Few things are more frustrating than coming home and finding one of your windows cracked or shattered. Hiring someone to replace the window is easy enough, but costly, and that won’t tell you what the problem is, nor does it help you prevent it from happening again. Don’t let yourself fall victim to the cycle of window pains. To save you time and money, let’s look at the most common causes of window glass damage.
Temperature Changes and Weather Events
While window glass and glass dishware are vastly different, they’re affected by temperature very similarly. Say you were to put a cold glass in hot water. The temperature change causes massive internal tension, which causes the glass to break. Similarly, cracks can form on windows if you turn up the heat on a cold day or the outside temperature falls rapidly. Also, storms, hurricanes, hail, blizzards, and more can all send debris flying into your window, and you may not be around to see or hear it happen. Hiring a local window service that is aware of your area’s typical weather conditions can help.
Natural Wear and Tear
Natural wear and tear from time, usage, and exposure is one of the most common causes of window glass damage. Your window will take a beating here and there, and the continuous opening and closing of windows are bound to cause some wear and tear. These things are natural, and windows can withstand these things for the most part, but only for so long. This is especially true if your home is older and you haven’t changed the window panes in some time. Living in an area prone to humidity or sudden temperature changes can speed up the process, causing your windows to age faster.
Physical Impacts
Someone throwing a ball through a window or a tire throwing a rouge pebble across the street seems like a freak accident, but it does happen. It’s also common for birds to fly into windows or for lawnmowers to run over an unseen rock, launching it right at a window pane. Essentially, windows are more prone to cracking from sudden and intense force, even if it’s from shutting your window too quickly. Impact cracks typically resemble spider webs, with one larger center crack and smaller cracks shooting off from that center.
Poor Installation
While all of these factors can cause cracks, poor installation can exacerbate the issue, and what would’ve been a minor scratch could turn into a large crack. How can you tell if your window wasn’t installed properly? Look for messy caulking, drafts, cracking, or squeaking noises. You can also check your windows for unseen damages like stability issues by identifying structural weaknesses. If you notice fog between the glass panes of your window, there’s some underlying damage, either from poor installation or cheap materials. Whatever the case, the best solution is to hire a trusted professional to ensure the project goes smoothly from the beginning.
