A rock cracked my glass door. What should I do now?

Keep people and pets away from the door, and don’t open, close, push on, or try to remove the pane. Tape may help hold loose pieces, but it won’t make the glass safe or stable. If it’s shifting or pieces are falling, stay clear and call a local glass repair company promptly.

Often the glass can be replaced without replacing the whole door, but the door’s construction matters. A glass company can check whether it’s a single pane or a sealed insulated unit, identify the required safety glass, and measure for a replacement. An unusual size doesn’t automatically mean the whole door has to go.

For now, treat the pane as fragile and leave it in place for the repair person to assess. Cracking noises alone don’t tell you what type of glass it is or exactly how close it is to failing. Avoid pressing tape onto areas that are moving, and ask the repair company what temporary protection they recommend.