Do-it-yourself glass replacement in a double-glazed window

Plastic windows are convenient, provide good protection against cold and noise, and if used properly, they last quite a long time. However, various troubles periodically happen to them, as a result of which there is an urgent need for repair. Doing glass replacement in a double-glazed window with your own hands - is it possible? You will learn about this from our article.

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What do you have to deal with?

To begin with, it is very useful to determine the essence of the problem - the ways to solve it will depend on this. You may encounter two situations:

1. You need to replace the entire window unit.
2. You are puzzled by the question of how to change glass in a double-glazed window with your own hands.

And for that, and for other work, you will need an assistant - alone it is very difficult to do everything smoothly and accurately.

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Window construction

Replacing the glass in a plastic window with your own hands will be easier if you first understand what and how it works in this design, how the double-glazed window is arranged. The most popular option, which is most often put in residential premises, is a structure that includes:

• 2-3 sheets of glass;
• holder - aluminum frame:
• glazing beads;
• sealant;
• desiccant ..

As a sealant are used:

• butyl tape;
• polysulfide mastic.

Sealing is carried out in two stages. As for the space between the glasses, it can be filled:

• drained air;
• inert gas.

A moisture absorber is placed in the frame. It could be:

• molecular sieve;
• silica gel.

Important! The more cameras in a double-glazed window, the better it protects from cold and noise. Reliable protection against the cold is also provided by a special coating, and if you are most worried about noise, put glasses of different thicknesses.

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When to change a double-glazed window?

It often happens that for some reason the package loses its tightness. As a result, the level of protection against cold and moisture is reduced. If the glass is broken or a crack appears on it, questions usually do not arise - in this case, the glass unit must be repaired. But there are not so noticeable reasons to pay attention to what is happening with your windows:

• more noise came from the street;
• the windows began to fog;
• in winter the windows began to freeze;
• the room became cold, although the batteries work the same as before.

In all these cases, it is necessary to inspect the double-glazed windows and think about whether it is time to change them.

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Damage reasons

What do plastic windows most often suffer from? They can become unusable:

• mechanical influences, such as a ball or stone falling into a window;
• incorrect installation;
• low quality material;
• sloppy operation.

When to change glass?

Replacing a glass unit always entails additional costs, so there is a temptation to change only damaged glass. This is possible if the rest of the block has survived.

Reliable and unreliable firms

Should I contact a specialized company that offers to do everything right on the spot? Not always. As a rule, such companies operate in the following order:

1. Dismantle a double-glazed window.
2. Broken glass is pulled out.
3. They put a new one.
4. Pour it all with sealant.

This procedure does not always lead to a good result. The fact is that when the bag is opened, the desiccant located in the bags between the glasses is saturated with water vapor, which is always in the room. If you do not pay attention to this, after a while the windows will begin to fog up on the inside of the bag.

Another option is also possible - silica gel will turn into a yellow sticky mass and begin to leak out, and then the glass unit will definitely have to be changed. Therefore, when replacing a single glass, proceed differently:

1. Remove the double-glazed window.
2. Seal the window with plastic wrap in several layers.
3. Take the unit to a service center where damaged glass will be replaced in accordance with all precautions.
4. Take the glass unit home and mount it again.

Important! If the windows are under warranty, of course, you must contact the company that supplied them to you, in many cases, repairs will be free.

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Do-it-yourself glass replacement

It is completely more convenient to replace a double-glazed window in many respects. But first you need to understand what to change it for, that is, choose a new one. To do this, you will need sizes:

• length;
• width;
• thickness.

Important! The third parameter is especially important - different glazing beads are used in different window designs. In order not to need to change them, it is better to order a glass unit of the same thickness as the old one. In general, a damaged unit is still capable of serving you - it is better to take measurements from it.

If the windows are non-standard

Plastic windows come in the most bizarre shapes:

• triangular;
• rhombic;
• arched;
• curly.

Here you won’t get away with simple measurements, and it will be problematic to insert glass or build the entire structure yourself. In this case, the procedure will be as follows:

1. Remove the unit.
2. Take measurements not only of the thickness, but also of each line.
3. Make a template - a large sheet of paper or cardboard is suitable for this.
4. Pass the template and dimensions to the company that will repair your window.

As for the next steps, two options are possible:

• delivery of finished glass by special transport;
• pickup.

Important! Before you take a double-glazed window, you need to check the quality of the glass - there should be no scratches, chips or bubbles on it.

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We change a double-glazed window

For the most part, apartment owners are trying to attract experts from trusted companies to such work, and this is generally the right approach, because the masters have extensive experience and have all the necessary materials and tools. But for a person who has a good understanding of the design and can do a lot with his own hands, the replacement of a double-glazed window will be quite capable. All work can be divided into two stages:

1. Dismantling the old structure.
2. Installing a new unit.

Dismantling

This stage usually does not cause great difficulties. You need only two tools:

• spatula or chisel;
• rubber mallet.

It is necessary to act carefully, without making excessive efforts and trying not to let the chisel fall off and scratch the glass:

1. Insert a chisel between the bead and the profile.
2. Slightly hit it with a hammer, slightly pulling the chisel toward you.
3. Repeat the procedure in several places so that the glazing bead is freely separated from the profile.
4. Take out the double-glazed window.

Important! You need to start with long vertical sections of glazing bead, from the middle, then remove the bottom, and lastly, the top.

Installation

The procedure for replacing one glass and the entire double-glazed unit differs not very significantly. In the first case, the window unit is also dismantled, then glass is inserted and after that the whole structure is assembled.

Before putting a double-glazed window, it is necessary to carry out some preliminary work - in particular, lay rebate bridges. On the side where the sash opens, they are placed below at a distance of 10 cm from the corners. If the windows are irregular, put additional bridges. Take care of the necessary materials.You need:

• butyl tape;
• sealant;
• gun for sealant;
• construction knife;
• solvent for sealant;
• rags;
• wiper;
• building or household hair dryer;

Operating procedure:

1. Remove a double-glazed window.
2. Separate the damaged glass - this is done with the same chisel or construction knife.
3. Place the frame vertically on a soft surface.
4. Use a sharp knife to remove old sealant.
5. Wipe the front edge of the frame with acetone or another solvent.
6. Measure the frame - the measurements must be accurate, with an error of not more than a fraction of a millimeter.
7. Cut the glass to the right size.
8. Wipe the surface of the glass with a rag, you can use a wiper.
9. Dry the inside of the frame thoroughly.
10. Apply a layer of sealant - the layer should be such that it does not extrude beyond the edge of the frame when glass is applied to it.
11. Lay the glass on the frame, carefully checking the position of the sides.
12. Stick butyl tape on the ends (you can replace it with the same sealant).
13. Wait for the sealant to harden - you will find the time on the packaging.

Important! Change the glass carefully so that the seal does not wrinkle.

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Are there any other options?

Replacing glass in a double-glazed window is a temporary measure that you need to resort to only in one case: when you urgently need to deal with damaged glass, but there is no money for new double-glazed windows. Another option for urgent repairs is also possible - to seal the crack with a transparent sealant. At the same time, the glass packet can not be removed.

Operating procedure:

1. Wipe damaged glass.
2. Apply clear sealant.
3. Wait 2-4 hours.
4. Apply a second coat of sealant.

Important! This measure will not solve all the problems - the heat-shielding properties will hardly improve. But the glass will cease to crack further.

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Replacing windows in windows with wooden frames

Replacing damaged glass in a wooden frame of a European type will be somewhat more difficult than dealing with a plastic double-glazed window. For this, special tools are needed:

• gun for sealant;
• compressor;
• nails
• silicone removal knives;
• a set of construction tools - spatulas, chisels, etc.

The process requires good building tools skills. You need to act in the following order:

1. Cut a double-glazed window with a construction knife.
2. Remove the glazing bead with a plastic spatula.
3. Carefully remove old sealant.
4. Repair cracks if necessary.
5. Place leveling plates, as for a plastic window.
6. Install a double-glazed window.
7. Nail the glazing beads so that the nails fall into the groove provided for this.
8. Fill the gaps between the glass and the glazing bead with transparent sealant.
9. Allow sealant to dry.

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Stock footage

Now you know everything about how the glass is replaced in the glass with your own hands, so you can choose the best repair solution for yourself. We hope you managed to cope with this task with little effort.