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re: sealed window replacement needed? (was cordless drill thread)
3 jan 2006
wrote:
>has anybody ever fixed one of those supposedly sealed windows?
apparently not :-)
http://www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/infwindows/infinsgla.shtm says:
when insulated glass gets broken, cloudy, or "fogs up" between the panes,
what are the repair options?
unfortunately, there is no repair for clouded insulated glass. when the
seal around the perimeter of the two panes fails (not if, but when,
because they all fail eventually), moisture enters the gap and condenses
on the inside of the glass, giving it a foggy appearance. this is
irreversible. the only repair is replacement of the panel.
you may be able to obtain an individual replacement glass panel, or
have to purchase an entire replacment sash or door. a rule of thumb...
metal windows and doors can usually be disassembled, wood sliding doors
can normally be disassembled, and wood windows usually must be ordered
as a complete sash. you should contact a local representative of the
manufacturer (home stores and lumberyards have relationships with many
window/door manufacturers) and find out for sure.
if the window/door is a "stationary" unit, the un-installing becomes
more tedious. most have mechanical fasteners that keep the unit
stationary, and they are often caulked also. the large manufacturers,
such as pella and andersen, offer help with the mechanics of uninstalling
their products. they also have replacement glass available for all their
windows... and you can order new panels without even disassembling
the old ones for measurement.
"mr. cheap" brands may require some improvisation and trial-and-error
to free them up. this is especially true if the mouldings are painted,
since all evidence of nail heads and order-of-assembly is lost beneath
multiple layers of paint! also, you may have to order custom-made glass
to fit the "no-name" frames.
after a long time, condensation can etch the inside of the panes. perhaps
you can take them apart and clean the glass with a flourine compound like:
http://www.continentalprod.com/greenhouse/glass/glass.htm
http://www.carlinsales.com/pdf/13greenhouselightshade.pdf
>one option would be to roast them or subject them to a vacuum to draw out
>the moisture and then re-seal them with some kind of low viscosity compound.
a serious vacuum might break the glass...
>another solution i have been considering is to drill vent holes at
>the corners of the outside pane.
connecting the airspace to the outdoors seems like a good idea, but
there might be condensation at times. you might more easily drill
through the spacer between and parallel to the panes.
how about a hole in a spacer near the bottom and another near the top in
an opposite corner? unplug the holes and push air through the window with
an aquarium pump at the end of 50' of 1/4" tubing in an ice brine basin?
this might dry the window desiccant and avoid condensation for 5 years.
nick
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