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Glass Replacement

Glass Repair in Philadelphia

Glass Repair in Philadelphia

It happens to us all at some point, whether we rent or own a home. Problematic windows are an eyesore and will get worse over time if they’re not dealt with promptly. Yet it can be painful to deal with window damage. Replacing a window in your home can be costly, not to mention the time and frustration spent on finding a reputable contractor in Philadelphia to do the work for you. Yet, how can you tell if a window can be repaired or is in need of a complete replacement? Luckily, there’s Ardmor – we’re window experts. We’ll do what we can to repair your window and, if it’s not possible, we’ll work with you on a complete replacement that fits your schedule and budget.

Not All Problematic Windows Require Replacement

The two most common window problems that homeowners face are foggy windows and cracked glass. Both are problematic and will only lead to more trouble down the road if not dealt with. With these kinds of issues, you should consult with a professional window repair company—that’s where we come in. Ardmor is an expert in glass repair in Philadelphia, we’ll take a look at your problematic window and give you a tailored strategy for repair or replacement. If we can repair it, we’ll make sure you know that’s an option.

What is a Foggy Window?

A foggy window is just that—a window that is rendered almost completely opaque due to trapped condensation. But what causes this problem? Most windows in our homes are double panned. That means that a pocket of air is sandwiched between two panes of glass, created an insulating wall of air between the outside and the inside of your home. When the seal on your window fails, this will bring with it moisture, which produces fog and condensation. Often, the condensation trapped inside your window is so thick that you can’t even see out of it. This poses practical problems for obvious reasons. Beyond that, it means you have a window in disrepair that’ll only get worse.

This type of problem can be repaired by replacing the glass, the seal, or the entire window, depending on the source of the damage. In many cases, the rubber seal is dry rotted from the sun and is no longer creating an airtight seal. In other cases, the window frame itself is made of wood, and due to decades of moisture, has begun to rot and warp, breaking the airtight seal it once had. Whatever the problem, the window professionals at Ardmor will identify the source of your problem and leave you with a working window.

Can You Live with a Cracked Window?

A cracked window isn’t just unsightly—it’s not doing its job of insulating your home from the outside elements. Beyond that, cracks will only get worse as the seasons change and the temperatures fluctuate. The last thing you want is for a crack to turn into a shattered window—at that point, it’s not just an expensive fix, it’s a danger to you and your family.
At Ardmor, we’re no strangers to cracked windows. We have expert glaziers on hand that’ll come to your home and consult with you about your repair options. When you’re ready, our professionals will schedule a time to replace your cracked glass when its most convenient for you. We’re fast, efficient, and will leave the area cleaner than how we found it.

Repair, Replace, Install—Ardmor Will Do it All

Whatever it is that you need to have done, be it a window repair, a complete replacement, or a new install, Ardmor will be there with you every step of the way. We pride ourselves on our transparency—we’ll give you your options with no pressure attached and tell you what makes the most sense for your budget and circumstances.
Broken windows are stressful enough on their own. At Ardmor, our goal is to make your window problem as painless as possible. If you’re suffering from a foggy window or cracked glass, don’t let it get worse, give us a call so we can help.

ABOUT ARDMOR

Ardmor, Inc. Is a window/door repair company serving New Jersey and Pennsylvania. With over 7 years of carpentry and remodeling experience, they’re the kind of experts you want for your window repair, replacement, or installation. They’ve seen it all and they’ll do it all. But most of all, they’ll do it the right way.

2023-03-13T08:12:14-04:00Categories: Glass Replacement|Tags: |

Is it possible to repair a window with fogged glass?

Well, can it? It’s a question that many people will have to ask themselves eventually. The simple answer yes but most companies won’t tell you that you can.

Let’s start with how double pane glass is made and what will cause it to fail in the first place.Double pane windows are made with two panes of glass placed over a spacer. The sealant is then applied, creating a space between the panes that is filled with air, or in many cases, a gas, such as argon or krypton. The air or gas provides an additional layer of protection against the outside elements, making your rooms far more comfortable and energy efficient than old single pane glass.

So, to get back on track, we now know we have two panes of glass that are “sealed” to a spacer of some kind. So why would they fail? There are many reasons why the seal would fail causing moisture to form between the panes of glass.

  • The most common is simply age. Depending on the quality of the window, the seal will last anywhere from five to around twenty years in perfect conditions. Now if You’re like Me, perfect conditions don’t happen very often so here are a couple more common reasons for seal failure.
  • Water. Excessive water builds up around the window can cause the seal to fail.
  • Another very common cause is excessive exposure to direct sunlight. The heat will cause expansion and contraction over time, causing the seal to fail.

The first thing that will let you know that the seal has failed. You will notice that moisture will begin to form between the panes of glass, usually when the weather is wet or humid.

Over time, the moisture between the glass will dry, leaving behind calcium deposits that will cause the glass to become cloudy or foggy.

So now we know why it happens but what do you do once it does? Well, if You are like most people, the first thing you will do is contact a window company figuring that they will give you options on how to solve the problem. Unfortunately, the only option they will have is for you to replace your windows, which as many of you know, can be an extremely expensive proposition.

Now I’m going to let you in on a little secret. You DO NOT have to replace your windows when a seal has failed. For the most part, when a window is manufactured, it is made so that the insulated glass unit can be removed and a new one put in. The way this is done is by removing a strip of wood or vinyl that is holding the glass in place. Once removed, a new insulated glass unit can be installed at a significantly reduced cost than replacing the whole window.

However, if choosing this option, be sure to have the whole unit replaced and not just one pane of glass. There are companies out there that will offer to remove a pane of glass, clean it, and put it back. Another service would be to drill a small hole in the glass to allow the moisture to escape. The problem with these methods is that once an insulated glass unit fails, it fails. You can’t go back and un-fail it.

So now you know what seal failure is and what you can do about it.

The next step is to schedule an appointment with Ardmor Inc. Windows and Doors and get your glass replaced so you can once again enjoy looking out of your windows without the cloudy mess.

2019-01-31T12:07:16-05:00Categories: Glass Replacement, Maintenance|

Foggy Glass Replacement in Montgomery, PA

This is no way to look out at the world, through a blurry, mottled window. Worse than that, the dirty-looking glass makes the inside of the home look dingy. And even worse than that, the window is no longer providing the insulation necessary to keep the home energy efficient.

An insulating glass unit (IGU) is composed of two panels of glass separated by a spacer and sealed together at the edges. The sealed space between the two panels may be a vacuum or may be filled with a gas (usually argon or krypton). That sealed space in the primary means of reducing heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer. It not only makes your home more comfortable and lowers your heating and air-conditioning bills lower, it decreases your energy consumption, a major factor in protecting our environment.

All of that is dependent on the seal. If a seal fails, moist air enters the space between the panes. The moisture evaporates when the weather is warm, then condenses when it is cold. In the above photo, you see the trapped condensation. It isn’t ever going away. It’s only going to get worse.

Seals don’t “blow” easily. They have a heavy load on them and hold up valiantly during the ordinary conditions of extreme temperatures, both high and low; heavy rains beating on the window; winds blowing against the panes, as well the occasional bump from a baseball or myopic bird. Seals hold up in less-than-ordinary conditions, such as a house fire or hurricane-force winds. There are seals that held up when a car struck a home! Sometimes we even contribute, such as when we slam windows shut and rattle the seals. Other times, it’s as simple as seals “aging out.” Or maybe they were not installed properly in the first place. For whatever reason (usually it’s a combination of reasons), a seal breaks away from the glass panes.

During the summer, when the air temperatures outside are warm and, therefore, the glass is warm, you won’t know the seal is broken. As we said, the moisture getting into the space between the panes is evaporating. And then winter comes. The glass is cold, the warm air in your home is trying its best to escape, carrying moist air into the window cavity and, voila!, there’s the condensation (i.e., fog).

The bad news is that seals cannot be repaired or replaced. Even if you could separate the old panes, clean them up and reseal them, which is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to do, the minerals in the air have scratched the glass and it is permanently damaged.

The good news is that you don’t have to replace the entire window. What a relief, right? That’s a terribly expensive proposition, and it feels even worse because companies charge more per window to replace one or a few than to replace every window in the house. Then there is the cost of your time and the inconvenience: the long wait for the replacements, at least several days at home while they are being replaced, moving furniture so that the installers have room to work, putting it back, and the possibly of damage to your home as old windows are taken out and new ones installed.

Replacing the sashes is less expensive than replacing the whole window, but just try to have that done. Even if you know the brand of your windows and who installed them originally, you’ll have a very difficult time finding a company that will do the job. They are in business to install or replace all (or many) of the windows in a home. Their profit margins are not based on replacing a sash now and then.

Foggy Glass Replacement in Montgomery, PA

Foggy Glass Replacement in Montgomery, PA

But fear not, there is an easy, efficient and cost-effective way to have a clear, energy-saving window like the one above: replace the IGU. Our company will come to your home, examine the window and measure the IGU, including the size of the air space. When the new one is ready, we will come back to remove the moldings and the old IGU, install and seal the new one. You have an unblemished view from your window, clean glass that isn’t diminishing your interior décor and the assurance that your home is properly insulated.

When a seal first fails, you won’t know it. As we said, warm temperatures keep the condensation at bay. And there is another reason: The spacer that is holding the two panes of glass apart contains a desiccant material (a substance that absorbs moisture from the air), such as silica gel, calcium oxide, Montmorillonite clay, which keeps the space between the two panes dry. It is not until the desiccant is saturated that the condensation and, therefore, the fogging begins.

Don’t wait for the fog. Ensure that your seals are in tact by conducting an easy investigation:

  • Check for light coming through or gaps between the window and the wall and between the sash and the frame.
  • Closely examine the panes of glass for signs of moisture.
  • Tap on each pane to see if it rattles.
  • Make sure that sashes open and close smoothly.
  • Dampen your hand and hold it near the seals to see if there is a draft.
  • Or hold a lit candle near the seals (best done on windy day). If the flame bends or the smoke drifts, a draft is letting air in or out of your home.

Call us @ 267 – 314 – 7757 to Schedule your Free at Home Consultation.