Windows with moisture inside, is it possible to replace just the glass?

[Cozzmo]

Windows with moisture inside, is it possible to replace just the glass?

Hi,
Has anyone been successful in finding a cost effective way to just replace the glass within the perfectly good frame? (Typical double pained glass windows with an airtight space).
It always seemed so ridiculous that one has to replace all the windows in a house just because the manufacturer is out of business and a little moisture in a couple of the windows.

Thanks,
Chris

[ChickenStash]

Find a local glass shop and they can usually order just the insulated glass unit of the correct size. You may need to do some DIY to actually replace it, depending on the shop.

[lthenderson]

Windows with moisture inside, is it possible to replace just the glass?

Hi,
Has anyone been successful in finding a cost effective way to just replace the glass within the perfectly good frame? (Typical double pained glass windows with an airtight space).
It always seemed so ridiculous that one has to replace all the windows in a house just because the manufacturer is out of business and a little moisture in a couple of the windows.

Thanks,
Chris

Are you talking on the interior surface of the interior pane of glass or between the double panes? There determines the advice to give. If it is the interior of the interior pane of glass, then you have high humidity inside your house and you need to reduce the humidity to reduce the moisture on your glass. If it is between the double panes, it means the seal between panes has failed. Double and tripled paned windows, unlike their single pane counterparts, don't last forever. In fact, the life of them can be only 10 to 15 years before the seals leak, depending on the quality of the window and the location on your house. Windows exposed to extreme temperatures and made from highly expandable materials like vinyl, will leak a lot sooner than say a sheltered window made of wood.  Bottom line, it probably isn't a DIY project to replace the glass and get a good seal again that will last. There are companies out there that will replace the glass and seal, usually as an entire unit, though I'm not sure if they warranty their work. There are also companies that drill holes and install one way vents to allow dry air in-between the panes to get rid of moisture build up.

[GilesMM]

Why even replace the glass if it is fine?   The problem to address is the failed seal allowing moisture in.  If it can be resealed and evacuated, problem solved.

[Cozzmo]

Windows with moisture inside, is it possible to replace just the glass?

Hi,
Has anyone been successful in finding a cost effective way to just replace the glass within the perfectly good frame? (Typical double pained glass windows with an airtight space).
It always seemed so ridiculous that one has to replace all the windows in a house just because the manufacturer is out of business and a little moisture in a couple of the windows.

Thanks,
Chris

Are you talking on the interior surface of the interior pane of glass or between the double panes? There determines the advice to give. If it is the interior of the interior pane of glass, then you have high humidity inside your house and you need to reduce the humidity to reduce the moisture on your glass. If it is between the double panes, it means the seal between panes has failed. Double and tripled paned windows, unlike their single pane counterparts, don't last forever. In fact, the life of them can be only 10 to 15 years before the seals leak, depending on the quality of the window and the location on your house. Windows exposed to extreme temperatures and made from highly expandable materials like vinyl, will leak a lot sooner than say a sheltered window made of wood.  Bottom line, it probably isn't a DIY project to replace the glass and get a good seal again that will last. There are companies out there that will replace the glass and seal, usually as an entire unit, though I'm not sure if they warranty their work. There are also companies that drill holes and install one way vents to allow dry air in-between the panes to get rid of moisture build up.

Thanks lthenderson,
This is definitely a case of a broken seal.
These windows are 25 years old, and a majority of them are still just fine.
I live on a golf course, and  no broken windows yet.  :-)
At some of my previous houses, I did replace quite a few of the window glass portions myself and it worked great. It really isn't hard, even when you have to disassemble the vinyl frame.
Once, the glass company was still existing. In another case, the company, (MI home) had been sold and the new company still had the glass.

but on this recent attempt.
 I still haven't found who is the original manufacturer and model.
 Anyway, I have been doing more research. It seems that getting custom glass made will be about the same price or more than an entire new window, which is a crap shoot as these are three windows in a row, and out of the 6 panes, I only need one). So new windows from a new manufacturer will possibly be different by now and won't match.

Still, So many people at almost every house has experienced this. I think some have replaced ALL windows because some glass "expert" says they are old.
when really, only one or two windows has moisture.
I would think someone would have a DIY workaround by now for simply getting a square piece of glass.


This is all I have to go on. (See image).

[Cozzmo]

Why even replace the glass if it is fine?   The problem to address is the failed seal allowing moisture in.  If it can be resealed and evacuated, problem solved.

Hmm, So tell me if I have this right.
Remove the window, suck out the Argon gas, all the water, and clean between the hermetically sealed area, then clean the glass inside, hermetically reseal the glass, reapply argon and Voila.
problem solved.

[sonofsven]

No, you don't re-seal them! (I know, you were being facetious).
A good glass shop can remove the glazing stops and replace the sealed unit. They're just held in with glazing tape.
Even if it costs the same, the installation is a lot easier than replacing the entire window, as long as the existing window frame is in good shape.
A lot of window replacers do crap work, besides. The window needs to be installed, papered, and flashed properly, which is difficult to do right without getting into the siding a little.

Here's a breakdown of how it's done. You could take yours apart and measure it and order it yourself, or just have them do it.

https://youtu.be/9oXJUVPxbnY

[lthenderson]

This is one of the reasons I have kept my single paned windows. According to the EPA Energy Star program, the most I can lose in energy costs by having single paned windows for 30 years is $17,490. During that same 30 year period, it would cost me more than that to replace all the windows with gas filled double paned that are only warranteed for 15 years and thus cost me well more than double the cost of my lost energy savings over the same time period. This doesn't even consider the carbon imprint of tossing windows and manufacturing new ones.  Best of all, I never have fogged windows if I keep the humidity inside my house at a reasonable level.

[Cozzmo]

No, you don't re-seal them! (I know, you were being facetious).
A good glass shop can remove the glazing stops and replace the sealed unit. They're just held in with glazing tape.
Even if it costs the same, the installation is a lot easier than replacing the entire window, as long as the existing window frame is in good shape.
A lot of window replacers do crap work, besides. The window needs to be installed, papered, and flashed properly, which is difficult to do right without getting into the siding a little.

Here's a breakdown of how it's done. You could take yours apart and measure it and order it yourself, or just have them do it.

https://youtu.be/9oXJUVPxbnY

I was a bit facetious, more because he gave a proposition to just fix it without any methodology thus making it an entirely unhelpful post.
That being said, I do wonder if it can be done to take the two panes apart, clean/fix/reseal.
I may eventually approach a glass shop, but that wouldn't be very DIY though. (And expensive).

[sonofsven]

No, you don't re-seal them! (I know, you were being facetious).
A good glass shop can remove the glazing stops and replace the sealed unit. They're just held in with glazing tape.
Even if it costs the same, the installation is a lot easier than replacing the entire window, as long as the existing window frame is in good shape.
A lot of window replacers do crap work, besides. The window needs to be installed, papered, and flashed properly, which is difficult to do right without getting into the siding a little.

Here's a breakdown of how it's done. You could take yours apart and measure it and order it yourself, or just have them do it.

https://youtu.be/9oXJUVPxbnY

I was a bit facetious, more because he gave a proposition to just fix it without any methodology thus making it an entirely unhelpful post.
That being said, I do wonder if it can be done to take the two panes apart, clean/fix/reseal.
I may eventually approach a glass shop, but that wouldn't be very DIY though. (And expensive).

Did you watch the video? It's pretty easy to take the sealed units out, but separating the glass would not be easy.
I've installed Milgard windows for years, they warranty the sealed units for life to the original owner. I've made some clients pretty happy telling them they can get their windows repaired for free after twenty years.

[Miss Piggy]

We had a foggy window that needed to be repaired before putting our last house on the market. We called a local window shop. I want to say it cost a couple hundred dollars for them to replace the glass part (as opposed to the whole window. Problem solved, and all of our windows still matched.

I can't imagine how a DIYer would do that job. But then again, I didn't even try.

[MayDay]

You can't make or fix your own IG (insulated glass unit, the 2 pane glass thing) yourself, at least not well. You can possibly remove the old IG and replace it with a new one, if you find someone who will sell it to you. A more common service procedure would be to replace the sash with the problem.  I'd put my energy towards googling the different codes on the labels and asking neighbors to try to figure out the brand of windows.

[zolotiyeruki]

If they're vinyl window frames, then you can almost certainly remove the IGU, take it to a glass shop, and have them order you a replacement. I've done it myself --all they need is the actual dimensions of the IGU, along with specs like grids, low-e vs plain glass, etc