Fogged Windows Can Be Repaired
Double paned windows that have become fogged or hazy is a recurring issue with many homes 15 – 3o years old. Fogged windows are unattractive & only functional in the most basic of ways (keeps the weather out). The haze between the panes filters out sunlight and also blocks your view.
Then again, it could be “Pollyanna-ized” and called a “built in privacy feature!”
Or not. All joking aside, this fogging happens as the window ages. Until recently, the only way to get rid of the problem was to get rid of the window.
In the case of window choices in many chalet and contemporary style homes, this can be quite costly, since the windows tend to be very large, and thus, expensive.
Replacing a basic sliding glass door can cost as much as $1,000 for a standard model. A picture or bay window could easily set a homeowner back $1,200 – $1,500.
But there’s good news for homeowners – I got the following info below from a local Poconos home inspector. It seems that these windows can be repaired – or de-fogged – for a fraction of the cost of new windows, and the work is guaranteed for 20 years!
Imagine getting another 20 years out of your windows! Read on:
Windows Fail Due to a Variety of Reasons — Provided by Affordable Inspections, Inc.
1. Flaws to the window during manufacturing. This includes voids and separation of seals and the spacer bar.
2. Damage caused during transportation and installation.
3. Exposure and building pressure.
4. Day to Day atmospheric pressure.
Radiant Heat caused by atmospheric pressure is by far the most destructive.
Window Condensation Process
During the day as the sun rises, the air molecules between the panes of glass are heated. As the space is heated, this causes the window glass to expand apart.
As the sun sets in the evening and temperatures drop, the molecules between the two panes of glass cool. This causes contraction of the air space resulting in the panes of glass contracting in towards each other.
This process of heating and cooling of the airspace is called Solar Pumping. As the air between the glass cools, it cannot hold as much water vapor as warm air. The result is water droplets in your window. This also creates dew on the grass.
The window treatment uses a patented process for removing moisture. It has been successfully used on hundreds of thousands of foggy windows and doors.
Basically, the window or door is re-egineered to allow the moisture in the failed unit to escape. During the process, the inside of the glass surfaces are cleaned using patented processes. Once the moisture has escaped, patented valves prevent moisture from returning.
Once the unit has been re-engineered, the R value will be permanently recovered and this service is backed by a 20 year warranty.
Call or Email now for further details.
Affordable Home & Building Inspections
570-470-9410
Affordable Pocono Home Inspections Website
Window image by Uberculture, used with permission via Flickr Creative Commons license.
Filed under: Home Improvements
This is not a reputable product. Once you have lost the inert gas that is sealed in these unigts you have lost most if not all of your insulating properties of the window. All this process is doing is drilling holes on the inside pane to effectively create a single pane window. This is fine for a short period of time but the window still has to be replaced.
Sean, thanks for the comment/feedback. Do you have any web references to give more information on this? Thanks.
No I do not have any web based literature but have discussed with many experts in the field. The companies claim is that “Insulating glass units are not really hermetically sealed.” and this is why they can just drill a hole to allow the air inside to exchange with the air outside the unit This is inaccurate as anyone who has broken one of these windows can attest. The windows are sealed with an inert insulating gas. When you loose the gas you loose the insulating properties, that is why when you break one of the panes or the seals accidentally you can hear air rushing into the unit. Just call any window manufacturer and they will provide you the literature that you need. This is a scam!
Sean, I appreciate your input. I am not trying to sell this service, just so you know. I’m just passing along information that has been given to me by the home inspector.
This product comes with a 20 year guarantee…so I really don’t know what to say other than that. It seems like a good option for people who are not prepared to replace all the windows in their homes yet.
I’m sure a window manufacturer, however would have their own agenda – naturally it would be in their best interest for home owners to buy more windows.
As with anything, the old rule “caveat emptor” comes into play, and it is up to the consumer to research claims made by ANY companies and make an informed decision based on what they find out.
If you have any documented information on this service please feel free to post it here. Thanks!
You know, given how expensive it is to replace these things, it might be worth trying on a single window as a test subject, and proceeding from there. If it doesn’t work, then you’re not out much. If it does… think of the money and time saved, not to mention all those windows being scrapped.
As always, you need to do your own homework and investigate things before making a decision, but I certainly appreciate this post.
Thanks Jenn – that’s what I thought. Try it out on a window or two and see how it works. Even if it extends your window life by only a few years, at least it can improve the appearance of your home until you are ready to replace the whole thing. A large sliding door or bay window will put you out over $1,000 to replace it.
I always recommend researching something before investing a lot of money into it. But realize that some sources of information will NOT be “unbiased.” A window manufacturer would naturally want to poo-poo a service that prevents a buyer from purchasing a new window!
Hi, Just a FYI – it was not window manufacturers that I received my info from although they would easily be able to provide fancy literature on this. This has been discussed amongst the house inspectors of my organization and at the technical college I went to to get my inspector training. I have also studied exactly what is done in this process and know a fair bit about how a window works and is put togther. Yes this process will make the windows LOOK better as it will usually get rid of the fogging (NOT ALWAYS – there are often times that when the moisture dries out it leaves a film that is impossible to remove between the panes). However this process removes the energy efficiency of the window and leaves you effectively with a single paned window. The larger the window the bigger the difference. So it may well be worth spending the $1000 on a large window because of the energy savings that would result.
The whole premise that these companies work off is to say that a sealed unit is not really sealed and that small amounts of air moves in and out of the ‘sealed unit’. This is just not accurate information and represents a misleading statement by the vendor to support the service he is providing, In other words – as I said before it is a scam. If all they were claiming is that they could ‘clear out’ the condensation between the panes then that would be accurate and acceptable. It is the fact that they are claiming that the window retains its original insulating R value that this the scam.
see http://www.rd.com/why-insulated-window-glass-fogs/article18217.html or http://www.ehow.com/how_15075_maintain-windows.html (see 3)