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Save on cost, not quality with glass replacement TODAY
Does the Seattle rain have your windows in a fog? Looking for the best solution to foggy window repair? At Glass Replacement Northwest, we offer cost efficient glass replacement to restore your windows to the beautiful look they were meant to have. Instead of fully replacing your foggy windows and door which can be costly and cumbersome, we replace only the glass leaving your original window frames intact and saving you some serious money. Glass Replacement Northwest repairs wood windows, vinyl windows, aluminum framed windows, and even replace glass in wood doors.
Glass Replacement Northwest serves all of the greater Seattle region including, Bellevue, Kirkland, Mercer Island, Redmond, Issaquah, Renton, Tacoma, Lynwood, Everett, and more. We can fix foggy windows quickly and easily at a fraction of the cost of window replacement, do don't delay, contact us today!
Why Do Thermal Pane Windows Fail?
It is only a matter of time before double pane window fails. Although we'd like to think our windows will last forever, there is no such thing as a fail-proof thermal pane window. If well maintained, wood framed windows, newer high-end wood, and aluminum clad windows can last from 20 to 25 years. Traditional aluminum frame windows typically last from 15 to 20 years before any signs of seal failure while vinyl framed windows may only make it 15 years if they have standard box spacers. Unfortunetley for most newer homes with vinyl framed windows, many have a low quality intercept spacer from which we see seal failure occurring only 5-8 years into the life of the window.
Ironically for us here in Seattle, Sunshine is the biggest cause of window failure due to a process known as "solar pumping" which eventually hardens window sealant through continual expansion and contraction. When sunshine hits a double pane window the air inside heats up significantly, (think of a car on a hot day!) causing the sealed window unit to expand and pushing air out through the semi-permeable seals. In the evening, the window cools and contracts, drawing air—and humidity—with it. Over time this stresses the window seals and filling the air space with moisture. This is also why we typically see south and west facing windows being the first on a home that require glass replacement.
This is why we highly recommend replacing all of the glass in your home with Low-E thermal pane glass. Low-E glass keeps your windows as close as possible to room temperature which directly translates into less thermal pumping, leading to longer lasting window seals.
Manufacturers silica desiccant meant to absorb the small amounts of moisture to prevent solar pumping are inevitably drawn into the window. This desiccant has a limited capacity and lifespan. In a standard box spacer the desiccant looks like the photo below. In an Intercept Spacer, the desiccant is mixed into the sealant that forms the seal of the window.
At some point the desiccant will absorb all the moisture it can hold and from that point forward a hazy, misty fog clouds your glass window pane. At this point the window deteriorates rapidly and, if left untreated, the trapped moisture quickly corrodes the inner window glass surfaces. Eventually mineral deposits and a permanent white silica haze are left behind leaving behind a thick opaque white haze which fogs your once beautiful windows.
The biggest cause of early failure in wood framed windows is lack of maintenance. Every two years the exterior seam where the glass meets the wood needs to be caulked and the frames re-painted. If this is not completed, rain runs down between the wood and the glass, pools at the bottom of the IGU (Integrated Glass Unit), and rots both the seal of the IGU and the wood frame of the window from the inside out. Once the seal has failed haze, fog and eventually a mineral deposit will develop in your window.
Helpful Tips to prevent foggy windows
Our first and biggest tip is to always contact a professional glass replacement company instead of attempting to fix foggy windows on your own. There are many "self fixes" you may find on the internet, however the vast majority of them only further damage the window and may only fix one of several issues creating fog or haze in a window.
Anything that creates heat in the window will also shorten it's life. A helpful tip to extend your windows life is to use external sunshades rather than inside drapes to protect the window from heat. Also, be aware that solar film, while useful in many places, significantly increases the heat inside a window and nearly always voids the manufacturer's warranty for the window.
