Davie Garage Door Repair
You just installed your new garage door and you decided to go with one that had windows. The style matches your home, it lets the sunlight in, and everything is right with the world. The next morning you go leave the garage only to find some of the windows are cracked! Nothing seems to have hit them since they’re brand new and freshly installed, so what happened?
The Reason Why Windows Crack
You’ll want to give our garage door service in Davie a call to come fix the problem, but knowing the cause of why your windows are cracking is usually a good idea. Cracking windows are actually quite common and can happen for a variety of reasons. The scientific reason behind the crack has to do with thermal stress. Referred to as ‘stress cracks’, this phenomenon occurs in windows that have been exposed to a thermal gradient that causes different areas of the glass to expand in different amounts.
Glass can handle some expansion, but not a lot. The stress of the expansion may ruin the integrity of the glass to the point a crack begins to form and eventually causes it to become visible or to even break. This can be observed when pouring water into a glass cup and leaving it in the freezer overnight. Water expands when it’s cold and overcomes the strength of the glass, causing it to crack and break. Glass can also crack if the temperature is changed to rapidly, like pouring ice cold water into a hot glass fresh out of the washer.
How Do You Approach the Problem?
Our garage door repair company in Davie has dealt with many issues concerning cracked windows, but if there’s a chance of the problem occurring again something else has to give. The last thing you want is your windows to be cracking constantly right after they’ve been installed or gradually over time.
The best way to approach the problem is to understand the cause of the stress cracks and how to fix the issue on the outside. Most cracks occur in large windows that are located underneath an overhang or are cast partially into shade. The shade creates an environment where one side of the glass is constantly cool while the other side exposed to the sun is continually heated. This creates stress since the glass is expanding in heat, but is shrinking in the cold. This extra stress causes the glass to become stressed and the cracks may appear over time due to long exposure.
What are Common Factors for Stress Cracks?
The architectural design of the home can be a contributor to stress cracks in your windows. Many building materials expand and shrink in weather and this can cause the glass to crack if it wasn’t installed correctly.
The main factor is actually the weather though, since during certain times of the year it tends to fluctuate rapidly. Many stress cracks often happen during the spring and fall seasons since it’s hot during the day, but the temperature cools at night. This rapid heating and cooling puts added stress on the glass and usually causes it to begin cracking.
Can you Identify Stress Cracks Early On?
The best way to avoid thermal cracks is to catch them early on and to adjust the area around the windows if possible to prevent an environment that would cause the glass to expand or shrink rapidly. The cracks usually start perpendicular to the edge of the glass. They’re easy to identify and are roughly half-inch away from the edge of the glass.
Once these small cracks appear though they can usually begin to spider in just about any direction. Windows that have trim or cladding along them may obscure any cracks along the edge.
Fixing thermal cracks in windows is generally a problem left up to the professionals, but there are steps you can take to prevent them. Avoid installing your glass in areas where one half is in shade and the other in the sun. There’s not much you can do in concerns to weather factors, but installing thick and stronger replacement panes is a good way to combat the elements. Thicker glass can handle the stress of the weather better and prevent cracks from occurring.
Our Davie garage door repair contractor is always ready to help anyway possible. Give us a call if you ever need a garage door repair done by experts you can trust.
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