Total cost: $112 ($85 for the IGU, $27 for tools/sealant she didn’t already own). Time: 3 hours spread over two days (one to remove, one to install). A professional would have charged $450.
When Sarah bumped her ladder into the living room window while hanging holiday lights, she heard a sickening crack . A spiderweb of lines spread across the outer pane. The window wasn't leaking air yet , but she knew that argon gas between the panes was probably gone. Come winter, that crack would turn into a frosty, drafty mess. how to replace a double pane window glass
With the beads off, the IGU fell inward. She caught it just in time. Underneath, she found old, rock-hard glazing putty and tiny plastic shims. Using a heat gun (on low!) and a chisel, she scraped the frame clean. “This is the worst part,” she muttered, picking dried putty out of her hair. Total cost: $112 ($85 for the IGU, $27
She brought the broken IGU to the glass shop. The tech measured it with a caliper. “This is 5/8 inch thick,” he said. “The measurement you wrote down was 3/4 inch. It wouldn’t have fit.” Sarah gulped. He cut a new unit to the exact thickness and size in 20 minutes. Lesson learned: Let the pros measure or confirm your numbers. When Sarah bumped her ladder into the living
Sarah considered calling a pro—$400 minimum. Instead, she decided to try fixing it herself. Here’s what she learned through trial, error, and a few choice words.
