??? for PPOT brain trust...Clouded/dirty inside of double paned sliding glass doors

Dueller · 02-16-2015, 08:24 AM

I have four sets of doubled paned sliding doors on the rear of my house Three of them apparently have lost their seal. Last year during summer monthe condensation appeared to fomr on the inside of the glass. Once it dried it left a cloudy (not moldy) residue. Any suggestions? Remove one side of the glass and clean/reseal?

TIA

fastfredracing · 02-16-2015, 08:27 AM

Same boat here, I am anxious to hear if there any solutions ..

vash · vash's Garage

I was told your done. Positive note. Installing new windows is easy.

The inert gas inside is gone.
Can you tell who the window company is? Maybe they have a great warranty.

ckelly78z · 02-16-2015, 08:32 AM

I think removing the glass on a sliding door such as you describe would be a monumentous undertaking due to the size and weight of even a single pane of safety glass. Generally, the void between the two panes are under a vacumn, or charged with a gas that helps insulate the door, so if the seal has failed, the insulating properties of the whole door are compromised. I honestly don't know for sure if removing the glass to clean would do any good without also fixing the seal, because the next time there is a major temperature difference, it will develop condensation again.

fastfredracing · 02-16-2015, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vash

I was told your done. Positive note. Installing new windows is easy.

The inert gas inside is gone.
Can you tell who the window company is? Maybe they have a great warranty.

I was told the same thing . Sucks, because these were nice expensive large double pane windows

Dueller · 02-16-2015, 08:40 AM

These are 8" sliding doors (2 four foot panels per side) ....I did help a friend replace a single paned sliding glas door glass panel. Not really that hard. Just wondering about double paned models.

Alas these are 20+ years old so no warranty claim.

Dueller · 02-16-2015, 08:46 AM

If I have to replace them i'd likely bite the bullet and install a complete folding glass wall spanning 16'....now that will be pricey I'm sure...

recycled sixtie · recycled sixtie's Garage

About 5 years ago we replaced our sliding back window/door next to the deck. It lasted about 30 years. Had a leaky seal(was fogged up) so we replaced it with a new one. Expensive but worth it. New one is more solid and safer. We gave no thought to replacing the seal.

Cheers, Guy

look 171 · 02-16-2015, 09:32 AM

No, they are done. Typical dual pane glass gone wrong. Its a known issue with glass mfg., so many of the window or door companies offer life time warranty. Pull apart and replace the glass. Your local glass company should be able to do that for you. Call the mfg and they should be able to get you the exact size needed. Look for mfg. date code or model #. Talk to them about the best glass available. I suggest Low E coating. Some are made much better then others

fintstone · fintstone's Garage

I had this happen to about a dozen large double paned windows in my last house. I called around and found a wide variety of prices. Some just wanted to install new windows, but doing so made my good ones mismatched (and it was expensive). My frames were in very good shape so I got a local glass company to make some more for me for less than $100 each. They were sealed, but I don't think there was any gas in them.

I took the old window glass to them to measure and dispose of and installed the new ones into the windows myself. The glass was thick and with two panes, they were pretty heavy, so you might want delivery for yours if you go this route.

look 171 · 02-16-2015, 09:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dueller

If I have to replace them i'd likely bite the bullet and install a complete folding glass wall spanning 16'....now that will be pricey I'm sure...

NanaWall has a great product that's superior them most I have seen. Check htem out and they even have a screen to keep bug out. Yeah, not cheap.

look 171 · 02-16-2015, 09:35 AM

One more thing, you can specify the thickness of glass (if they will fit). I really like 1/8 or 3/16" thick glass for my clients on new windows. 1/16" feel too thin to me, but it should be ok for most application.

MRM · 02-16-2015, 12:10 PM

If it's cloudy between the panes of glass, the seal has broken. There's no good way to fix it. You really need to pull the old sash/panel out and install a new one.

On a sliding or hinged glass door about half the cost of the product is in the frame. The other half is in the glass door or what I would call the sash or panel. If the frame is still sound replacing the sash is very simple and won't cost much in labor. The manufacturer can sell you a replacement panel and you can probably install it yourself but it will be worth it to hire a professional.

Tearing out the old frame and installing an entirely new unit is a pain (no pun intended) and isn't necessary. It will be a lot more expensive. Just do the sash and it will look like a new door.

Neilk · 02-16-2015, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by look 171

NanaWall has a great product that's superior them most I have seen. Check htem out and they even have a screen to keep bug out. Yeah, not cheap.

So what's the price of one of those installed in a new house vs 2 sets of French doors? let's say 12'? Wife is a talking about that for her, ugh "our", dream home. All I can think about is $.

Mo_Gearhead · 02-16-2015, 01:07 PM

Search for a company called "Glass Guru".

If they have a franchise in your area - caught in time, they can look like new again.

look 171 · 02-16-2015, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neilk

So what's the price of one of those installed in a new house vs 2 sets of French doors? let's say 12'? Wife is a talking about that for her, ugh "our", dream home. All I can think about is $.

over 15K depending what's there now (with 12' header in place)? A continuous 12' header is needed to carry the load instead of two 5-6' openings with support right between them.