Failed thermal pane windows can now be repaired rather than replaced
As a certified home inspector you see foggy, failed double pane windows on a regular basis. The belief has been that the window's seal has failed and that there is no way to fix the window. The only solution has been to replace the sealed glass unit. Now the Window Medics™ process offers a scientifically proven low-cost way to repair windows with condensation problems.
The Truth about Window Failure
- The main cause of window failure is not failed or ruptured seals but solar pumping.
- Window manufacturers build desiccant material into the spacer bars of insulated glass units (IGUs) to absorb the moisture brought into windows through the daily heating and cooling process all windows experience.
- Over time moisture brought in through solar pumping activity saturates the silica desiccant material and becomes visible as fog, dampness or condensation on the inside surface of the window.
- All double pane windows eventually reach saturation and can no longer absorb moisture and become foggy. It's the nature of the design.
While glass window panes easily withstand exposure to rain and the elements, when water accumulates between window panes a special environment is created that sets the stage for deterioration of the glass itself. The glass in this situation enters a series of complex chemical reactions which result in an alkaline environment. Initially, the water trapped between the window panes slowly reacts with the glass to form an alkaline solution. Over time the concentrations grow and the process accelerates creating greater and greater alkalinity. The alkaline solution created in this process attacks the surface of the glass and dissolves away the sodium in the window pane's inner surface which results in hazing and roughness. The initial stages of this may only cause a faint hazy whitening of the glass as the actual chemical structure of the glass changes from a glassy silicate structure to a crystalline silicate structure.
At this first stage, chemical treatment can usually restore the glass surface and return the window to its original clarity. Over time however, the condition worsens and the deterioration of the glass is no longer reversible. The continued cyclic evaporation and condensation that occurs in a failed insulated glass unit (IGU) leaves the interior surfaces of the glass window panes permanently etched and stained.
Stages of Window Failure
In Stage 1 the first signs of failure appear in the form of fog, mist or blue haze.
In Stage 2 water is visible in the form of condensation and water droplets inside the window.
In Stage 3 moisture accumulation has caused river bedding of the glass or white mineral deposits. At this point the glass damage is too great for the repair process to be successful.
The Window Defoggers™ Process
- We drill two small holes in the window glass and remove the moisture from between the thermal panes and clean the inside surface of the glass.
- We install a patented micro-valve that allows water vapor to escape from the window but no new moisture to come in.
- Due to the moisture already present in the desiccant and inner frame, along with the solutions we use in cleaning the window, it can take up to 12 weeks for the window to completely dry.
How to recognize a window repaired by Window Defoggers™
- Look for two small holes, one each in an upper and lower corner of the window with a micro-valve covering the hole.
Our Preventative Program
We offer a Preventative Program especially suited to homes that have experienced a number of failed windows or are in neighborhoods where many homes have failing windows . Here we re-engineer the windows before they fail by installing one valve at the bottom of the window.
For more information email us today.
