Dilemma 101: To Defog or Replace Window Glass?

Are your windows fogging up and nothing you do can remove the smokiness? There are several reasons why windows in homes fog up, including poor room heating, insufficient ventilation, problems with thermal insulation, and excess moisture in the atmosphere. All you need is one of these to happen – and you have fogged-up windows.When you start to see droplets on your window pane, you have condensation. The presence condensation is a sign that the humidity in your house is too high. If you leave the condensation alone, you might end up with a mildew problem and eventually rotting wood. You will also notice a higher heating bill since your heater will have to work overtime to deal with the extra moisture inside the room.If there is nothing wrong with the window, the condensation and dew will dry up when the temperature normalizes on both sides of the glass – or when it gets hotter outside. However, if the fogging does not improve, you could have seal failure or moisture buildup. If you look at the window closely, you will notice that the condensation is between the glass panes. The most common solution is to have a Castle Impact Windows team come and replace the glass unit and the seal. Usually when you replace the glass unit, the seal failure will cease to be a problem. Seal failure usually happens through wear and tear and is only fixed when the glass unit is replaced.An even better solution would be to replace the window system. This way you are sure that you get to enjoy high energy efficiency and solve the fogging problem once and for all. The replacement window will cost more initially but it is a fixed and permanent solution. In short, you should never have a problem with the window for many years.What about Defogging?Defogging is a window treatment process that removes the water between the glass panes by drilling tiny holes on the outside pane and allowing the space to dry properly before closing up the access points. The entire process can take up to two months depending on the amount of moisture inside. And even if not much moisture is found, it is still a two-step process and will take time to finish. In addition, while initially your window will be nice and dry, it generally takes several weeks or months before the result is permanent and your window is considered defogged.With defogging, the argon gas is not replaced and the R-Value will not improve and can be measured at 4.2 for dual pane and around 5.6 for triple pane. Furthermore, defogging is a relatively new process and has its share of issues, including the chance that fogging can still occur from another break in another part of the window. Also, there continue to be hotly contested debates on the efficiency of the defogging process since it has a 50/50 chance of not working.If you decide to defog your window and take the chance, make sure you get it done by a professional who can offer a money-back guarantee, although, if you are highly concerned with thermal temperature, the best advice would be to replace the window.