Single-strength glass, used in picture frames and in aluminum storm windows, weighs 1.18 pounds per square foot. Glass typically used in storefront windows and for desk tops is 1/4-inch thick and weighs 3.28 pounds per square foot.
How do you cut glass?
Actually, you just do a controlled break. The surface of the glass is scratched with a glass cutter (which should be called a glass scratcher) and the glass is snapped to break. It's fairly easy to learn to cut glass up to 1/4" thick.
What about fogged windows?
Symptom: No matter how often you clean, the glass still looks dirty or there is visible moisture between the panes of glass.
Cause: The seal between the two panes of glass has broken allowing moisture to enter. With heating and cooling, the moisture condenses, leaving mineral deposits. The fogging will grow worse over time.
Solution: Because of the labor involved, it is easier and less expensive to replace the glass rather than try to take apart the unit, clean out the moisture, and reseal. TPG Glass' expert installers will take apart the frame and replace it with new glass that has a ten-year manufacturer's material warranty against seal failure or fogging over.
Can I replace window glass myself?
Not recommended on aluminum windows but give it a try on the wood. Here's how:
- Clean out the old glass, putty and old metal points. Get it really clean. Use a metal tape measure and measure the now-clean space. Measure twice. Old saying, "Measure twice cut once." We prefer people who only measure once so we can cut it twice :-). Write down your width and height in inches. Deduct, in a wood window, 1/8" from the width and 1/8" from the height. Normally the dimensions will come out on the even inch.
- Call TPG Glass and we'll cut the lite (window talk for a piece of glass) to the size you give us or just come on in. Normally, we can cut several lites of glass while you wait. We prefer you telephone so it is ready when you arrive.
- Pick up the glass, can of putty (we'll know appropriate can size), putty knife if you need one, and some push points. Push points are little diamond shaped pieces of metal you shove into the wood to hold the glass in place while the putty dries. We'll show you how to do it.
- Put lite of glass in opening; insert push points, and after warming putty in your hand, give it a try. If you have gotten this far, the putty part is fairly simple. "Wipe" (compress & force) the putty into the recess and strike off the extra while keeping your putty knife at a low angle. Just keep doing it until it looks OK.
- You can eliminate all the above steps by calling TPG Glass.
- Our glaziers can cut and install glass fast.
