Glass and Mirrors - Cracked Window
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jengould422
01-27-08, 04:41 PM
I wanted to know if anyone has the answer, I have what is now a very large crack in the dining room window,I have no idea how the crack got started,and I'm guessing because of the cold is why it is now a very large crack, I know it is not a single-pane,we have had a lot of bad windy days in Ohio,it started as a little speck of a crack any ideas,I have to tell the landlord something to get it fixed,and we don't have any small children or anything that would have caused the problem,HELP,I need to have them replace it and don't know what to say. Thanks for any help.
Gunguy45
01-27-08, 05:20 PM
It happens. Could have been anything from a stone thrown by a neighbors lawnmower, to a bird hitting the window. You can usually tell if it was a sharp impact from the outside, by any chipping around the beginning of the crack, but not always.
I had a bad batch of windows once. 7 out of 10 cracked after a strong storm w/40-50 mph winds. The company covered it.
Any small crack in glass, will eventually become a big crack, due to wind loads, temp changes, loads in the house shifting...anything that changes the stress put on the glass.
It should be fixed, but don't go crazy about it. Make the landlord aware of it, and that nothing you did caused it, just to protect your deposit.
If its on the inside pane, it could be a hazard if it shattered. If it's on the outside, there could be water leakage into the space between, but not a lot else.
Ahhh those Ohio winters.....knew there was a reason I wound up in AZ....
I had a bad batch of windows once. 7 out of 10 cracked after a strong storm w/40-50 mph winds. The company covered it.
Any small crack in glass, will eventually become a big crack, due to wind loads, temp changes, loads in the house shifting...anything that changes the stress put on the glass.
It should be fixed, but don't go crazy about it. Make the landlord aware of it, and that nothing you did caused it, just to protect your deposit.
If its on the inside pane, it could be a hazard if it shattered. If it's on the outside, there could be water leakage into the space between, but not a lot else.
Ahhh those Ohio winters.....knew there was a reason I wound up in AZ....
XSleeper
01-27-08, 07:20 PM
Put some clear packaging tape over the crack to prevent it from getting worse or from spreading glass fragments if it moves.
The crack itself could have been a stress fracture just waiting to happen. Sometimes glass will get chipped on the edge in the factory and will be fine until you get a large temperature differential inside/outside. Sometimes ice on the edge of an IGU will do the same thing as it freezes and expands.
Hopefully the landlord will understand that 1 out of 1000 IGU's sometimes spontaneously will break and there isn't really anyone to blame- it's just the nature of the beast. If he doesn't believe it, tell him to call any glass company and ask.
The crack itself could have been a stress fracture just waiting to happen. Sometimes glass will get chipped on the edge in the factory and will be fine until you get a large temperature differential inside/outside. Sometimes ice on the edge of an IGU will do the same thing as it freezes and expands.
Hopefully the landlord will understand that 1 out of 1000 IGU's sometimes spontaneously will break and there isn't really anyone to blame- it's just the nature of the beast. If he doesn't believe it, tell him to call any glass company and ask.