Chips in double paned window

[mathew stouffer]

These vinyl windows are 9 years old and there a chips between the panes. What are these and what causes it. Anyone, anyone....Bueller?

Thanks

Similar Threads:

• Single Wall Window Installation
• Window seal problems! Help!
• Double wired breaker
• Window in combo bath/shower area
• Leaking window

[wayne soper]

Looks like the seals deteriorated from uv exposure and failed.

[Rick Hurst]

Matt,

Some windows I've seen in the past where the outer glass panel has been replaced may have some pieces of glass that was not completely cleared out before setting of the new glass.

rick

[mathew stouffer]

Rick,
That's what I thought at first but if you look closely, which you can't in the pics, they are pieces of plastic or vinyl.

[Bruce Breedlove]

Looks like a vinyl spacer that has disintegrated over time due to UV exposure.

[Rick Hurst]

After enlarging your pics, I believe Bruce is on the money with it being the deterioration of the vinyl spacers.

[mathew stouffer]

Bruce,
Is there a space around the inner seal of the double pane?

[Bruce Breedlove]

Mathew,

Not normally but I suppose some brands could have spacers there.

[BARRY ADAIR]

Have them call Chris

He'll clean them out on his way through

YouTube - Chris Angel Walks Through Glass

[Gunnar Alquist]

Speaking of chips in double pane windows...

[Rick Hurst]

Is that broken safety glass?

[Gunnar Alquist]

Is that broken safety glass?

Yes, that's what it looked like to me. This was "captured" between the two good panes of glass as a part of a dual glazed unit. It was done intentionally to provide visual privacy for the bedrooms without curtains/drapes. Pretty cool looking.

[Ted Menelly]

You ever see the coffee tables like that. They put a piece of glass over another and hit the side of the lower glass for that same effect. Looks pretty good.

[Rick Hurst]

Gunnar,

That would be a specialty job for a window company for sure. I knew that looked like a lot of broken glass for a window of that size.

Now my question is, how could they make that window a thermal pane window with that inside?

Back in May, I did a home that had a door from the master bedroom out to the patio that had a broken window. At first glance, it looked as though it was some kind of tint on the window for privacy. When I showed it to the buyers, they actually like it so much they didn't want the seller to fix it.

They thought the look was kind of cool, and it obstructed the view from the rear patio / pool area from seeing into the master bedroom.

I thought the first time someone slams that door all of that glass is falling out.

rick

rick

[Gunnar Alquist]

Now my question is, how could they make that window a thermal pane window with that inside?rick

Rick,

I assume that you are referring to the insulating (or lack, thereof) capabilities of the window rather than the difficulties of fabrication.

I don't do thermal calcs. Not my yob (job). Actually, the house is a 1950s ranch with retrofit windows, so it does not need to meet the California Title 24 energy requirements.

Back in May, I did a home that had a door from the master bedroom out to the patio that had a broken window. At first glance, it looked as though it was some kind of tint on the window for privacy. When I showed it to the buyers, they actually like it so much they didn't want the seller to fix it.

They thought the look was kind of cool, and it obstructed the view from the rear patio / pool area from seeing into the master bedroom.

I thought the first time someone slams that door all of that glass is falling out.

There is a clothing store down in San Francisco (south of me, that is) that has a layer of broken tempered glass tightly sandwiched between two sheets of unbroken tempered as a part of the front facade. It has that "cool" look that you are referring to, but should be as safe as any glass storefront.

I also remember a guy that made furniture that did essentially the same thing. He had 3 sheets of glass layered in a "glass-topped" table. The center sheet was tempered and oversized by about 1/2 inch compared to the other sheets. Once the table was finished, he would drill through the bottom of the wood frame and into the tempered sheet, which would shatter. Since the hole was on the bottom of the table, it was readily filled and not obtrusive. The broken sheet of glass was captured between two good sheets.

Gunnar

[Ron Bibler]

Sometimes I think we should just go back to the old wood framed windows like the ones in the old farm house that my grandfather put together.

These were from one of my inspection today

Best

Ron