How to repair or replace a scratched glass shelf
After our recent move, we discovered that a glass shelf in our Pennsylvania House china hutch had been scratched. Two local glass companies we contacted can’t supply shelves in the 5/16 -inch thickness we need, nor can they match the plate groove that was cut into the shelves slightly in front of the back edge. The shelf is 31⅜ inches long and just under 13 inches wide, with a groove 1/16 – to ⅛ -inch deep. Do you have any suggestions for finding a replacement shelf?
Overland Park, Kan.
A: You might have to settle for a less-than-perfect solution. Options include a new shelf that’s slightly thicker or thinner but does have a plate groove; a shelf the right thickness but without the groove; or treating the existing shelf to make the scratches less noticeable.
Complicating the issue is the fact that many glass shelves are made of tempered glass, also known as safety glass. Tempering makes the glass about four times stronger than regular glass, allowing the shelves to support more weight. But the treatment must be done after the glass is cut to size and grooved, since tempered glass would break into small pieces if cut. This limits the ability of local glass companies to custom-fabricate shelves with plate grooves. They usually need to send these orders to a factory that can do the fabrication and then temper the glass in special ovens.
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One way to find companies that can supply glass shelves with plate grooves is to ask first at local glass companies. If they can’t help, ask them if they know a company that can. People in any industry are often happy to share tips, especially when they can’t deliver what the potential customer wants anyway.
That strategy plus a long Internet search turned up several companies that can make what you need — but none of them can do it with glass 5/16 -inches thick. The closest options are ¼ – or ⅜ -inches thick, so the replacement shelf would be 1/16 -inch thicker or thinner than your other shelves. If you go for this option, perhaps you could put the replacement shelf at the bottom of the hutch, so it isn’t at eye level. “If you’re staring at it, you’re going to notice the difference,” said Avery Simpson, who helps with online customer service at Dulles Glass and Mirror in Manassas, Va. (866-452-7707; dullesglassandmirror.com).
Dulles doesn’t supply shelves with plate grooves, but suggested calling A-1 Glass Company in Manassas (703-368-4627; a1glasscompany.com), which does. Near your house, one supplier is Westport Glass and Mirror in Kansas City, Kan. (913-671-8847; westportglass.com). There, a shelf the size you need, with a plate groove in¼-inch-thick tempered glass, would cost about $100. The tip to call Westport came from Bell Mirror and Glass in Wichita (316-262-8642; bellmirrorandglass.com). Bell also offers glass shelves with plate grooves, but it fabricates them in the shop so the glass isn’t tempered. This leaves the shelves too fragile to ship; you would need to pick up your order. Wichita is quite a drive from where you live.
Or, if you decided to forgo the plate groove, you could buy a shelf that is 5/16 -inches thick. Dolle, the manufacturer that turns up on numerous Internet searches for glass that thick, sells only tempered glass shelves, shipped from a factory in Germany. One distributor, Bluestone Shelves (866-618-0629; bluestoneshelves.com), sells a shelf 31½ inches long and 12½ inches wide, with a curve in the front for $38.99. Note that this is a tiny bit longer than you measured your shelves, but there may be enough of a gap at the ends for it to fit. If you don’t want the curve, Bluestone also sells shelves the same thickness and length that are 8 or 10 inches deep. Home Depot also sells Dolle glass shelves, but not in the size you need.
Because there doesn’t appear to be a perfect solution, your other option is to keep what you have and disguise the scratches. Depending on how deep they are, paste wax might do the trick. The wax, the kind you would use on wood furniture, fills in minor scratches and helps light reflect from the surface as if the scratches weren’t there. Moving the scratched shelf to the bottom or top of the hutch, or covering it strategically with a doily or two, also could help conceal the blemish.
Source: – https://www.washingtonpost.com/
