We take glass windows for granted most of the time, but when you stop to think about it they’re one of the things that make life pleasant.
They let in light, keep out the cold and let you see what’s going on outside, and they’re cheap enough that just about anyone can afford them. The big problem with glass windows, of course, is that they break.
Recently, a reader said the double-paned replacement windows installed in her home more than a decade ago was broken recently by vandals. The window was made with “safety glass,” a type of glass that is harder to break, and when it does break, it shatters into small chips rather than the sharp-edged shards produced by regular glass.
The company that installed her replacement windows has gone out of business, and she wasn’t sure how to go about having the window repaired with something like its original materials.
Suggestion: Even if the company that installed the window were still around, it might not be the best place to call to deal with a broken pane.
Several replacement window companies said they typically don’t do repairs; they refer people with broken windows to one of the companies listed in the Yellow Pages under “Glass-Automotive, Plate, Window, etc.”
The first step is to remove the window frame. Take out the portion of the frame that held the broken glass and take the whole frame to a repair shop.
A piece of plywood cut to the shape of the missing frame will keep the house comfortable while the repair is being made.
Glass companies can make house calls in cases where window frames can’t be removed, but that is an expensive option. Companies charge about $35 to $50 an hour for house calls, and they typically charge for travel time in addition to time spent on the actual repair.
You also may have to decide whether you want to use regular glass in the new window or have new sheets of safety glass installed. Many replacement glass companies don’t keep safety glass in stock, so they’d have to special order sheets to fit in the old frame. That will add a week or two to the repair time. Safety glass is also more expensive, costing in the range of 65 percent to 100 percent more per sheet.
