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.

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.