Glass Repair Misconceptions for DIY Enthusiasts

Construction & Contractors Blog

A broken glass pane on one of your windows or doors is a danger in waiting. Not only does a broken window pane pose a threat to your family members, but it also makes your home an easy target for burglars. Therefore, repairs are necessary the moment you notice a crack or a chip on one of the glass panes. While you can hire a glass repair service provider, simple repairs are possible with practical DIY guides. Unfortunately, some of the insights are full of misleading misconceptions. In most cases, such misleading DIY glass repair advice will either leave you with more significant damage or worse still — a severe injury. This article highlights myths that you should ignore when looking for DIY information on glass repair.

Using a Towel to Prevent Glass Shattering — One of the directives that most DIY guides offer is that you should wear protective gear such as goggles when removing broken glass. However, most techniques that are proposed by some sources are hazardous to the average DIY enthusiast. One such method is placing a towel over the remains of a broken glass window and hitting it with a hammer to break it into smaller pieces. The towel acts as a shock absorber and prevents the glass from shattering all over the place. However, tiny glass fragments are difficult to remove from the towel, which puts everyone who uses the towel at risk. If you cannot gently knock the broken glass off a window pane, then you need to hire a repair service. 

Using Glass Repair Kits — Most stores stock DIY glass repair kits which any person with a window pane problem can use in the comfort of their home. The tools and instructions in most of these DIY kits are relatively straightforward and will guide you on how to repair chips and cracks on glass windows. Despite this, DIY kits for repairing damaged glass can be challenging to use, especially if you know nothing about glass repairs. In fact, it is common for homeowners to cause further damage to their windows and doors while using DIY kits. Therefore, buy and use glass repair kits only if you are confident about your DIY skills. 

Nail Polish for Chips and Cracks — This is another common piece of advice that most homeowners receive when looking for information on how to repair broken glass on windows or doors. According to this method, you simply dab several layers of clear nail polish to the affected area — whether a chip or crack — until it fills up. It makes the damage invisible. However, while such cosmetic repair might fool the eye, it is not a structural method of repairing damaged glass. Consequently, a cosmetically restored glass chip will slowly develop into a crack which is costly to repair. Therefore, ensure that you only apply structurally sound repair procedures when scouring DIY glass repair guides.

If you've notice damage in one of your home's windows and you aren't sure if you'll be able to repair the damage yourself without injuring yourself or causing further damage, be sure to contact your local glass repair expert for assistance.

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