My name is Tom Lopatosky. I’m the President of LOPCO Contracting (www.LopcoContracting.com) and I’m honored to have the opportunity to talk to you about home improvement on a monthly basis. I love answering your questions! Please send them to tom@LopcoContracting.com or call 401-270-2664. Thanks in advance for taking the time to read this column!
Replacing Cracked Glass on a Vinyl Window
Certain things that we come across in life can lead to a feeling of “our heart dropping into our stomach.” These feelings are usually related to a situation which we intrinsically believe we have no control over.
This could be something super serious, such as harm coming to someone we care about, or it could be much less dramatic and relate to something which may be super annoying, but perhaps, not that serious in the grand scheme of things.
One example in-line with the latter is (for those of us that have them) when we notice a cracked pane of glass in a vinyl window.
Although referring to it as a ‘vinyl’ window, this scenario would be true for clad or other non-“wood” windows, as well, which are not technically ‘vinyl,’ but with regard to this particular item, the same conversation would apply.
If you have vinyl windows and have ever passed by one and noticed a crack in one of their panes of glass, maybe you can relate to this sinking feeling being described.
Maybe that sinking feeling has lasted a while, as you had noticed the cracked pane of glass years ago. and for fear that the only way to fix it was to replace the entire window, the cracked pane has just sat there, staring you in the face every time you walk by and happen to catch a glance of it.
While understandably disconcerting, the reality of things is that you are not in as big of a predicament as you may initially believe.
For, to fix the cracked pane of glass, does NOT require the entire window to be replaced, nor any remedy even close to that.
Whether the pane is a single pane, double pane, fancy pane with magic environmentally-efficient gas squeezed within its innards, etc., the pane itself can be changed out (often at a price which is somewhat palatable).
If the repair is conducted by a company that specializes in glass repair, sometimes the repair can be done right on site.
At most, the window sash component that the pane of glass is located in may have to be removed for a number of hours, the window hole it came out of temporarily blocked off/protected, and then properly reinstalled when the window element was brought back from the windowpane repair place.
Obviously, timing is critical with this type of repair, and if at all possible, it should not be conducted on a day that the weather is not conducive for doing so (think ‘when it is raining’ as an example).
Many times your local hardware store will be able to either make the repair themselves or will know where to direct you, if they do not happen to offer this specific service.
The same can be said for your local glass company.
In the very worst case, if you have a relationship with a contractor you trust, they could also quite conceivably assist you through this process, as well.
Although it can potentially be fairly disheartening when you learn about a cracked glass pane on a vinyl window within your home, all is absolutely not lost, as the repair of this issue is probably a lot easier to have taken care of than many folks realize, when the damaged pane is first found.
About Tom Lopatosky
Tom Lopatosky has run his own RI-based painting and repair business since 1995; LOPCO Contracting – the “Personable, Particular Professionals” – specializes in exterior & interior painting and carpentry. Recently LOPCO Contracting was named ‘RI’s Finest Painting Contracting Company’ by ShopInRI Magazine. In 2013, Tom was named “Humanitarian of the Year” by the Painting and Decorating Contractors of America (PDCA) and a “40 Under 40” award winner by Providence Business News. He is a member of both the PCA (Painting Contractors Association) and RIBA (Rhode Island Builders Association). Tom has often had weekly ‘Home Improvement Tips’ that have aired on the radio on 630 WPRO AM and on television on WPRI 12. You can catch Tom LIVE on the radio EVERY Saturday, 2pm-3pm, on 630 WPRO AM (99.7 FM) during his weekly PROTalk Home Improvement Radio Show! Tom has also written a book ‘The Care And Maintenance Of A New England Home’ (available on Amazon or through Barnes & Noble), detailing what he believes every New England Homeowner should be acutely aware of while owning a home in the region.
