15 Sep The different ways glass units can fail
There are a few different ways your lovely double glazing units can fail but any type of failure is most annoying.
The worst way, I would guess, is the cricket ball from next doors kids as they use the six-and-out rule, which means the ball has gone over the fence and through the glass unit. Though I may also add vandalism into this category too. Anything that goes though the glass unit is obviously not good. It is dangerous from a clean up perspective as well as the possibility of injury from the object. So this is a definite failed glass unit. Everything at this point will be compromised and you may need to get in touch with the police and your insurance company if it is a vandalism issue. If it is a cricket ball, then a chat with the parents would be in order.
At this point getting the professional team onto the job of replacing the glazing unit is probably your only option. They would need to board out the frame for security reasons and take measurements to be able to order a replacement glass unit. It is likely they would check your frame to make sure it has not been damaged, otherwise simply replacing the glass unit will be a waste as the damaged frame may cause damage to the new glass unit.
Any replacing of the glazing unit would need the correct measurements taken so that the new glass unit fits perfectly and returns your room back into the snug abode it was, you need your thermal efficiency and warmth back.
One of the insidious versions of the failed glass unit, which by its very nature takes time to show itself, is when the seal has failed, called a blown window. Eventually you may start to get fogging, or condensation, within the glass unit between the panes. This is where the original gasses have escaped and damp air has managed to get in. On a warm sunny day the moisture does not show as the air warms up and drys out any moisture. However when you need the warmth of the double glazing to be the best, then you may find the fogging or condensation appearing. Besides reducing the windows efficiency in preventing heat loss, it also stops you from looking out and enjoying the view of Blackpool, or even Preston.
Your glass unit will still be watertight so those rain storms that get forecast will not be a bother. Though it would probably be a good idea to get the unit replaced to increase your thermal efficiency and return it back to its old money saving ways.
If a glass unit has been compromised, a blown window, your thermal efficiency, basically how well you keep the heat in your house rather than trying to heat up the garden, will be compromised. Which in turn means that if you get to the middle of winter it is going to cost more to be snug and warm, with rising costs for energy this is definitely not wanted in Blackpool or Preston
Other ways a glass unit can fail is age, glass units can fail with time and the older units can crack, though are more likely to lose their seal. Looking back to the condensation issue again.
uPVC frames are likely to be less prone to expansion and contraction issues than wood or aluminium frames but if the frame is flexing, this will put a strain on the glass unit. If the strain is too much then, again, the unit will end up failing. This type of issue is more likely to occur where there are going to be extremes of heat and cold weather. Living in Blackpool with the weather coming in off the Irish sea, we can understand these types of extremes. Blowing wild at one point and sunny for the next few days.
Frame damage may also cause failure of the glass unit. Glass is fairly inflexible so if the frame gets damaged by something hitting it, as an example, then the glass unit may be damaged round the edges. The challenge here being the damage may be out of sight and so your evidence of failure may not be visible for quite some time. From an environment angle your failed glass unit may still be watertight, but compromised when it comes to the original job of keeping the heat in.
Replacing the failed glass unit is a fairly straightforward job for the professional team. They have the right tools for extracting the failed unit. They know what measurements to take and what type of panel to order.
If you’re interested in replacing a window for your home, take a look at our New Window packages. Alternatively, just take a look at our other services for more!
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