Accidents happen
Most broken windows are not the window's fault. A ball through the lounge window, a stone thrown up by the lawnmower, a door caught by the wind, a break-in. Glass replacement is how these are put right: the broken pane comes out and a new one goes into the same frame.
It is worth being plain about one thing. Impact damage is exactly what this service fixes, and it is not covered by any guarantee on previous work, ours or anyone else's. A workmanship guarantee covers how a job was done; it cannot cover a cricket ball.
Every kind of frame
The glass is held in differently depending on the frame, and that decides how the pane comes out.
- Aluminium windows and doors use beads or rubber gaskets, which are removed to release the pane.
- Sliding and folding doors have the panel taken out so the glass can be replaced on a flat, steady surface.
- Shopfronts use larger, heavier panes, which need more hands and careful handling.
- Wooden and steel windows usually hold the glass with putty.
Putty glazing
In wooden and older steel windows the pane sits in a rebate and is sealed with putty, a bead of glazing compound pressed in and smoothed to an angle. When we reglaze these, the old putty is cut out, the rebate is cleaned, the new pane is bedded and pinned, and fresh putty is applied. Putty needs time to skin over before it is painted, and the paint is what seals it against the weather for years.
Which glass?
- 4mm float glass is standard clear glass. It suits ordinary windows away from doors and floors.
- 6.38mm laminated shatterproof safety glass is two sheets bonded to a PVB interlayer. When it breaks, it cracks in place instead of falling out, so the opening stays closed and the pieces stay put. It is the right choice for doors, low windows, shopfronts and anywhere people might fall against the glass, and it makes a break-in slower and noisier.
Our guide to laminated safety glass and PVB explains how the interlayer works and what it does for safety and security.
If it happens after hours
A broken pane at night, especially in a shopfront or a ground-floor door, should not be left open. We provide 24/7 emergency board-up to make the opening safe, and the glass is replaced afterwards.
Before we arrive
Tape across cracks on both sides, keep people and pets away from the broken pane, and leave glass that is still in the frame where it is. Photograph the damage and send the photos with rough sizes, so the right glass comes with us.
Repair or replace?
Replacing the glass is the repair. The frame only needs attention if the impact bent it, broke the beads or forced the lock, and we point that out when we see it. If the frame turns out to be past saving, see home window repairs for when a whole new window makes more sense.