Help: Remove Hard Sealant to replace glass

[LLL]

I want to replace the garage glass as you can see it is broken, but it is hard to remove the sealant, hard like concrete. can anyone tell me how to remove it to replace the glass?

 

Also when I search, most of the products available online are plastic instead of glass. Has anyone used that and are there any issues? 

thanks 

 

[MikeGrahamT21]

Thats not (or shouldn't be) sealant, its window putty, usually linseed based.

 

Give it some heat with a heat gun, should soften it a little so you can scrape it out, or failing that, knock the glass out towards the putty, and you should then be able to get at it to get it all off.

 

No problems replacing with something like perspex of a similar thickness, you'll need fresh linseed putty and a putty knife to install it too.

[Nickfromwales]

Apply gaffa tape to both sides and smash the entirety of the glass, work from inside to out, and some of the putty should start to break out too. 
 

Remove the rest with a chisel or scraper, and DEFO use eye glasses / safety goggles as tiny shards of glass will go flying out and that’ll not end well for the old mince pies.

 

Any reason to not fit glass again? A local glass supplier will cut you a new piece exactly to size for prob less than £20. It’s likely that if you use Perspex / other synthetic product you’ll scratch it with the scraper when you bench the putty back in.

[LLL]

thank you both. I will try it, I tried to use the hair dryer, but it seems not to be working. I may have to smash all the glasses and remove the putty

[Nickfromwales]

17 minutes ago, LLL said:

thank you both. I will try it, I tried to use the hair dryer, but it seems not to be working. I may have to smash all the glasses and remove the putty

I doubt you’ll get the putty to reconstitute after drying out over the many years it’s been in there. Hammer and chisel and work carefully is the way forward. 
 

Remember to use lots of gentle taps, so you don’t crack the pane of glass next to it!!! 👍🫡