Have you ever just replaced the the Glass instead of the Whole Window?

[Edge of Reason]

Has anyone done this?  My house has 20 year old double pane casement windows that have all started to fog up so the seals have gone.  The siding is Hardiplank (fiber cement) in relatively good shape.  In order to replace the entire window unit I'd need to remove the siding and I've been told it usually breaks in the process...thus increasing the cost of the job by $$$$. 

Another option is to just replace the glass.  I can order low e argon insulated double pane glass replacements at a local shop and then have them pop out and replace the existing glass (but keep the frames) onsite.  This wouldn't affect my siding, and framing on the inside of the house. 

Am I being too cheap?  Has anyone done this?  Or should I just shell out the cash and do the entire job (all windows/frames and siding).

[mandy_2002]

When I sold my home a few years ago, the fogged windows were one of the things I had to fix.  The "windows" in question were sliding glass door sized, and they would have been a ridiculous pain to replace.  The double pane replacement alone when extremely smoothly, and the price was a fraction of the full replacement.  I didn't live with them, but what  I saw for the couple weeks I was there was perfect, and the intrusion into my home was minimal.

[former player]

Has anyone done this?  My house has 20 year old double pane casement windows that have all started to fog up so the seals have gone.  The siding is Hardiplank (fiber cement) in relatively good shape.  In order to replace the entire window unit I'd need to remove the siding and I've been told it usually breaks in the process...thus increasing the cost of the job by $$$$. 

Another option is to just replace the glass.  I can order low e argon insulated double pane glass replacements at a local shop and then have them pop out and replace the existing glass (but keep the frames) onsite.  This wouldn't affect my siding, and framing on the inside of the house. 

Am I being too cheap?  Has anyone done this?  Or should I just shell out the cash and do the entire job (all windows/frames and siding).

I've done this.  I'm assuming uPVC frames.  One side of the window frame around the fogged up glass (probably the inside) will have plastic strips around the inside of the frame.  With the correct tools these just pop out and the sealed glass unit can just be lifted out and replaced.  No hassle, no waste, very cheap and quick compared to replacing the whole window, excellent results.

For some odd reason, the window industry would rather not publicise this easy fix.   /sarcasm.

[Spork]

I have not personally done this myself... but I have had it done.  When we built our house they told us that breakage often happens in the building process and/or there may be a defect in a window.  Anything broken or fogged during the building period was replaced by the original window maker at the end of the build.  They were standard sized windows and it took them only a few minutes per window to replace.

[Dancin'Dog]

I built our house and installed a window in the bathroom by the tub.  The inspector said it had to be tempered, so I removed the window frames and took them to a local window glass store.  The frames were wooden, but somehow they swapped the glass.  If your window frames are still good I'd just get the glass replaced.

[paddedhat]

Pretty standard procedure to address the problem.  A friend has one of those lake view contemporary vacation homes with a ton of glass wall. The place is 40 years old, and the windows are high quality, but have been failing for about a decade. Back then, she got a totally bat shit crazy price from a contract to install all new windows and doors (as in $40K or so) I got her set up with a local glass shop, that sent their service tech. out to the job. He would measure the glazing, then the shop would manufacture new insulated glass units, and reinstall. This has gone on, over the years, until the place is pretty much all new glass. The last step is re-glazing several over-sized patio sliders. These have 4'x7' panes. They are costing $350 a piece to replace, which is a bargain, as the doors are over $2K plus labor to remove and replace.

[BudgetSlasher]

Just did this last over the past couple weeks; there was a broken window (double pane and only the inner pane was cracked) when we bought the house and I finally got around to getting it replaced.

I just popped the window in question out (that will depend on your type of window) and on my lunch break took it to the glass shop. They took some measurement and about 4 business day later the new glass was there. We too the window back (I took it home and put it back in because rain and 90 degree weather was forecast) and 30 minutes later the new glass was in and we took it home and popped it back in.

[Goldielocks]

Has anyone done this?  My house has 20 year old double pane casement windows that have all started to fog up so the seals have gone.  The siding is Hardiplank (fiber cement) in relatively good shape.  In order to replace the entire window unit I'd need to remove the siding and I've been told it usually breaks in the process...thus increasing the cost of the job by $$$$. 

Another option is to just replace the glass.  I can order low e argon insulated double pane glass replacements at a local shop and then have them pop out and replace the existing glass (but keep the frames) onsite.  This wouldn't affect my siding, and framing on the inside of the house. 

Am I being too cheap?  Has anyone done this?  Or should I just shell out the cash and do the entire job (all windows/frames and siding).

Just replacing insulated glass panels was the only way to do it, I thought.  I must have done 20 of these units (paid others) in my home ownership lifetime. 

Just don't try to replace a single pane of a double pane window -- replace them as sealed units.  my 4 x 2 ft window this summer cost me $250 CDN to replace, for example.