DIY Network

Hi Folks,

I'm stumped. Apparently the gardners mower threw a rock and cracked the outside pane of one of our thermopane windows. The problem (or fun) is the pane in question is fixed, not the slider one, and I have no idea how to remove it without resorting to "physical measures". The window unit consists of two side by side five foot high panes each in aluminum flashing. The moveable pane slides in a channel with rollers on the bottom much like a sliding glass door. There's a center aluminum post top to bottom between the two and the fixed one is also in what appears to be in another offset channel. From what I can tell from another window this fixed guy has a wiggle room, so doesn't seem to be glued to either the channel or center post. The border of the entire frame has vinyl flashing which doesn't appear to be removeable (also not without force). I've seached all over for set screws or the like on the center post or along the channel allowing me to remove the post and slide it out sideways or loosen the channel and have it fall out forward. Here in sunny Cal. I'm not so worried about the heat loss as I am broken glass. Anybody got ideas how I can do this without employing a crowbar or sledge? (The wife unit just LOVEs it when pull out these nuc 'em tools. Crude but they work! She says: "Why don't you just call a repair man?" then it becomes his problem and I can watch TV.) Anyway, Thanks.

Repairing thermopane windows is really not a diy project. Unless you get it perfect and moisture free, you will get fogging between the panes, clouding, etc. Also, you will probably lose most of the thermal barrier.

Hi MrBumpy,

Once a thermopane is broken you need to take that unit unit to a dealer to have the glass replaced by a professional. It may even be a special order depending on the size of glass needed for the frame. As joecercone has suggested it's not a DIY project. Basically the whole glass unit which includes the metal frame must be removed and replaced with a new unit as each is a sealed unit which often has inert gases injected between the panes and all moisture removed to prevent fogging of the glass making it a completely sealed unit.

Contact a dealer of the windows and have them deal with the issue as it may need to be ordered.

Good luck!

Sorry, I must'a rambled too much.

The glass is toast. Its next home is Landfill City. I'm asking around is if anyone knows how to pull the broke one out to replace it. There's got'a be some easy way to pop this glass out without tearing into the frame. I figured somebody in DIY'land has a kid in Little League and a wild throwin' arm already figured out how to do this.

Thanks Joe. Michigan? Brrr! Go Wolverines!

As people have said, it really is not a DIY project. Look in your yellow pages under 'glass', call someone to come out. They will measure what is needed, and then they will have to make one up, or order it. Then they will come out and install the new piece. You will get a guarantee that way.
Ask on the phone what their guarantee is. If you install a piece and a year from now, that seal opens up, they will blame your installation as the cause. Let them handle it, then they are responsible for it. And it's not nearly as costly as you might think. They can give you a ballpark figure on the phone.

a glazing refit is maybe half the cost of a new window of the same character.

there is a geek in England who decided to use silicone and drill a little hole in a bad multipane panel, then use an aquarium pump to pull the air out. that's not going to fix the seal along the spacer between panes.

and it's not going to last, either.

and it's going to be fairly obvious a "fix."

that's all the DIY you can do, and it's not sufficient. the commercial window units are backfilled with dry air, most commonly argon gas.

If it's thermopane set in a wooden sash, then you must get a new complete unit - both sash and glass. The frame of the window (the jamb) will stay in place but the wood immediately around the glass (usually about 1-1/2" to 2" wide) will be attached to the jamb with some small molding. Look for some small trim about 1/2" by 1/2" that borders the sash. Pry this trim out and you can remove the sash and glass.