I was searching for a solution for my dirty windows and I just knew I was going to see another "Replace the lot" video. But this one was actually useful, explaining and demonstrating how the problem occurs. At least I now understand why I am having to replace the lot rather that just taking the word of the window salesman.
The best solution is to replace, but you can have temporary fixes. Try to find the source of the leakage, normally outside downwards, and fill it with some waterproof filler, drill some small holes on top from inside and then use a hair dryer from inside to evaporate the fog. This just works if you could effectively stop water from coming inside.
I used to make IGU's on a small scale many years ago when double glazing was essentially taking off. All I can say is that it is perfectly possible to re-do the units provided it is approached in a professional manner. Split the unit apart into two pieces of glass. Reclaim the spacer bars and empty out desicant or buy new pieces and cut them to length. Fill spacer bars with new desicant and assemble into a "picture frame". Thoroughly clean both pieces of glass on the sides that are to be inside the completed unit Attach spacer bar assembly to one pane of glass appropriately set in from the edge of the glass Lower 2nd piece of glass onto spacer bar and align Lightly clamp or tape assembly together to prevent glass/spacer bar movement. Fill the gap between sheets of glass up to the level of the edges of the glass with sealant Allow sealant to fully cure, (several hours). Reglaze window with repaired unit. You will need something to fill the hole in the wall that used to be a window while you carry out repairs You will need to purchase new desicant, new spacer bar if original cannot be reclaimed. You will need a flat area to lay down the prepared unit while you fill the edge with sealant and allow the sealant to cure. The sealant will likely be two part polysulphide rather than hot melt (not silicone sealant). Of all the chores, cleaning the glass will likely be the most difficult. It will be mortifying to be installing your nice re-assembled unit into the window frame only to notice a smear or some dirt inside the unit that cannot be dealt with. Good luck ! ! ! ! Properly done the unit will be as good as a purchased new unit. No one said it would be easy, but it is doeable
Never said it wasn't possible to do. I said i would be surprised if someone was providing a service of reconditioning old units. The amount of time involved to recondition a unit far outweighs the cost of replacing with a new one. If there is anyone providing such a service, they either don't value their time or have no concept of running a business. Because what you describe is FAR from an easy diy job. You are experienced doing it, so it would be a lot quicker for you, but still a slow job. From my experience, the vast majority of people don't even know how to remove a unit from a window / door, let alone undertake reconditioning a unit. For people who have plenty of time and have a good level of skill, it is totally possible as you outlined. But for 99.9% of people, it's not an option. The point of the video is to show the reason why they break down, and to show that there is no quick fix.
there's no easy fix, but these guys are professional, they don't want to share easy fixes. Try to find the source of the leakage, normally downward, and fill it with some waterproof filler, then use a hair dryer
Thank you for giving an honest answer on this issue. I have see other videos that, like you said, show someone drilling holes in the glass and using a chemical to clean out the moisture, and seal the holes. I trust your evaluation that this cannot fix the issue, it seemed too good to be true. I am going to replace my 12 year old double pane glass in my doors that have this issue.
I have this on the doubble glazing in my council flat and they won't replace the windows. The best I could do as some form of solution was find the damaged parts of the sealent and reseal it, it doesn't remove the condensation but it stops it getting any worse. Thankfully it's not as bad for the age of them as some of the examples youve shown here.
I saw those videos, too. And I'm glad I found this one because drilling holes and such seemed like it would cause more problems than fix. So the answer is they're old and need to be replaced. A pity, but I'd rather know that than wreck something trying to do it myself. Thanks!
Drilling a hole would be much cheaper. They blow it out with an air compressor. Then you can caulk the holes back. It will definitely prolong you having to buy a new one
I'm not seeing the difficulty in removing/cleaning/replacing. I'll grant you, if your labor is worth anything at all, it's not cost effective. But I'm mostly retired, and would rather putter than go do a couple of hours at what I normally do to pay to replace the window. Just looked at my problem window again - looks to be a tri lobe rubber seal. I know those can be a bit of a pain to seat, but it's not that bad. Off to find a guide somewhere.
Just seen another use leaf blower to dry moisture out of window go inside then use hairdryer then use a sealent round edges but don't cork it like other sealent a year later windows still going good
cut through the sealant as shown, take it apart, clean old sealant, remove and dry desiccant in the oven. reassemble, seal with PU glass sealer leaving two holes one at the top and one at th ebottom bottom. refill with argon, use cigarette lighter as a gauge, seal holes and you have saved yourself a lot of money
This problem will continue everywhere until the greedy manufacturers stop making them to fail, forcing you to buy new. The cause is obvious. The failures are on the hot sunny sides of the house. The units are made in a comfortable working temperature factory. When in the hot sun, the air expansion is massive, and will eventually blow out a weak spot in the glue. Then at night, there is a vacuum created and cold damp air is sucked in. After many repeats, the moisture condenses on the glass. There are two ways they can prevent this. One, is to glue the unit together in a hot chamber, so that later on, the unit is mostly under slight vacuum, pulling the glue together, rather than forcing it apart. The hot sun cannot create such a high pressure anymore. The other way is to put a tiny one-way check valve in the spacer, so that the first time the sun raises the temp and pressure, the valve releases the pressure, and from then on, most of the time there will be a slight vacuum, as described above.
I learned things from your videos. Unfortunately you told me that I’ll have to replace my dbl glaze because of heavy staining. These are sliding doors here in Chicago. I’ll life with it for now because it’s not in the budget. Cheers and peace
I solved the problem of condensation between the glass sheets. in my case, it's 23°C at home and -5°C outside, and of course the condensation appeared between the glass sheets. I took a roll of food foil (plastic), tore it and made plugs from the foil. with these plugs I plugged all the ventilation holes on the profile (outside) and inside the joinery frame (as you open the window on the frame, there are two ventilation holes at the top and two at the bottom). after a maximum of 12 hours, the water remaining between the glass sheets has disappeared. I must also specify the fact that I was lucky that the water between the glass sheets was clean so that once the water disappeared, there were no traces or traces of dust or mud as the case may be. if the condensation combines with dust or earth particles, then after drying, dust could remain. translate with google translate. good luck. Maxy from Romania
Thanks for the comment, my friend and I'm glad you solved your problem. But i don't think what you're describing is the same as the double glazing we have in Ireland and the UK
The sun will warm up the moist air and it will evaporate. The reason why it fogs up and looks wet between the two panes, is because the evaporated moisture can't get back out and re-condenses when it gets cold. So unless you keep the temperature all the time above the dew point it won't work I'm afraid.
Would you go buy a new car if you got a flat tire? Why would you buy a whole new window when you could replace the section that needs replacing. The point of the video is to explain to people what the cause of the condensation.. Read some of the comments, people think that it can just be cleaned.
@@PaddysDiy Yes exactly, thanks for posting this as I'd always wondered if it was possible to fix my old windows but can now see that would be a waste of money, half of the hinges are damaged anyway, so new windows in lovely french gray one day :-)
I don’t understand why you can’t remove the window and then glue it back. Am I missing something obvious? If the glass is still in good condition then why do I need to replace it?
i wad advised to blast the windows with a hairdryer, is this ultimately pointless then and any water will just resettle? i've not long bought my house so ive no real idea how old the windows are but i do know theyre prior to a new standard i forget the name of
Although your video is very informative, and to the point - the issue for most of us mere mortals is the companies ive dealt with have both told me i need new windows complete! They will not just replace the glazing units & seals! The one was the company who we bought the windows off originally! I had forgotten but my wife picked it up when she saw the paperwork!
You have 2 scenarios. Either your going to the wrong companies, who are just trying to sell you new windows or you are going to the right companies who are being honest with you and telling you your money would have better value spent on new windows. You need to determine yourself whether its worthwhile to replace the glazing or the whole windows. Is all or nearly all your double glazing fogged up? How old are the windows? Are they energy efficient? Some of the things to consider
@@PaddysDiy Thanks for your reply, I think it was the wrong company trying to sell us new windows, Neither one even took ay trims out or anything to look. 8 Years Old our windows are, we have a large glass supplier near us and i went there, the chap i saw was soooo different to the 2 window firms, He said they could make the units up for me to instal, and they would be filled with Argon (They make all the glazing for local Window Companies) & they could deliver. He also had the same of a glazier who would be able to do it and replace the black seals too! So I called him and hes replacing the glass in the big bay window which is 2 big units and 5 of the other smaller windows for £570!! We are delighted, glass on order and he will have a big tip!
Mark C; Just curious how they turned out and after a year how are they holding up? Thinking of replacing our old bay patio cover 5 double panes. I have 4 true seasons, just cleaned yesterday (no rain….they looked better but between the glass is uglier than what shows in the video. Hope you see this message as I’m curious to if your happy with replacing yours and if the company suggested any maintenance tips to keep this from reoccurring???
@@tinaknutsen Hello Tina, we did find a company to replace our sealed units & seals in the end! The companies that tell you you need whole new windows are talking a load of Bull! The glazed units are a separate item to the window, they can be made for any size. Ours were complicated somewhat in the fact the trims had been siliconed in due to our burglary , however they done a great job. The new units were clearer and keep the heat in better than the older units. I was going to replace them myself, however decided to have it done, as they also took all the old glass away. There is no maintenance really, rubber is bonded to glass to make the units, glass and rubber expands when it gets warm, therefore failure in many years is inevitable. Any other questions please don't be afraid to help, regards Mark.
He's never going to answer. It's a hell of lot more than it's worth. I plan to reseal mine because it's just grunt work and not worth the tens of thousands a crooked glass company will charge. I'll learn along the way or fail, but I'll try. Suggest you do the same.
@@lindahickerson4658 I couldnt agree more! Our pvc is in great condition, we had two companies out both said we needed new windows complete! Rip Off Britain! Im doing mine this weekend & may actually even produce a video to help others!
If the space between the two panes of glass were filled with argon gas, there would be a reduction in the thermal performance. If the space between the two panes were air filled then there would be no change in thermal performance. It's still air between the two panes even if it's moist air
No it wouldnt effect anything on the inside. Condensation on the inside surface is just a problem this time of year no matter how good or bad your windows are. The less thermally efficient they are the worse the condensation will be
Give me one good reason why you can't simply separate the panes (or at least one of them) from the hollow center channel, refill the channel with new dessicant, then reattach the pane(s) to the channel, seal the outer edge, and put the window back? Why do you think the glass and channel need to be scrapped? Talk about wasteful and needlessly expensive...
Sounds so easy doesn't it, take it out, split the glass from the spacer, replace the desiccant, clean the glass and re-glue the glass back on. Do you realise how long it takes to do that? An absolute age to do it properly. I would be surprised if there is a glazier that even provides this service. If there is, then they have absolutely no value for their time or are charging way more than what it would cost to just replace it. I'll give you a bit of information. When you're hiring any trades person to do work for you. You're paying for their time. From the time they get into their van to drive to you, they are on the clock. So the shorter the amount of time to complete a job, the cheaper it will be. Replacing the fogged double glazing is going to be WAY quicker than what you're suggesting. Which in turn is going to be cheaper. If you're doing this job yourself that's fine. By all means go ahead if you have the time to do it. But there is absolutely nothing simple about what you suggest. Do you realise how difficult a job it is to do? And dangerous even for glaziers who know what they're doing, let alone a DIYer? I know a glazier who was splitting a unit to use one of the panes of glass. Knife slipped while cutting the glue, glass broke and went straight into his hand. Five hours in a&e and eleven stitches. How is it wasteful? Glass is probably one of the most recyclable materials in the world. It's just melted down and made into new glass. All the old glass I replace is separated into a skip and sent to be recycled. I'll tell you what's wasteful is the time anyone wastes trying to reseal or repair fogged double glazing. And the time reading your comment and thinking you know what you're talking about. Anyway, I have to go. I need new tires on my car, but it's too expensive to get new ones, so I'm going to rethread them myself. Don't know what I'm doing but what's the worst that could happen eh? 🙃
@@PaddysDiy omg that response was so funny 😂 I understand how the initial commenter feels. Us regular folk are just trying to save money and being highly suspicious of tradesmen comes with that territory. But thanks you made a great vid with clear explanations 👍🏾
best of luck with that ! the inside of the glass is normally coated with a metallic oxide coat ,if you try to use vinegar or alcohol to clean you will ruin it ,it will look like an oil slick and lose half the thermal efficiency
Would you go buy a new car if you got a flat tire? Why would you buy a whole new window when you could replace the section that needs replacing. The point of the video is to explain to people what the cause of the condensation.. Read some of the comments, people think that it can just be cleaned.
@@tonyborders7108no i didn't say to replace the window in the video. I said replace the double glazed unit. The double glazed unit is not the whole window. You could have multiple double glazed units in one window. If one of them has condensation between the panes, just replace that one
Double pane windows seem like a huge waste of money. Who would buy these if your cannot clean them. All the Windows in the house I bought have crap windows that are dirty in between and the answer is to replace all. Replace with what? I live in a colder climate what’s the alternative to these crap windows
The whole idea of double glazed windows is they give way more insulation than single glazed windows. 3 or 4 more. So if you have a whole house of single glazed windows, the money you spend heating your home is absolutely flying out the windows. Double glazed units are sealed in the factory the day they are made. They're never designed to be taken apart to be cleaned. They are glued together. Good double glazing that is fitted correctly should last for at least 20 years before they break down and let in moisture. That is just the nature of things. Nothing lasts forever. It sounds like the windows in your house are at the end of their life. So replace them with single glazed windows if you want to live in a freezer. Double glazing is you want to have a good level of comfort or triple glazing if you really want to minimise heat loss.
My parents entire house is double panned windows. F me.. they all are doing this. I never hated a person more that I've never met before then the guy who built the house with his own plans. It is a money pit and guess who has to fix/replace this stuff. Me. Is there another solution instead of replacing every single one of these? For my sake lol.
@@CoD_Maj3st1k It will atleast cover it up and hide it if the person cannot afford to replace all of the old windows.. its ugly! I have this problem too, and I just cannot afford to replace all my windows, so I am having to cover it with window tints aswell, its effective though, hides it very well
I havev13 windows' he Obviously does not know how much it cost to replace glass. We tapped on his site to find a much cheaper way out so thanks for nothing
Congratulations on having 13 windows. I'm well aware of the cost of glass, and the cost of new windows. After that you lost me, rest of what you wrote makes no sense.
I cannot understand why you have made a video explaining the ins and outs only to inform us at the end that we need a complete new unit. You are giving people false hopes of a solution, especially on a site called DIY. My window is absolutely massive what has this problem and I was hoping for a cheap solution instead of paying thousand plus pounds.
The video is to explain why and how it happens, because most people don't know. So they don't go off and waste their money trying to fix something that can't be fixed. You're obviously someone that doesn't like hearing an inconvenient truth. I would suggest you go watch the Disney channel if you're not prepared for the realities of this world.
@@missmuffet3874 That was completely rude and unprofessional…shocked Read a comment that he replied back that he went out of business…I felt bad when I read that, but seeing this you know customer service is lacking. I watched this video thinking the same thing you commented on….looking for a cheaper alternative.
