I am about to try to rebuild a double glazing unit. I read from other
threads that there is a method to demist them using a small drilled
hole. However some of the my ones needing repair are now marked inside
and need cleaning. I want to try slicing one pane off, cleaning the
glass sheets, warming the separator strip to dry the silica gel then
reglueing. Question is what glue to use. First thought is two-part
resin. This should be water-proof and fill any small gaps. Are vapours
given off during the curing process? Is it much and would they be likely
to fog the cavity?

I'd welcome any suggestions for adhesives. I am going to try one unit to
see if it's possible. If anyone's interested I'll report back though
obviously misting might take some time. If it proves not to be any good
I'll just have to buy new units.

I'm coming to the conclusion that DG is a con. It never pays for itself
as the lifetime of the units is about half the pay-back time. OK an
uncertain calculation with likely fuel price rises, I agree, but still
sound enough. Unless you have huge windows the percentage saving is very
small. Much better to put the money into micro generation or solar water
heating assuming that you've already done the sensible stuff like loft
and wall insulation.

Peter Scott

In article ,
Peter Scott writes:
I am about to try to rebuild a double glazing unit. I read from other
threads that there is a method to demist them using a small drilled
hole. However some of the my ones needing repair are now marked inside
and need cleaning. I want to try slicing one pane off, cleaning the
glass sheets, warming the separator strip to dry the silica gel then
reglueing. Question is what glue to use. First thought is two-part
resin. This should be water-proof and fill any small gaps. Are vapours
given off during the curing process? Is it much and would they be likely
to fog the cavity?

I'd welcome any suggestions for adhesives. I am going to try one unit to
see if it's possible. If anyone's interested I'll report back though
obviously misting might take some time. If it proves not to be any good
I'll just have to buy new units.

The ones I have looked like some sort of tar-like adhesive.
This is then taped over with aluminium tape.

One thing the spacers and glue have to cope with is quite a
large differential expansion between the inside and outside
panes at the various temperature extremes.

I'm coming to the conclusion that DG is a con. It never pays for itself

Not as an energy saving measure -- it probably had the worst
return of anything you might do, until wind turbines appeared.
If you need to replace the windows anyway, then that's a
different matter. The use of K glass is generally money
particularly badly spent - the only way the industry managed
to get that adopted was to force it to be a legal requirement.

as the lifetime of the units is about half the pay-back time. OK an
uncertain calculation with likely fuel price rises, I agree, but still
sound enough. Unless you have huge windows the percentage saving is very
small. Much better to put the money into micro generation or solar water
heating assuming that you've already done the sensible stuff like loft
and wall insulation.

Just about anything except wind turbines and photovoltaics.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

Peter Scott wrote:
I am about to try to rebuild a double glazing unit.

Have you looked into the cost of simply replacing them? The sealed units
are surprisingly cheap from a trade supplier.

I know this is uk.d-i-y but it sounds like an awful lot of work to
rebuild a unit and with uncertain results.

Steve

Steve Lupton wrote:
Peter Scott wrote:
I am about to try to rebuild a double glazing unit.

Have you looked into the cost of simply replacing them? The sealed units
are surprisingly cheap from a trade supplier.

I know this is uk.d-i-y but it sounds like an awful lot of work to
rebuild a unit and with uncertain results.

Steve

I know exactly what you mean. However I like a challenge. As it might be
a simple job (who knows?) I wanted to give it a go. My kids always took
the p**s that whenever we looked at furniture, electronics and so on I
always said 'I can make that'. So its an experiment but I don't have a
lot of practical experience of adhesives other than resins and PVA.

Peter Scott

In article ,
Peter Scott wrote:
I'd welcome any suggestions for adhesives. I am going to try one unit to
see if it's possible. If anyone's interested I'll report back though
obviously misting might take some time. If it proves not to be any good
I'll just have to buy new units.

I'd imagine the stuff they use to stick in car windscreens would be ideal
- it is after all glass to metal. Available from your local car paint
supplier. Stuff I got was made by 3M.

--
*I got a sweater for Christmas. I really wanted a screamer or a moaner*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Peter Scott wrote:

Steve Lupton wrote:

Peter Scott wrote:

I am about to try to rebuild a double glazing unit.


Have you looked into the cost of simply replacing them? The sealed
units are surprisingly cheap from a trade supplier.

I know this is uk.d-i-y but it sounds like an awful lot of work to
rebuild a unit and with uncertain results.

Steve

I know exactly what you mean. However I like a challenge. As it might be
a simple job (who knows?) I wanted to give it a go. My kids always took
the p**s that whenever we looked at furniture, electronics and so on I
always said 'I can make that'. So its an experiment but I don't have a
lot of practical experience of adhesives other than resins and PVA.

This sound much more than a challenge. First problem that I can see is
getting one pane of glass off the unit, the next is putting it back
together, at the correct thickness, though this might not be too hard
due to the spacer that separates the 2 pieces of glass.

The adhesive will probably be a 2 part mix that is cured by the water
content of the atmosphere. A bit like room temperature vulcanizing
adhesive, but more like Thiokol (tm) Which is a synthetic rubber, or was
when I first used it. Their site does not mention it now. Google thiokol
and click on the link to viton and you may be close to what it is.
Failing that, find your local sealant store or the local double glazing
manufacturer and ask them what they use. Good luck with the project, but
I think it may end in tears though.

Dave

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

In article ,
Peter Scott wrote:

I'd welcome any suggestions for adhesives. I am going to try one unit to
see if it's possible. If anyone's interested I'll report back though
obviously misting might take some time. If it proves not to be any good
I'll just have to buy new units.


I'd imagine the stuff they use to stick in car windscreens would be ideal
- it is after all glass to metal. Available from your local car paint
supplier. Stuff I got was made by 3M.

But with a DG panel, all you are doing is sealing the gap that is formed
by the 2 pieces of glass and the aluminium divider. It is breaking this
seal that I find will be hard to do. Short of a router type cutter that
will leave the glass intact, I can't see how the OP can do this job. I'm
hopeless at ASCII art so I will try and explain.
The two pieces of glass are separated by an aluminium U shaped spacer
that is not bonded to the glass. The spacer is set towards the middle of
the glass by a few mm. The gap that remains, after drying the air gap
out, is sealed by filling the gap formed by the 2 pieces of glass and
the dividing U shaped spacer. At least, mine were.

Dave

On Mon, 04 Aug 2008 16:13:43 +0100, Peter Scott
wrote:

I am about to try to rebuild a double glazing unit. I read from other
threads that there is a method to demist them using a small drilled
hole. However some of the my ones needing repair are now marked inside
and need cleaning. I want to try slicing one pane off, cleaning the
glass sheets, warming the separator strip to dry the silica gel then
reglueing. Question is what glue to use. First thought is two-part
resin. This should be water-proof and fill any small gaps. Are vapours
given off during the curing process? Is it much and would they be likely
to fog the cavity?


I wondered about doing something similar.
My idea was to remove the DG panel and drill a hole in the aluminium
strip that joins the panes of glass. Then pour some liquid in the hole
to 'wash' the panes (alcohol or vinegar?). Drain the liquid, plug the
hole and re-assemble.
No idea if this will work though.

wrote:

On Mon, 04 Aug 2008 16:13:43 +0100, Peter Scott
wrote:


I am about to try to rebuild a double glazing unit. I read from other
threads that there is a method to demist them using a small drilled
hole. However some of the my ones needing repair are now marked inside
and need cleaning. I want to try slicing one pane off, cleaning the
glass sheets, warming the separator strip to dry the silica gel then
reglueing. Question is what glue to use. First thought is two-part
resin. This should be water-proof and fill any small gaps. Are vapours
given off during the curing process? Is it much and would they be likely
to fog the cavity?



I wondered about doing something similar.
My idea was to remove the DG panel and drill a hole in the aluminium
strip that joins the panes of glass. Then pour some liquid in the hole
to 'wash' the panes (alcohol or vinegar?). Drain the liquid, plug the
hole and re-assemble.
No idea if this will work though.

You would end up with streaks unless you stood the window on its narrow
edge and rinsed with pure water several times, even then ?

Dave

Dave wrote:
wrote:

On Mon, 04 Aug 2008 16:13:43 +0100, Peter Scott
wrote:


I am about to try to rebuild a double glazing unit. I read from other
threads that there is a method to demist them using a small drilled
hole. However some of the my ones needing repair are now marked
inside and need cleaning. I want to try slicing one pane off,
cleaning the glass sheets, warming the separator strip to dry the
silica gel then reglueing. Question is what glue to use. First
thought is two-part resin. This should be water-proof and fill any
small gaps. Are vapours given off during the curing process? Is it
much and would they be likely to fog the cavity?



I wondered about doing something similar.
My idea was to remove the DG panel and drill a hole in the aluminium
strip that joins the panes of glass. Then pour some liquid in the hole
to 'wash' the panes (alcohol or vinegar?). Drain the liquid, plug the
hole and re-assemble.
No idea if this will work though.

You would end up with streaks unless you stood the window on its narrow
edge and rinsed with pure water several times, even then ?

Dave

Actually washing sounds like an idea worth a try. I imagine that alcohol
might work. Alternatively B&Q are doing an excellent limescale remover
called Kilrock-K at two quid. Amazing stuff! Tastes like it is formic
acid (yes- tastes like! Ever bitten an ant by mistake on a bun?). Takes
scale off kettles, irons, shower heads and so on in no time.

I should explain that I have a lot of windows - eighteen in all. Each
has four panes. About a third of the panes need fixing. Even at quite
low unit cost this will be a big saving. So this is a long-term job. I
plan to do two windows at a time when decorating a room.

Anyway thanks for all the ideas and information. I think I am better
equipped to start my experimenting. I'd better sound proof my workshop
to keep the cussing in.

Peter Scott