How to Remove Moisture from Double Pane Windows
Ask Danny, Doors and Windows by Danny Lipford
Danny,
My house is 35 years old and the double pane windows are original. A few of them have begun to lose their seal and are taking on an almost opaque look. I’ve heard that I can have a professional put air in and reseal these windows? Any credence to that? Thank you, Kristen
Hi Kristen,
As double pane windows age, moisture can breach the seal and condense between the layers of glass. A company called Crystal Clear Window Works can remove this trapped moisture by drilling a small hole in the glass. After the moisture has been removed and the glass cleaned, a tiny one-way valve is installed in the hole to prevent it from reoccurring. The service is performed at your home with the window in place and costs significantly less than replacing the glass.
You can see how the process works in the (629) World of Windows episode of Today’s Homeowner with Danny Lipford®
Crystal Clear Window Works has dealers in many areas of the U.S. and Canada. They offer free estimates and provide a 20-year warrenty with their service. Check their website to find a dealer near you or call 1-800-436-4688 for additional information.
20 Comments on “How to Remove Moisture from Double Pane Windows”
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January 19th, 2008 at 10:52
Do you have any recommendations for the removal and refinishing of moisture stained wood on the inside of a Kolbe double pane aluminum clad casement window ? The moisture is from condensation from cold weather .It has turned the wood black over about a 3 inch long area in the corners of the window .
July 5th, 2008 at 08:21
Hi Danny,
Our house is 5 years old and we are having a problem with a window in our bedroom. I dont know what brand of window it is, but it’e the kind that the bottom opens in so that you can clean it and the top part will lower. Something is wrong with the tracking in the bottom part of the window. It’s very hard to raise and there is a scraping noise. I cant seem to find one that looks like it. Can you help or have any suggestions as to what might be wrong? Thanks!
October 19th, 2008 at 17:44
Danny,
The birds in our neighborhood have been hitting our double paned windows and it appears they have been damaged. There may be condensation in between the panels, there is an area that has a yellow tinge to it.
What do you recommend we do about this?
Thank you for your help.
January 13th, 2009 at 12:49
Dear Danny: We have an all brick home, built in 1956. It has double pane windows in it, and they sweat terribly in the winter when it reached aroung the freezing mark. Condensation forms on them, these are the wooden frame variety. Any suggestions for the cure, they have no cloudiness, or opaque signs, cannot feel any air around windows, some are even caulked shut to the frames, as these are never opened, Thank You, F.W.
January 13th, 2009 at 12:50
Dear Danny: We have an all brick home, built in 1956. It has double pane windows in it, and they sweat terribly in the winter when it reached around the freezing mark. Condensation forms on them, these are the wooden frame variety. Any suggestions for the cure, they have no cloudiness, or opaque signs, cannot feel any air around windows, some are even caulked shut to the frames, as these are never opened, Thank You, F.W.
Ben Erickson Says:January 14th, 2009 at 09:48
F.W.,
It could be a problem of excess humidity inside your home. For some possible solutions, check out our article on Cure Sweating Windows.
March 8th, 2009 at 17:49
DEAR DANNY
WE BUILT IN 2004 AND I ALWAYS WANTED AS MANY FRENCH DOOR AS I COULD GET, BUT WE NOTICED THAT THEY ARE ALWAYS WET, DURING THE COLD NEW ENGLAND WINTERS. WHAT CAN WE DO? AND DOES COST MATTER,ON A BUDGET WHEN BUILDING.
Ben Erickson Says:March 9th, 2009 at 07:39
Angela,
It’s probably due to condensation from the extreme difference between the inside and outside temperatures in New England. I assume your French doors have insulated glass. If not, adding another layer of glass (use tempered glass for doors) mounted in a frame and attached to the door may help, as would reducing the humidity inside your home. See our article on how to Cure Sweating Windows for more information and ideas.
June 18th, 2009 at 14:25
Dear Danny,
I just replaced my old moistured double pane windows to new ones. However, I see these faint stripes from the sides.
Is that normal? Other double pane windows are nothing like that. What should I do? The glasses are 102 x 68 and they’re pretty big. The cost was pretty expensive too. I don’t like to have moisture again in the near future. What shoud I do?
July 24th, 2009 at 00:53
# Stephanie Bell Says:
July 15th, 2009 at 9:45 pm
Dear Danny,
My question is this. I live in California and I made the remark at work the other day about putting the thin heat reflective sheeting on my double paned windows. One of the guys told me not to do it because it could blow out the seals from the build up of heat. Is this possible? I’m trying to lower my bills and keep it cooler. Can I go ahead with the job or am I looking for trouble down the road!
Ben Erickson Says:August 4th, 2009 at 10:45
Stephanie,
The answer to your question for Danny about window film can be found here Installing Window Film on Insulated Glass
August 4th, 2009 at 12:57
Danny,
Thanks for the information on the Crystal Clear Window company. I looked on their website and they have no New Jersey or Delaware (we are close) locations. Is there some other way to have this process done? We have 15 very large passive solar windows that are cloudy. Help!! Thanks.
Ben Erickson Says:August 5th, 2009 at 07:55
Hi Trish,
You might try contacting the company directly at 1-800-436-4680 and see if they have any suggestions. At one time they planned to put out a do-it-yourself defogging kit, but I haven’t heard any more about it.
Good luck with your project.
September 8th, 2009 at 11:27
We have just installed (2 weeks ago)the low E double pane argon gas windows and have noticed some windows fog up. To further explain, we have 2 sets of windows on the same side and 3 of the 4 panes fog up with one remaining clear. Is this common or should we be concerned there is a leak of gas from the ones that have fogged up? The moisture is on the outside and we don’t keep our AC extermely cold 78 is our temp. We do live in Houston and deal with humidity but our single pane windows didn’t fog up. Comments? Thanks!!!
September 8th, 2009 at 12:03
I just fixed 12 windows in my home by myself using a kit from Defogkits.com
It was a breeze and fairly inexpensive at ~$100.
Better than paying $1000+ to have someone else do it.
Ben Erickson Says:September 9th, 2009 at 09:14
Hi Sam,
If the condensation is on the outside of the glass (rather than between the panes), the problem isn’t with a ruptured seal; or, if it is, the condensation just hasn’t had time to show up between the panes yet. I find it surprising that they fog up on the outside since the old single pane glass windows didn’t, as the better insulating qualities on the new windows and argon gas should keep that from happening. It’s even odder that one of them doesn’t. I would be concerned and check with the manufacturer and/or installer to see what the problem might be. Let us know what you find out.
September 26th, 2009 at 10:14
Reply to Sam Hext’s question.
We too purchased and had installed two new Jeld Wen LOW E Argon double pane windows and they are installed perfectly. The first night there was condensation on the right half of the windows,,( not the opening side). We have contacted Home Depot and they are supposed to send out a Jeld Wen rep to get in touch with us. Hopefully we will have an answer soon
September 30th, 2009 at 20:48
Jeld Wen called today
We should have a visit from a Rep this coming week
ON the phone they said ” interesting” LOL!
So We will keep you posted
G&A
October 2nd, 2009 at 00:12
We spoke to the Jeld Wen Rep today Thursday October 1/09
They say” that when condensation forms on the outside of your window only,,,and not on the movable part of the slider then its working properly.
They say Dew point and temperature has a ton to do with it.
The warm air inside is not escaping out anymore and thats why the window condensates when the Dew point is higher than the inside temp.
Believe it or not “LOL
So thats the story from them
January 31st, 2010 at 17:09
Danny,
My mom has a terrible moisture problem with her double paned windows. It seems that only the metal frame sweats, but it is so bad that water puddles in the window. It seems to be getting worse, and doesn’t appear to be any different with temperature change in the house, or the degree of humidity. Any suggestions? Please advise! Thanks, Renae