Foggy Glass in New Patio Door!

KateB_2

Please can anybody give me some advice? I've just had a new patio door fitted and was really pleased.... until the sun started to shine on it. As soon as the glass in in direct sunshine it becomes slightly foggy (as though it needs cleaning). The fitter said that it is because of the K Glass and it is a government requirement to fit it. It is a bit of a shocker, especially as it is west facing. Is he telling the truth? My Mother is bound to make comments about my dirty window! Please help! Thank you.......

maninthestreet

The fogginess is condensation - where is it? On the outside of the window, or
in the gap between the two panes of glass (sssuming this is double glazing). If it's the former, you can ignore it, but if it's the latter, then it sounds like the seals in the unit are defective. In a DG unit, K glass is a low emissivity coating on the surface of the inner pane of glass facing into the sealed unit (surface 3 counting from the outside). It simply reflects heat back into the room, rather than let it escape to the outside. It cannot cause fogginess in the sealed unit itself, which is caused by the presence of moisture.

Rex_Mundi

You can see the difference between a normal clear unit and a unit with K in, but I wouldn't say K had a foggy look.

Without being able to see this problem, it is very difficult to comment on. It may well just be the difference you're noticing, but it could also very easily be a simple case of the glass not being cleaned properly before being sealed into a unit.

Poppycat

I get this problem on our bay window which we inherited. Its not condensation I tried to clean the windows to remove it but its inside the pane. Its only noticeable if its a bright day and sun shinning inside

KateB_2

Thanks for your replies - it isn't condensation - it looks like the windows need cleaning (my first reaction when I saw it was to try to clean the glass, then I realised that it was in fact internal). When the window is in shade then it is perfectly clear but once the sun hits it it really does look like it needs cleaning. The fitter made it sound like he hears complaints like this on a regular basis but I find it really odd that it doesn't seem to be common knowledge when people talk about buying new windows.

I don't know what to do next - I'm sure that if I ask the company to come back they will again tell me that it is the glass and there is nothing they can do. Any suggestions please? Is it worth contacting Pilkington directly?

greenface

pilks wont really be any help are both panes the same. ? sounds to me without loking that it hasnt been cleaned properly and it should be clean and smear/grease free then cleaned properly then sealed. doesnt sound like a failed unit but if your not happy call them back and see what can be done. a new standard size toughned unit for a patio would cost them about £150 tops and less than a hours work to replace

KateB_2

greenface wrote: »

pilks wont really be any help are both panes the same. ? sounds to me without loking that it hasnt been cleaned properly and it should be clean and smear/grease free then cleaned properly then sealed. doesnt sound like a failed unit but if your not happy call them back and see what can be done. a new standard size toughned unit for a patio would cost them about £150 tops and less than a hours work to replace

Both panes are the same. Somebody is coming to look at it next Wednesday (there is also a scratch in one of the panes) but I'm sure I will be fobbed off. I'll let you know. Thanks for all of your help guys.

ih8stress

I have exactly the same problem in a new window. It was fine until the sun shone really brightly on it, then looked as though it was smeared, needed cleaning.

After trying warm, soapy water, then Windolene, then Sugar Soap I finally got the firm to replace the glass.

Guess what, the replacement is just the same! What do I do now? Did anyone find out the cause?

I would appreciate any help, please

aliasojo

Having had issues with double glazing myself, I contacted Pilkington who tell me it IS possible in some cases to see the coating.

It is more apparent depending on which glass face it is on. (The usual face is surface 3 but it can also be on surface 2.) I had a link about this at one time, I'll see if I still have it.

Edit: Just checked and I dont have the commnunication from Pilkington anymore which confirmed the coating can be seen and also it can be worse on some windows than others. Found the paragraph below though.




2. Why have I got a haze/milky appearance on my windows?



Haze is an optical phenomenon which makes the glass look like it is covered in a very fine, uniform, layer of dust when viewed from an oblique angle or viewed under strong light incident on the glass at an oblique angle.
Pilkington K Glass™ can, under certain lighting conditions, display this phenomenon to a limited extent.
The reason for this is that the Pilkington K Glass™ coating is not as smooth as the glass surface. While this is not obvious to the eye when examining the glass, some people who regularly handle Pilkington K Glass™ can tell which side the coating is on by the feel of it.
The optical effect of the slightly rougher surface is to scatter a small proportion of the light incident on it (in exactly the same way as a thin layer of dust would, which is why it looks similar). With Pilkington K Glass™, the amount of scattered light is generally less than half of one percent of the light coming through the window, so under most viewing conditions it is not obvious. However, when incident sunlight is at an oblique angle and the view through the glass is of a shaded area, then the scattered light can become more visible, giving rise to the appearance of haze.
Most coated glasses are susceptible to the phenomenon of haze, to a greater or lesser extent. The amount of haze on Pilkington K Glass™ is limited as far as practicable, and is generally better controlled than on its direct competitors in the field of low emissivity coatings.

ih8stress

So do I just have to live with it, or keep trying to get replacements fitted until I get a 'good' one?

aliasojo

That's your call, I'm afraid. Although I cant see your window company being willing to continually replace for this reason tbh.