How to get rid of those horrible borrowed lights above doors

franco25

Hi I am just looking for some advice from people. I have moved into a house from 60-70s, they have those horrible borrowed lights above the door, the glass is not even clear. Has anyone had any experience is getting rid of these or plastering them up?

dodzy

franco25 wrote: »

Hi I am just looking for some advice from people. I have moved into a house from 60-70s, they have those horrible borrowed lights above the door, the glass is not even clear. Has anyone had any experience is getting rid of these or plastering them up?

Throw up a pic

BrokenArrows

franco25 wrote: »

Hi I am just looking for some advice from people. I have moved into a house from 60-70s, they have those horrible borrowed lights above the door, the glass is not even clear. Has anyone had any experience is getting rid of these or plastering them up?

Plastering would be a bad idea.

They are part of the door frame and will shake a little every time you open and close the door which will cause any plaster to crack.

If you want the borrowed light section to be flush with the wall then you will have to remove the door frame and build a new door frame and then plaster above it.

Alternatively you can just remove the glass and replace it with wood or clear glass.

DavyD_83

Well, I've just learned a new term, and that's mad, I only thought they were in schools and community centres.
Sounds like Broken Arrows knows what he is talking about there

listermint

I have them in our house we bought last year. 1970s construction.

Ours are clear. But tbh they let light into the hallway so i wouldnt remove them, They are purposeful and methods like that are used in newer architect designed construction.

Replace all the glass with clear.

NIMAN

Could you not return them to whoever they were borrowed from?

I'll get me coat.

red sean

DavyD_83 wrote: »

Well, I've just learned a new term, and that's mad, I only thought they were in schools and community centres.
Sounds like Broken Arrows knows what he is talking about there

Quite often called "Fanlights" as well

seamus

Also remember that they're there for a reason. We're in a terraced house and have these above two doors upstairs, but without them the landing and stairs would be incredibly dark because there's obviously no outside window in the landing.

So before you go blocking them up, make sure you have an alternative plan for adequately lighting the room.

Harry Palmr

Some incorporate a open ventilation strip and that's there for a reason if you have gas central heating.

franco25

Hi thanks

Yeah taking out the door is not an option, probably either put clear glass in? where could you get clear glass cut out? see attached photo..

Wishbone Ash

franco25 wrote: »

Hi thanks

Yeah taking out the door is not an option, probably either put clear glass in? where could you get clear glass cut out? see attached photo..

It's possible that you may have clear glass with a frosted glass film added to it afterwards. If so, it may be possible to remove it.

Otherwise, any glazing company will cut glass to size.

red sean

franco25 wrote: »

Hi thanks

Yeah taking out the door is not an option, probably either put clear glass in? where could you get clear glass cut out? see attached photo..

Any glazier will cut a pane of clear glass the right size but you must get the measurement correct. If its any little fraction too big you have a problem.

But more importantly remember,, obscure glass is usually used for security/privacy reasons. If you change to clear glass, leave nothing on view.

Peregrinus

red sean wrote: »

Any glazier will cut a pane of clear glass the right size but you must get the measurement correct. If its any little fraction too big you have a problem.

But more importantly remember,, obscure glass is usually used for security/privacy reasons. If you change to clear glass, leave nothing on view.

A borrowed light connects two interior spaces. (Light from the exterior flows into one space through, e.g. a window, and is then "borrowed" to help illuminate the second space.) So there should be no security implications; you can't see throgh a borrowed light unless you're already inside the building. Besides, a borrowed light is above a door and so is generally well above eye-level; all you are likely to see through it is the ceiling of the adjacent interior space.

Wishbone Ash

red sean wrote: »

.., obscure glass is usually used for security/privacy reasons. If you change to clear glass, leave nothing on view.

I think you're confusing things. The OP is referring to glass above internal bedroom doors - not glass above a front or back door.

Alun

Maybe first experiment by blocking them up with a piece of thick cardboard or something and see what you think. you may find that blocking them makes the rooms on the inside side of them unnecessarily dark as a result. I must admit I don't really see the problem with them, and they do perform a useful function as others have pointed out.

BrokenArrows

red sean wrote: »

Any glazier will cut a pane of clear glass the right size but you must get the measurement correct. If its any little fraction too big you have a problem.

Ya its better to be on the small side. The edge of the glass will be covered by a wood trim anyway so just measure the width and height and subtract a few mm.

Also measure the width and height in different places in the frame just incase its not exactly square.

Ive been meaning to replace one in my house too. Its cracked with a horrible pattern and loads of paint stains on it. Ive been putting it on the long finger for nearly a year. haha.

franco25

Cheers thanks for all the replies, yeah i will go with the 2 options, cover them up and see what the affect does this have with light in the room or replace the glass with clear glass.

Thanks

BarryD2

franco25 wrote: »

Hi thanks

Yeah taking out the door is not an option, probably either put clear glass in? where could you get clear glass cut out? see attached photo..

Seem pretty large compared to what you'd normally see, the ceilings must be higher than standard. Maybe the house is older than you think?

Wishbone Ash

franco25 wrote: »

Cheers thanks for all the replies, yeah i will go with the 2 options, cover them up and see what the affect does this have with light in the room or replace the glass with clear glass.

Thanks

What about painting over the glass. It might look neater than covering them up.

celiam

why would you want to cover them up,they are usually there to give light into an otherwise dark hallway

Lambay island

celiam wrote: »

why would you want to cover them up,they are usually there to give light into an otherwise dark hallway

I'm in the same situation. I would imagine OP wants to cover them up due to giving out too much light. For example I have a window in landing that allows for plenty of light so these are unnecessary in my house anyway and irritating for light if you are trying to get or keep a young child asleep. Ive a temp cover up on kids room which has helped the sleep issue .