A few months ago, I realized that I really needed to update our windows and a few other glass fixtures around the house. I started searching for a great glass shop in the area, and I was able to find a place that I felt really good about. I worked with them to replace our mirrors, our glass shower enclosures, and our windows. When we were finished, our house looked and felt brand new on the inside and the outside. I was really impressed with how much of a difference those changes made. This blog is all about installing better glass in your home.
If you have a small crack in a window or other sheet of glass, you may be interested in repairing the crack instead of buying an expensive new sheet of glass. Here are some techniques that you can try as a first stop for repairing your glass.
Clear Away Shards
The first thing to do is to completely clear away glass shards from the sealing area. This is to protect you, but also so that you can get a good seal with the glass pieces. Use a cloth to wipe away small pieces of glass, but be sure to press gently so that the shards don't scratch your glass surface.
Position the Glass
Before you apply the sealant, you'll need to get the glass into a position where it will be stable for several hours while the adhesive dries and hardens. You may be able to clamp the glass to a workbench or table; make sure that the clamping points are as far from the seam as possible so that you don't fracture the glass further.
It probably won't be a perfect fit if some shards of glass have broken off near the crack. You'll need to evaluate the grip that the glass pieces have on each other; you may have to slide the glass around to find where the grooves of broken glass lock in place the most.
Apply an Adhesive
Once you have the glass pieces in place, the next step is to apply a sealant that's made specifically for glass. There are a few varieties of epoxy and acrylic adhesives that harden to form a surface that resembles clear glass. With small slivers, you may find that you don't even notice the crack after sealing it with an epoxy.
If This Doesn't Work...
Have you gone through the steps of fixing a piece of glass yourself, and aren't happy with the results? If the glass is very expensive to replace, then you could try calling a professional glass repair company to do a professional sealing job. This may produce better results, since a repair company can use specialized equipment to fix the glass, such as tools to equalize the pressure on the glass and align the pieces perfectly together. In some cases, you may need to replace the glass completely; a glass repair company will help you find the best options for glass replacement that match the thickness, cut, and tint of your original glass.
Share10 August 2015
