Q: What does “failed glass” mean?

Insulated Glass Units (IGUs) or double pane glass is not meant to have any moisture in between the panes. IGUs fail because moisture and the elements find their way between the glass panes which can cause the following:

• Moisture between the glass
• Foggy glass
• Mineral deposit build up
• Bacterial growth
• Rusting spacer

Failed IGUs insulate as well as single pane glass which is not good at all. Additionally, visibility out of failed IGUs is usually obscured and can look unpleasant.

Q: What is an Insulated Glass Unit (IGU)?

An insulated glass unit (IGU for short) is also known as dual glazing, or double pane. The window commonly consists of two panes of glass separated by a spacer and sealed at the edges. Many IGUs in windows have argon gas in the airspace between the panes today.

Q: What is the process of getting my failed/broken glass replaced?

We can provide an estimate via email if you provide the following:

• Address
• Pictures of windows from outside
• Rough dimensions of glass size needing replacement

If you are okay with the rough estimate, we will schedule an in-person inspection to get hard measurements and scale the project

After getting final estimates approved, we order the glass from our manufacturers. We do not make the IGUs ourselves.

Once the glass is delivered to our shop, we will get in contact with you to schedule for installation. We do our best to install the week that the glass is delivered or the following week.

Q: How long does it take to make glass?

IGUs and glass take about 3-4 weeks to be made and delivered to our shop from our manufacturers.

Q: 3-4 Weeks?! Why does the glass take so long to be made?

High demand and glass shortages. Not to mention a pandemic. 3-4 weeks is average. It could be 2 weeks. It could be 5 weeks. We are at the mercy of our manufacturers in terms of how quickly we get the glass.

Q: How do I know if my window needs to be replaced completely?

Most of the time, your glass can just be replaced. However, there are cases where you will need a completely brand new window:

• Your window is wood and is completely rotted
• It is recommended to convert your aluminium windows to vinyl

Q: The glass in my window is broken. Can you replace just the broken side of the glass unit?

Once one side of an IGU is broken, you cannot simply replace just the broken glass with another piece of glass:

• Once once side of an IGU breaks, moisture and the elements have entered the IGU
• The gas inside the IGU was expelled
• Putting a new piece of glass on the IGU will seal the moisture and air in the window. The IGU will look like a failed unit in due time
• Installing a new piece of glass on the IGU will require more work than just replacing it with a new IGU

Q: Can you vacuum or dry out the moisture inside the glass unit?

There are companies that offer this service. However, we do not for several reasons:

• Once you have an IGU that is failed, it will always be failed. The moisture or fog might have been removed temporarily but in the same way, moisture and air will make it back the same way.

Q: I have Original Weathervane Window Company windows in my house that have failed. Is my warranty still valid? Do you have records of our windows?

Unfortunately, the original Weathervane Window Company went out of business early 2000’s. We have no ties with the original company nor do we have access to their records. The life time warranty the original company offered is no longer valid.

Q: Will the replacement glass be the same as the old glass? (i.e. Will the color be the same? Will the thickness be the same? Will the quality of materials be the same?)

We would like to say yes. But in reality, your glass was most likely manufactured a decade or more ago. Machinery and the manufacturing process has most likely changed since then as well. We do our best to match the glass that was previously there and to the rest of the windows in your home or business. There maybe slight differences here and there but we can confidently say that almost all of our customers are happy with how they look.

Q: I had my glass replaced and it has some wavy look to it. Is this normal?

It is normal for tempered glass to have this characteristic. The tempering process can create the wavy look but it is uncontrollable and is not considered a defect.

Q: I approved a project to get my glass replaced. Can I make an appointment now?

As much as we would love to, we cannot. Due to the nature of glass being fragile, glass can break on the delivery truck and back orders can happen. We do not like to schedule projects until we have all the glass on-hand in our shop.