 | Bob Crager of Lewis Street Glass is a 26 year veteran in the glass business. Lewis Street Glass is a leading Wichita Glass company, serving the entire Wichita/Sedgwick County area since 1919. They do anything and everything having to do with glass, both residential and commercial. They also do Auto glass. They are located at 743 South Market, facing Kellogg on the South, and you can reach them by phone at (316) 263-8259. You can email Bob Crager at bcrager@lewisstreetglass.com |
Glass
2010-07-01 12:04:00
Fogging windows – series (part three)
Question: I am having fogging window problems with some or most of the windows in my house. I hate trying to look through the haze, but even more importantly…it is most unsightly. What causes this situation? Can it be prevented? What does one do to stop it? How much does it cost?
Answer: Foggy windows are more than just ugly to look through. The window condensation reduces the windows’ ability to insulate you from the outside temperatures, whether hot or cold, thereby defeating the purpose of having thermopane windows in the first place. In addition, moisture begins to rot and corrode your wood window components if it’s not fixed. As fog turns into condensation it leaves white verticle drip lines, etched panes, and eventually large patches of white haze, and finally, water bedding at the bottom of the glass unit on the inside and/or the outside of the frame. Dry rot can ensue.
Repairing glass in a thermopane window is much different than repairing single-glaze windows. A thermopane window is made up of insulated units that typically have two or more panes of glass. Instead of the puttylike glazing compound used with a single-pane window, a thermopane window uses a sealing component and a mechanical glazing stop, or glazing bead.
A thermopane window is defined by the insulated glass unit. This insulated glass is typically made up of two panes of glass that are sealed to a spacer, which is why the units are sometimes called double-pane glass. The spacer is placed between the panes of glass and is continuous around the edges. When the unit is sealed, no air or moisture can move into or out of the enclosed airspace, giving you a clear look year round. Obviously, a broken glass will let air and moisture move into the space between the panes, occluding your vision through the glass. This also can occur if the seal between the spacer and the glass is broken, either from use, age, or physical damage.
Outside air and moisture can then move into the airspace, which, unrepaired or unnoticed, will then cause condensation to form. The moisture will fog on or inside the glass due to the different temperatures inside the house and outside the window, no matter which season you’re in, summer or winter. In severe climates, this condensation can even bead up and freeze. Now, if the glass is broken, the obvious repair is to replace the IG (insulated glass) unit. However, if the glass is fogged, it is not so obvious that the IG unit should be replaced, although normally that’s the repair that will last much longer. A good local glass company can assist you with determining which repair will work best for you.
There are at least two methods of putting a hole in the spacer to allow moisture out of the airspace between the glass panes, but if you need to leave you won’t clean off the hazing left behind by the intrusion of moisture. Although these methods may slightly improve the situation in the short term, if the seal is broken on the IG unit, the moisture and fog will return. Replacing the IG unit is probably the best policy. A good glass company can inspect and advise you as to which would be your best solution in your situation. If the window frame has maintained its integrity, the replacement of the unit will usually save you a substantial amount of money over replacing the windows themselves.
Typically, an IG unit is "glazed" into the sash frame with a sealant adhesive tape, or a gasket that wraps around the edge. The glass is held in the frame by a glazing stop, which is a thin removable strip that is nailed to the frame or snapped into a groove in the frame.
This strip must be removed with extreme care, as it is going to be required for installing the replacement IG unit.
If you are going to try this repair yourself, before removing the faulty IG unit, make sure the frame of the window is still in good shape and not compromised with dry rot or excessive moisture over the years. Then, measure the glass width, height and thickness so the local glass shop can build a replacement unit. Also note the sealing feature. It will either be tape, silicon or gasket. That’s so replacements can be obtained with the IG unit. When the replacement unit is obtained, make sure the measurements match the frame, then remove the failed IG unit. Check to make sure that the unit is sealed into the frame continuously on all four sides. Carefully replace the glazing stop. Clean up and repaint if necessary. And remember, this is a job that requires a lot of expertise to get it right so if you aren’t sure you can get it right, and don’t like the thought of a messed up result and a redo, the best thing might be to call your local glass company and let it be done the first time by those who do these replacements and repairs every day more next month.
Bob Crager of Lewis Street Glass is a 35 year veteran in the glass business. Lewis Street Glass is a leading Wichita glass company, serving the entire Wichita/Sedgwick County area since 1919. They do anything and everything having to do with glass, both residential and commercial. They also do auto glass. They are located at 743 South Market, facing Kellogg on the South, and you can reach them by phone at (316) 263-8259. You can e-mail Bob Crager at bcrager@lewisstreetglass.com.
