Really impressed with the custom nozzles and clamping brackets you 3dprinted. No matter how you look at it this is a very time consuming job but those items really help save hours spent reclamping and make the job of applying the butyl rubber much easier. If you can find a company that supplies sealed units in your area the replacement price will be the best. Buying sealed units from a window company will be most expensive since they will double the price they pay for the units. If you have many units to replace, some companies will do delivery as well but you will need to custom fabricate a glass skid to keep the remaining units standing upright while you install them. Leaning them up against a wall may allow heavy glass to shift and break the seal.
I appreciate the effort you put into this video but the title is misleading. No, it's not a project for those with "little or no experience". The 3D jigs you made were what allowed you to avoid the problems anyone else would have trying to do this project (like holding panes properly for resealing). Also some of your captions flash on the screen for a split second and I had to rewind frame-by-frame to read them.
just one point to add. The desiccant can be reactivated by heating in a 250F degree oven for a couple hours and reused, if you don't have replacement molecular sieve or silica gel.
@@Tugboat-R-Us Its purpose is to suck up trace moisture and keep condensation between the glass from happening. If the seal breaks, it is quickly overwhelmed and moisture will build up and condense.
Just tried this in the UK, not sure where this was filmed. Big differences: 1) 3:01 - he slices through the sealant like butter, but the butyl sealant I was slicing through was much tougher, definitely blunting my Stanley knife, took 3-5 passes each side with the knife. 4:46 - absolutely no chance of this, had to use an oscillating tool and scraper attachment to get the butyl sealant off of mine (also the tool heated the sealant and made it messy). 5:20 - the sealant I was dealing with was not solid so the wire brush got none of it off. Also I learned the calcified stains are extremely difficult to remove... glass polish only got some off. I'm currently in the process to see if Zep or formic acid will remove the stains. In conclusion, if you're in UK, definitely do not recommend doing this. Going to do it once then just buy new units.
Will def avoid, even before readingthis comment, thought it looked a bit of a pain in the arse, your comment sealed the deak though, will just pay an independent and steer clear of tbe people in the radio in UK, the one that has the jingle that ehymes with Pish In Your Ear!... They quoted me £250 but a wee independent fella in Glasgow is doing it for £80-£100 "depending on how much hassle I have gettin the frame off" So even £100 is better than £250...
The sealant in the video is a 20 year old (at least) 2 part hand mixed resin which has a soft rubber consistency and is very easy to cut. Your unit is probably sealed with hotmelt which is incredibly difficult to cut through, seriously, do not bother. The stains will never be totally cleaned off the glass, this is because the vapour that the dessicant gives off is slightly acidic which permanently etches the glass. If the unit has very recently failed you may get away with the stains, but I mean very recently, like within a week. I've been repairing windows for many years and can confidently say this repair method is futile.
It probably depends on how long it’s been misting up for. The moisture can mix with the desiccant and when that stains the window the sun can effectively etch the window. If you catch it as soon as it starts misting you will be OK. Although you did say it was a pain to clean the sealant off. It’s useful to know that you can repair them if you are on a budget, especially if you have a few windows at the same time. I just bought a 1200mm x 1100mm sealed unit and I thought it was reasonably priced at £40, I’m not sure if I would have the patience to repair one.
I have just telephoned my local area trying to find someone that will rebuild my units after I have stripped them to bare glass and no one wants to do it. They all want to sell me glass again and when mine is perfectly good. I will be carrying this out it will only cost me some silica gel thanks! All the negatives are from people in the trade, the emperor has no clothes.😉👍
I have a 30 year old home and this has happened to a few windows already and I am sure there will be more to follow. I thought the video was very informative for someone like myself who has the time to DIY. However, since I do not have access to a 3D printer I wonder if this or the refilling with argon makes it out of my expertise. Alex, I have seen several good questions that haven't received a reply from you. I can understand why but there are those of us out there that value this info.
Fundamentally it would be impossible to hermetically seal the air between the panes because atmospheric PSI fluctuations would exert extreme forces over the large pane area, so the D.G industry has given us the desiccant solution to the problem that creates more work/profit for itself, a theoretical solution would be to have a tube leading from the gap through a renewable desiccant container.
How not to remove glazing beads, start from centre where you get maximum flex for the corners to pop out, sides first then bottom and top last so it does not fall out.
Good luck in the UK ... I've split units over the years but only to re-cut the glass for greenhouse repairs. It's more hassle than it's worth, and the watermarks are totally etched in....
I can imagine myself doing this and then abandoning it half way because I got bored. Then I start a new project and then also abandon it before I could finish, only to come back to this original project a year and half later. Believe me, It’s true, that’s how my brain works. I’ve done that, my husband is my witness 😅
Thanks for shoing the process, but abit byond my level of DIY... having seen this it makes me feel a bit better about paying a glazier to replace the glass!
Brilliant! Insulated glass is one of the biggest eco-scams out there, my 72x90" slider glass is $650 for just the replacement glass, not installation! There's no way it's saved that much energy... Building failure prone products to be thrown away when they fail and replaced with another failure prone product is not 'sustainable' or 'green'...
The idea of energy saving products isn’t just return on investment… it’s about moving toward a sustainable planet… whether or not you want to participate is based on a complex set of variables
@nitrousman8882 no it isn't. The very nature of living sustainable completely coincides with whether or not it saves you money. If you spend less on heating or cooling, you are being more sustainable. If the product is cheaper due to economies of scale, it means they are able to bring you more product with less cost. If double pane windows don't bring you energy efficiency to outweigh the cost,it's either because the company is trying to oversell or the cost of energy whether through actual energy or man hours doesn't make sense.
Okay this can be done and it's not difficult but if you break the glass, damage the ally spacer between the glass or anythingelse then you are going to have to get a new unit. I removed the fillets to measure the double glazed unit and after refitting them went to Highland Glass in Inverness....new double glazed unit supplied for £200. Take old unit out and refit new one took 10 minutes....job done. Took 2 weeks for the new unit to arrive but hey....a lot less hassle. If you are broke and good with your hands then by all means go for it but replacement doubled glazed units in the UK are cheaper than you might think.
It's a fun video. It's about £50 for a brand new unit, twice the size, delivered. By the end of this job you have spent a rather a lot on a 3D printer and god knows how much on other materials. A glazer will come to your house, with the unit, and fit it for less than £100 as it's a 10 min job
This one comment was more helpful than the entire video. I didn't know there were glaziers that do this for a living. I already located a glazier in my town and will reach out for an estimate to repair three casement windows.
Thanks for this! Not that I'm actually going to do it but I know for sure I'll never buy a double pane window again. Since we now know how the window is constructed, I'm thinking that maybe it would work to just only use one of the panes, and then replace the unit...both sides of that one pane will be cleanable then, and you won't have to go through all the rigmarole put the sealant removal, 3D printing, and resealing. Maybe I could get a handyman to try my proposal, I certainly wouldn't try it myself haha:-)
Im a general contractor, with 34 yrs experience. I learned a long time ago to let the pro do the work. DIY double pane window work? Polishing to perfection, then re-assembling with argon gas etc? Brother please. I can see maybe taking out the glass, then having a dual pane glass pro doing the rest- but i would NEVER attempt this- not when my time is better spent doing what i do best, and then paying an experienced dual pane glass pro to do what he does best. If you are retired, have nothing to do , and have a shop full of tools and a nice flat, carpeted work bench- then have at it. But if you think for one second that you can watch this video and then “do it yourself”…..youre nuts. Lol. Good luck.
This is a really good tutorial but way beyond my skill set. I just got 1st quote on replacement glass for 3 windows and am now looking for another solution.
I think it might be beyond many peoples "patience level" even if they might be able to technically handle the job! He really hit this one out of the park (ironic metaphor consider the number of windows I broke as a kid with baseballs! :) )
@@RegineAteliers I have no doubt either he, or someone in his life reached a point where the phrase “…seriously, next time we higher a window company…” 😉
I just replaced 3 double glazing units in the uk had them made at a local glazers and the total cost was 75 pounds why would you go to so much trouble fir something that is so cheap.
I wish I could do this but it would take me a month to do one small window. I do not have all those items. And my luck the glass would not be able to be cleaned on the inside.
When the condensation inside of the insulated glass unit has been trapped in there for awhile with the sun beating on it the minerals in the water(condensation) etch themselves into the glass giving you that white milky look and it does not clean off even with a razor blade. The cerium oxide that he uses to polish the glass has the consistency of all-purpose flour as it cannot scratch the glass so the actual cleaning of the glass would take many hours in itself if it is even possible at all. You must also remember that the moisture that has been trapped inside of this glass unit has saturated the desiccant inside of the metal glass spacers and corroded them. Cleaning up the glass spacers is not usually a viable option.
Respect for you working out how the unit should work and how you've taken the time to restore the unit to a functioning window. We do like to throw stuff away, I've just changed 2 misty units for a customer without even thinking about if the old ones could be saved, I liked the polishing of the glass, would that work on my cateracts?
Nice fix for Foggy Windows. I have a sliding glass window, which is in an aluminum frame. The corner of the aluminum frame broke. Is there anyway to DIY fix it, without having to have a new frame made? Any guidance would be most appreciated. Kind regards.
Dude! You say almost no experience needed? I have been in the replacement glass business for 18 years and would not attempt this at all. Chance of breaking the glass when separating with a knife is huge.
Brilliant job! Two questions. The first is your use of cerium oxide polish. If this was a "low-E" pane, I think that would have destroyed the coating. Second, I wonder why you didn't flush with argon. You have done such a terrific job resealing these two panes, why not add argon gas? Thanks for showing your work. Would you provide the stl files for the 3D printed applicators?
Interesting video. But an awful lot of work when a replacement unit that size from a local glass supplier would probably cost about £25. (A couple of years ago I got a new unit made for one of my windows, approx 15" X 25", it cost £13).
this is where eco meets price I guess it should be a bit like desktop repair. Replace the device/glass to resolve the immediate problem, but send the original glass... somewhere... to be repurposed.
Exactly what I thought. An easy DIY project. All you need is a 3D printer, a CAD system to design the STL files, Cerium oxide, silica, and a suction device to hold the glass (all of which I'm sure my local Dollar General has). LOL :)
I'm thinking you'd want to be in a zero humidity environment. Buying the units factory sealed and covered by warranty seems the more efficient route, especially if this is a business venture. Any moisture that gets in there is going to show up as foggy with the first temperature change. I would never put this much effort into a rebuild for a customer only to have them call me back within a change of season. But, hey, if just doing a DIY at home, this might be an interesting project. Again, though, a lot of effort only to have it fog up in a year. Perhaps if you live in Arizona, you don't need to worry about humidity
What do you mean after the sealant dries remove the old panel and replace with the new ? You have just removed the old panel, cleaned it up, polished the glass and resealed so I assume you had to board up the missing panel until the next day. Not much help to those of us who don't have a 3D printer and skills in 3D CAD design.
I can't believe all you Whiners complaining about needing a 3-D printer, This was a great instructional video if you have half a brain. You don't need a 3 D printer for this job. I'm not even going to tell you.
No, they dry the air to prevent any more condensation on a cold day. Expensive units have xenon gas (so they say) but the professionals say that most if not all have dry air fill.
Look this guy just showed you all how to do it, if you cannot be bothered to do it, just go and buy new sealed unit, I found it interesting as I would like to start a hanyman service, if it was my windowns I would do the repair, but clients paying want you in and out in a fash, so that mean 2 things1, buy new sealed units or make new sealed units.
I'm going to try this on a curved double pane glass that doesn't have a frame. It's for a car but I haven't been able to find one that was good in a yard and they are no longer available.
Whoops I broke mine putting the glazing beads on. Both sides at that. The shit you told me to use is so hard to get off. I've sliced my arm so bad I'm in the hospital. Looking at about 19 stitches so far. I didn't have a spare IG so my house is wide open, hopefully no one robs me and jacks my new 3d printer. Great video though.
I have a 3d printer... have you got the .STL files for me to download? I have several to do.... mine are in steel Crittall frames. Getting glazing out is my main concern, how do I do that?
This is not feasible at all, especially in cold climate, since you would have removed the apparatus and repair it and in the meantime the house is open to air for until you get it done.....and that could take many hours and if you happen to break the glass you would be in trouble...
This video is a joke. I would like to see the time lapse. Must have taken 8 - 10 hours polishing the contaminants off of the two pcs of glass with cerium oxide. I wonder how many pieces of glass he broke trying to cut the unit apart. Its only single strength lol.
@@stuartmccarville6023 thanks for taking the time to make this comment. Very helpful. I repaired all my windows in my house because of it. You’re the best 👍
A little less floor-sweeping would make for a lot shorter video. Also, What's the point of watching your video as who owns a 3d printer. Very boring. I didn't learn anything helpful at all.
Just smear washing up liquid along the bottom of the window with a cloth where the moisture forms. It will look foggy at first, but will clear once the washing up liquid dries. No more moisture in the morning.
You might need to look up the definitions of "simple" lol You guys will need to have an extra window lying around to cover the whole while you repair the original window
Alex i dont know which area in the states you live but here in Scotland the climate would rapidly deplete the life of the sealant used for this repair ,in Britian we use a 2 in 1 mix for the sealant or a product called hot melt ,a unit is put together then put in drying area to cure ,you can tell me that this system when you strip and redo unit is as good as that .In Scotland there is a 5 yr manufacturers guarantee ,which if unit fails in this time frame it gets replaced gratis
@@bobbycaldwell4132 I'm in Canada. There are below freezing temperatures for good part of the winter. Southern side receives a lot of sunlight. Units installed there with new building started failing after 5-7 years. They had only single sealant which is very hard when cured. Its bond to the glass failed eventually. I used butyl based sealant on internal seam between frame and glass. It stays sticky permanently and keeps it enclosed . It is covered with another sealant on top to keep parts together. I'm sure the unit will serve me longer then original unit.
Butyl is a non hardening compound used in the glazing of dgus in a timber frame ,this doesnt react with the sealant on a unit and cause it to corrode ,Alex if the product works as well as you say then fair play but this is me speaking on the fact i have 40 yrs experience in glazing in Britian and the solution you offer doesng seem practical to me in my opinion ,i watched a video of guys drilling holes in units and offered my tuppence worth on that also
I am doing this process for my sliding glass door insulated panel (46x76 huge) I dont have cerium oxide polish, are there any alternatives you can recommend? I tried polishing with blue stick plastic polish stick from harbor freight but was getting nowhere. Please help :)
Look up the process and what they use to clean car head lamps. Although they don’t use silica beads…car head lamps get the same gunk inside and out. My husband just did mine..he does auto body/detailing. He uses 3 M products. ( labeled step 1,2,3 ) also Its a process the same as in the video - for cleaning the glass from all the muck.
@@tinaknutsen Did what you said , they have held up great, still look brand new. Zero leaks or internal fogging. It’s been one year exactly since I fixed these they are holding up through all the crazy weather Chicago can throw at them! This saved us at least $3000 due to the oversized dimensions we have.