There is a way to save your icky windows! This question: Drippy Window Fog Soltion? garnered a lot of interest since last June, but just today we recieved a comment that seems to offer a very interesting solution; drill a hole and wash the window from the inside and suck out the moisture!
Luke Jones from Luke Jones Window Cleaning in Southampton, England writes in:
"Why do multiple-pane windows fog?
What happens is that windows get stress, sometimes from bad insulation. The result is that air particles inside get dislodged and as no window is 100% sealed, a small amount of moisture gets in each day and would normlly be no issue, but now it is getting held in by the disloged air particles.
Yes, sometimes the shower, cooking or potplants can cause fog, but if you windows lack stress and have the right RV value, this won't happen.
What's the solution?
To restore the RV value. For a fraction of the cost of a new window, the solution is that you get a window cleaner with defogger equipment to remove the moisture. A very small hole is drilled in the corner of the window, the moisture extracted, the window washed inside, and the window is as good as new."
(Thanks, Luke!)
Copyright © 2008 Apartment Therapy
Great! I have this problem. Anyone know a window cleaner in Brooklyn who does this?
Great idea, BUT -- what exactly constitutes "defogger equipment", and where do we get it???
Fantastic ... your window has failed and now you drill a hole in the glass voiding any waranty you may have. Brilliant.
If you believe this one ... i have a bridge for you.
This doesn't seem to make any sense. Even of you succeed in defogging the window temporarily, moisture will still acculumate and condense in there, and the insulating property of the window will be gone.
Well, when you drill the hole in the window you create an escape for the moisture... what you also do is essentially turn an insulated window into a standard piece of glass...
Though I suppose if you did drill the hole and "remove the moisture" you could seal the hole with a dab of clear silicone caulk.
Now...good luck removing the moisture...ha
WTF are "dislodged air particles"??? This is the stupidest thing I have ever read on apartment therapy.
What's with all the vitriol lately in AT???
Ease up. Take a breathe. Smile.
I owned a cooperative apartment, and nearly all of the windows in the building had this problem.
What I was told by the managing agent, is that the plexiglass in this type of window needs to be changed every 7-10 years. In my building, it was paid for by the coop. The seal slowly degrades, and the only way to fix it is to replace the plexiglass.
If you are a renter, it might be worth changing yourself, depending on how much it annoys you. I can't recall exactly how much it cost, but the place I used was called Philip Glass (not joking) in the Bronx. 1624 White Plains Rd Bronx, NY 10462
(718) 584-3006
After I fixed it, I wished that I had done it years and years before. It was like an entirely new space, and worth every penny.
Maybe you could remove the moisture by putting a little silica gel into the window? It's sometimes used by museums to control the RH in sealed artworks when they're sent out on loan.
They drill a hole in the window, and cover it with a valve. That way the window retains SOME of it's r-value, but not what it once was. Of course the only reason moisture got in there in the first place was through some crack in the seal, so a valve wouldn't be that bad. Even though it's not as effective as replacing your windows it is quite a bit cheaper.
Sometimes sealed windows are already filled with silica gel to compensate for this moisture already. But once they are all filled up, your window fogs up again.
Anyone know how they wash the inside of your window through the hole that they drill??
I'm not a hater, but Julie's right, the "dislodged air particles" explanation doesn't make any sense.
Does anyone know of a good place to buy new windows (the guillotine type) in Manhattan? Is it hard to install them yourself (and not have the landlord notice)?
Hi there,
It's Luke Jones here again, to explain my above posting!! Oh, I now have a website :)
Ok, some of you think I am lying, and some of you want to know where you can get this service in the USA.
Well, then check this website ladies and gentlemen - they can do the job for you:
http://www.ccwwi.com/Technology.html
Thanks,
Have a good day
Luke Jones
www.lukejones.eu.tf | UK 07921480458