How to repair misting or fogging inside double glazed window glass?

[elmst200]

A window (double glazed) of my house shows a significant amount of misting or fogging inside double glazed window glass. This problem has been there for some time, it gets worse only recently. I suspect the sealing between the two sheet of window glass is lost so that moisture builds up inbetween.

Are there any ways to repair this? If so, how much would the repair cost? If it is not repairable, is it easy to replace the glass only or to replace the whole piece of window?

Thanks.

[jed]

The seal between the two panes has broken allowing moisture in between them. Only way to fix is to replace the sealed unit or the window. Depending upon the window, you may be able to just go the unit (glass).

[CSK'sMom]

From our research at the time after buying a house with seals going in windows... You're better off to replace the whole window. You'll get the energy savings of a new window as well as a warranty. The places that "fix" broken seals just fix the seal and don't replace the gas. From watching the house next to us that had seals fixed, the seals go again in a year or 2 as well. They paid $100 per pane (or $200 per window), we didn't pay much more than that for new windows with a lifetime warranty.

[stealth]

From our research at the time after buying a house with seals going in windows... You're better off to replace the whole window. You'll get the energy savings of a new window as well as a warranty. The places that "fix" broken seals just fix the seal and don't replace the gas. From watching the house next to us that had seals fixed, the seals go again in a year or 2 as well. They paid $100 per pane (or $200 per window), we didn't pay much more than that for new windows with a lifetime warranty.

Good info on the lack of durability of those seal repair guys. I always wondered about them.

In fairness, you got an exceptionally good deal on windows, from my experience, a more typical cost is about $400-500 installed. But as you point out, if $100 for seals that only last a year or 2, one would still be better off with new windows if you can afford them.

This was an interesting post for me, as we looked at a house last week as an investment property. Lakefront, modern style with a wall of industrial style glass sheets across the side of the house facing the water. But many of the massive sheets of glass (say 4'x8') had moisture in them, and we wondered what it would cost to fix. Sounds like a big undertaking.

[l69norm]

The companies I saw ads for don't actually reseal the window. They drill access holes into the glass pane, clean out the moisture/residue, then install vents/ reliefs. The vents are suppose to allow the window to breath, stopping moisture build up.

[mcmanus]

The companies I saw ads for don't actually reseal the window. They drill access holes into the glass pane, clean out the moisture/residue, then install vents/ reliefs. The vents are suppose to allow the window to breath, stopping moisture build up.

Really??? Doesn't that defeat the entire purpose of a double pain window???

When a seal is broken then the gas between the 2 pains escapes which impacts the efficiency of the window.

[CSK'sMom]

Yes Norm, the places that do the vents are the companies that tend to advertise on utility poles around here. Again, a window that is clear to look out of but absolutely no energy savings features at all.

Stealth, yes we got a great deal on our windows, top of the line for contractor grade price (over 40% off). All in we paid $2500 and change for 9 windows. Resealing would have been $1800. For those windows you could probably phone a few glass places and see what they'd charge to replace them as they aren't an operating window. Going straight to the source may be well worth it price wise.

[jed]

I'm speaking to my own experience where all I had to do to change the sealed unit was pull out the stops, slip in the new glass and put the stops back in. For me, was alot cheaper than replacing an almost new window.