My Window Glass is Foggy or Cloudy... what do I do?

Can You Fix My Cloudy or Foggy Window Panes?
 
By: Handy Andy

We receive many calls during the year from our valued customers asking to clean their foggy or cloudy windows.

 

One Saturday morning you noticed your double pane window in the den has a light cloud or is a little foggy.  You got your Windex out and started wiping the inside and then the outside of the window pane. It's not long thereafter you find out the cloudiness is still there. You may decide to try a different window cleaner like vinegar and water. The result is the same.

 

The other story we hear a lot is that you are starting to wonder since last night the cloudiness on the window was not there.  Where did it come form. The next day it is gone and then it comes back later in the day. Over time the cloudiness becomes larger and thicker.  You hardly can see through the fogginess of the window.

 

The cloudiness you are experiencing is between the two panes of glass. As the seals fail, the system will allow moist air between the glass panes, where it then condenses.

Insulating glass seals have to withstand rain, cold, wind, heat, and even impact. Manufacturer's testing prevailed that the failure rate of these types of windows is only 1 to 3 percent.  With that said, there is a good chance at least one glass pane in your house will be part of the 1 to 3 percent failure rate.

 

When windows fog and fail, the only viable option is replacement. It's extremely difficult to separate the old panes (in most cases people will break the glass during the attempt), clean them up and reseal them again: The glass becomes etched from minerals in the moist air, the old seals are difficult to remove in order to get a tight new seal and a repair is just not cost effective.  

You trusted handyman Handy Andy

Visit us at www.HandyPro.com
October 2012