. Door lites huh? Where do they get these crazy names?

Good info notmrjohn. Yes its a plastic one piece frame and it does have the plugs covering the screws on the inside piece. Really all I would need is the outside piece.


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## nealtw (Nov 15, 2012)

Any one that sells exterior doors can help you out, you may not be able to get same size!!


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## notmrjohn (Nov 15, 2012)

Crazy names ? In the automotive glass bizz, the side windows are called lights. If you ask for a right rear light from an auto glass company you'll get a window,  if you ask for one at a wrecking yard you'll get a tail light. In window and door bizz light is basically synonymous with pane.
Door light and window light go way back to when those individual openings were individual panes of glass held in place by mullions, the vertical pieces and transomes, the horizontal pieces. Window goes back to the 1200's from wind eye in Old Norse. Just an opening in a wall. You can keep the wind out with a shutter or if you want light, an expensive piece of glass, ergo light.
 While the Norsemen were saying windeye light , the English were saying fenester for the glass version. You still run into "death by defenestration."  Which means "he fell out the window." Except for the suspicious amateur detective who wonders,
 " did he fall or jump or ( dum dum dum dummmm) was he pushed?"  Here endith today's lesson. 

Measure your fake light frame and see if you can find out who made the door.  Break off a chunk and take it with you. Since its already broke you can figure the overlap and figure the opening size.

Lookin at the HD web site I only see Masonite 15 light steel doors, I'm pretty sure my door is not Masonite. I'm thinkin it is Ashworth, but that seems like a pretty high end product for me to  buy outa my own pocket.

First time I ran across 'defenestration," I think it was when I read about how Rasputin was defenestrated, I thought, "man that's gotta hurt, what a way to go." Sounded like something they do to farm animals with a special knife.


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