Everything You Need to Know About Insulated Windows and Fogged Glass

It goes without saying that too much dirt and grime makes it hard to see out of a window. That’s why tidy people like cleaning their windows on a regular basis. But what if it’s hard to look outside not because your windows are dirty, but because they’re permanently fogged up? That’s a big problem! Foggy windows are the result of an issue with your insulated glass. While the fog won’t always be noticeable, it can show up from time to time when the temperature is just right. Keep reading to learn more.

What are insulated windows?

Insulated windows are two panes of glass with a gas sealed in between them. The gas, along with the two panes of glass, works to more effectively insulate your home, keeping you cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. They also make your home more energy efficient. If you take into account how much money you’ll save over time by buying insulated windows, you’d be silly not to install them! The only problem with them is that the seal can break down and the windows will get foggy due to trapped moisture. This problem eventually gets bad enough to necessitate repair or even residential glass replacement in Alaska.

Why do the seals fail?

We all know what happens when a window seal fails—foggy glass. But there isn’t one smoking gun cause of failure. The seals can break from abuse and overuse, temperature fluctuations and water damage. In fact, failure is often attributed to a combination of these three factors:

• Abuse: While the seal around the two panes of glass is strong, it can’t sustain abuse forever. Constantly opening and closing your windows takes a heavy toll on the material and it eventually begins to crack and fall apart.
• Temperature: The seal can also fail due to extreme temperature fluctuations in both the summer and winter. The wood expanding and contracting with the changing temperatures has a negative impact on the window.
• Water damage: The third leading cause of a broken seal is water damage. If your window is sitting in a shallow pool of water, the bottom seal is bound to become weak and break down at some point.

What can be done to fix fog?

You have two options when your windows start to get foggy. You can either have your windows repaired, or you can call the pros for residential glass replacement in Alaska:

• Repair: Calling a company to repair your windows instead of having them replaced is the cheaper option of the two. Professionals will take each pane of glass out of the window sill, clean it and repair the seal before putting the glass back in. The process doesn’t take too long, but it definitely needs to be performed by a professional.
• Replacement: If you have the money to do so, totally replacing your fogged windows may be the way to go. With repair, you never really know when the seals will break again, or how good of a job the repairmen did. If you have your windows replaced, you can rest assured that the seals won’t fail anytime soon, especially if you purchase a high-quality window.

Whether you need repair or replacement, Replacement Glass ought to be your go-to service provider! We have years of experience fixing all sorts of problems with windows and glass.

Categorised in: Fogged Glass, Residential Glass Replacement