Q: How much will it cost to have my windows repaired as compared to having them replaced?
A: Restoration of failed insulating glass
units (IGUs) usually costs1/2 to 1/3 of the cost of window
replacement. The size and type of window affects the price
of defogging just as it does replacement. Go to our contact page and select the dealer
in your area and fill in the quote request form. We’ll send you a full quote for defogging your windows.
In addition to costing less the window replacement, defogging helps protect the environment
by preventing your windows from ending up in a landfill.
Q: How long will it take for my windows to clear up once you’ve
completed the defogging
process?
A: Every window is different.
How long it
takes a window to clear depends on the size of the window, how much
sunshine it gets and how wet the window was to start with. They dry
much faster in the summer when its sunny than in the winter when
it’s cloudy and wet. The glass window panes are usually dry when we
complete the process. However, if the silica-filled spacer bars are
very wet, the window may continue to mist up until the silica dries
out. If you see streaks in the window once it has dried please call
us back and we’ll remove them as part of our guarantee.
Q: How do you fix failed seals in a thermal pane window?
A: Most windows fail not because their
seals have failed but because they have become saturated
with moisture. Windows are designed to breathe because they
have to deal with the change in air pressure that occurs
when the sun shines on the window. Window manufacturers know
that this causes solar
pumping which brings moisture into the window. They put
desiccant in
the window’s spacer bar to absorb the moisture. When the desiccant becomes
saturated, the window starts to fog up. We don’t actually
repair failed window seals. Instead we simply clean the
inside of the window, remove the moisture and install a valve that
allows remaining moisture to be expelled from the window while not
allowing new moisture to enter.
Q: Are the valves that you’re installing in my windows very
noticeable?
A: The holes we drill in your sealed
window units are very small and the valves are clear and
nearly invisible. We place them in the corners of the window
panes well away from the main viewing area of the window.
The upper valve is usually hidden by your blinds or drapes.
You can only see the lower valve from a sideways angle so
it’s very unobtrusive. Our customers are usually very
pleased with the clarity of their windows once we remove the
fog from them.
Q: My windows have streaks inside of them. Can you remove them?
A: We wash the insides of your sealed
glass units and apply a drying agent during the defogging
process. This cleaning process removes any streaks,
deposits, dirt or debris from between the glass window
panes.
Q: Doesn’t drilling a hole in the glass create glass dust
inside of the window? How do you get it out?
A: Drilling does create a bit of dust
which we remove when we wash the insides of the panes of
glass in your sealed windows.
Q: How can you offer a lifetime warranty? Do you have evidence to indicate that the
restoration will last that long?
A: The Window Medics Process that
we use to defog your windows, which includes removing
moisture from the window and installing a micro-valve, has
been in use since the late 1980’s. The reason we can offer a
lifetime warranty with confidence is that in
this process we have re-engineered your thermal pane window
system. Our micro-valve allows moisture to be expelled from
the window while keeping new moisture out by equalizing the
air pressure between the outside and inside of the window
and thereby ending
solar pumping. If all the moisture
cannot be removed from the window then we re-service the
window or refund your money.
Q: Why don’t your guarantee that the windows will be streak free?
A: Streaking isn’t an issue when
defogging is done correctly. The streaks in your failed
windows are caused by mineral deposits created by the water
vapor inside your sealed unit. Our washing process removes
most if not all of these streaks. Occasionally, our drying
agents will react with substances inside the window unit to
cause streaking. We’ll always come back and fix this if you
call us about it.
Q: I live on an upper story of a high rise building. Can you still fix my foggy windows?
A: Yes, we can easily repair your failed
thermal pane windows. We do most of our repairs from the
inside so it doesn’t matter how high a building is or how
difficult the window may be to get to from the outside. If
access to a window is very difficult from the inside then we
will do the repair from the outside.
Q: I have a solarium with hazy windows. Can you fix them?
A: We can defog your conservatory or
solarium windows if the double pane windows are not made of
tempered glass. Tempered glass usually has a small white
marking etched into the glass in one corner so that you can
easily identify it. We can’t drill holes in tempered glass
so we can’t defog tempered glass windows.
Q: What happens if streaks reappear after you’ve defogged the window?
A: It’s possible that once the window
dries out that streaks will become visible that couldn’t be
seen while the defogging process was being done. Simply call
us and we’ll come back and remove the streaks.
Q: What if the visible fog reappears and then comes and goes after you’ve repaired the thermal
pane window?
A: If a window was very wet inside before
defogging, the desiccant in the spacer bar was probably
saturated too. The window may fog up again as the spacer bar
dries out. This fog may come and go as the window heats up
and cools off during the day. After a few weeks it should
disappear entirely. If it doesn’t, call us and we’ll come
and repeat our repair process under the guarantee.
Q: How do you recover the insulating R-value
of a failed double pane window?
A: We restore the insulating value of a
failed thermal pane window by removing the water vapor that
has accumulated between the panes of glass in the insulated
glass unit. We use a drying agent to replace the wet air
with dry air thus returning the window’s insulating value to
that of a new window.
Q: What will the R-value of my double pane windows be after
defogging?
A: Typically, the R-value of a double
pane window is between 3.2 and 4.3. A thermal pane window
that has moisture in the interior air space (even if
dampness isn’t visible) is saturated with water. Wet air has
very little insulating value. Our process removes the
moisture and results in dry air in between the panes of
glass. This returns the R-value to very near to that of a
new insulated glass unit.
Q: My double pane windows are filled with argon gas.
Can you still fix them and return them to their original R-value?
A: We can still repair your insulated glass units if they were originally filled
with argon gas. Through the process of solar pumping, the argon was released from
the window long before the condensation began to form inside. We can remove the
moisture that lowers the R-value of your window but we can’t replace the argon gas.
That means that the insulating value of your thermal pane window will be little less
than it was originally with the argon present but considerably greater than when the
air in the window was saturated with water.
