Seal Failure & Broken Glass
Foggy glass and condensation between glass panes can be an eyesore. The sad truth is that all insulating glass will eventually fail. Given enough time, moist air will begin to fill the space between the two once-sealed pieces of glass.
When temperatures remain consistent, you won’t see this moisture in the glass as much. Not until there has been a fairly rapid temperature change, either indoors or outdoors, will you see any sign of a failed seal. This starts as condensation between the two panes of glass.
What Causes Seal Failure?
Hot days are the biggest cause of seal failure, which is why south- and west-facing windows usually fail first. When sunshine hits a double-paned window, the air inside heats up, causing the sealed glass to expand and push air through semi-permeable seals. In the evening, the window cools and contracts, drawing air — and humidity — with it. This cycle happens countless times, stressing the window seals and filling the inside air space with visible moisture.
To protect against seal failure as long as possible, the exterior seam where the glass meets the wood must be re-caulked and the frames re-painted. If there is not a tight seal between the glass and wood, rain hits the glass and runs down between the wood and the glass, pools at the bottom of the IGU (integrated glass unit), and decays both the seal of the IGU and the wood frame of the window from the inside out.
Any of the following conditions between glass panes may indicate seal failure:
- Condensation, haze, or fog
- Standing water
- Rust-colored flaking (may indicate seal failure and breakdown of a protective glass coating — Low-E coating — that reduces both radiant heat transfer and the passage of ultraviolet rays)
- Specks of dirt
The Chosen Solution – WOOD WINDOW GLASS REPLACEMENT REPAIR
Our window repair company provides customers with the best products and glazing methods for all your glass replacement needs. We can replace your glass and give you options to upgrade to other types of replacement glass, such as Low-E, gridded, tinted, and other variations. Glass replacement is far cheaper than full window replacement. The experts at Chosen Wood Windows can do it with relative ease and minimal disruption Chosen Wood Windows also provides other glass services. We change out broken glass for insulated and single-pane glass.
Leaded & Stained Glass Repair
We also offer leaded and stained-glass repair. These types of glass can wear down over time, affecting the small details that give them their character. At Chosen Wood Windows, we go out of our way to help maintain the original framing, inscriptions, and other special qualities that have been around since the beginning. After all, one of the best reasons to restore vintage windows is to maintain those traits that make the windows unique in the first place.