Hi

This morning...about 3:30AM I heard a strange noise (loud enough to wake me
up)....I say strange because it was one of the sleep dreaming noises, where
you wonder whether it was real or dreamt. I got up to investigate...and
after checking out the house, everything looked fine. However as I was
returning to bed I noticed that the small double glazed window in the front
door was cracked quite badly (multiple cracks, almost on the point of being
smashed). I went outside and checked for evidence of a brick or something,
to find that there was no evidence that the door had been touched at
all...the outer pane of glass was totalled unharmed, there were also no
marks on the door.

Is it possible for the sub-zero temperates to filter through an outer pane
of double glazing and smash the inner pane? Would it be possible if the
outer pane was old and/or unnoticable damaged?

I'm starting to think that we have some type of Ghost which for some reason
has become high-rate and decided to damage the window...if this is the case,
you'd think that this Ghost would at least have warned us first before
deciding to have a go at the window...

"Dean Jarratt" wrote in message
...
Hi

This morning...about 3:30AM I heard a strange noise (loud enough to wake
me
up)....I say strange because it was one of the sleep dreaming noises,
where
you wonder whether it was real or dreamt. I got up to investigate...and
after checking out the house, everything looked fine. However as I was
returning to bed I noticed that the small double glazed window in the
front
door was cracked quite badly (multiple cracks, almost on the point of
being
smashed). I went outside and checked for evidence of a brick or something,
to find that there was no evidence that the door had been touched at
all...the outer pane of glass was totalled unharmed, there were also no
marks on the door.

Is it possible for the sub-zero temperates to filter through an outer pane
of double glazing and smash the inner pane? Would it be possible if the
outer pane was old and/or unnoticable damaged?

I'm starting to think that we have some type of Ghost which for some
reason
has become high-rate and decided to damage the window...if this is the
case,
you'd think that this Ghost would at least have warned us first before
deciding to have a go at the window...


No, this is quite common, happened to me, again during cold weather. Window
repairers say it happens regularly. Seems weird at the time though !!

MrCheerful

MrCheerful wrote:

No, this is quite common, happened to me, again during cold weather. Window
repairers say it happens regularly. Seems weird at the time though !!

Not wishing to alarm you - but it also happened to my mums back door
window after a local "yoof" decided to try and gain entry with the aid
of a brick... no damage to the outside pane at all (a bit of brick dust
on one spot mind you), but the inside started cracking and proceeded to
carry on doing so for several minutes afterwards. Made a sound rather
like ice cracking as it warms up apparently.

--
Cheers,

John.

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In article ,
says...
Hi

This morning...about 3:30AM I heard a strange noise (loud enough to wake me
up)....I say strange because it was one of the sleep dreaming noises, where
you wonder whether it was real or dreamt. I got up to investigate...and
after checking out the house, everything looked fine. However as I was
returning to bed I noticed that the small double glazed window in the front
door was cracked quite badly (multiple cracks, almost on the point of being
smashed). I went outside and checked for evidence of a brick or something,
to find that there was no evidence that the door had been touched at
all...the outer pane of glass was totalled unharmed, there were also no
marks on the door.

Is it possible for the sub-zero temperates to filter through an outer pane
of double glazing and smash the inner pane? Would it be possible if the
outer pane was old and/or unnoticable damaged?

I'm starting to think that we have some type of Ghost which for some reason
has become high-rate and decided to damage the window...if this is the case,
you'd think that this Ghost would at least have warned us first before
deciding to have a go at the window...


The glass in a door should be toughened (or laminated).

Toughened glass can occasionally shatter for no apparent reason.

It is possible that the current low night temperatures have caused
excessive movement (contraction) of the sealed unit which could result in
fracture.

--
Ziggur
"S'ils te mordent, mords-les"

On Mon, 1 Mar 2004 16:44:13 -0000, Ziggur wrote:

In article ,
says...
Hi

I noticed that the small double glazed window in the front
door was cracked quite badly (multiple cracks, almost on the point of being
smashed). I went outside and checked for evidence of a brick or something,
to find that there was no evidence that the door had been touched at
all...the outer pane of glass was totalled unharmed, there were also no
marks on the door.

I had a bathroom fanlight inner DG pane break on fireworks night?

No sign of any impact or attack but there were a few VERY loud
explosions nearby and it was very cold?

All the best ..

T i m

Dean Jarratt wrote:
This morning...about 3:30AM I heard a strange noise (loud enough to wake
me up).... [ ] I got up to investigate...and [] noticed that the small
double glazed window in the front door was cracked quite badly (multiple
cracks, almost on the point of being smashed). []
Is it possible for the sub-zero temperates to filter through an outer pane
of double glazing and smash the inner pane? Would it be possible if the
outer pane was old and/or unnoticable damaged?

The only time I've heard of this happening it turned out that a plate
fell of a wall hanging and bounced down the stairs, hitting the pane
and breaking it. If it's a small pane, it's unlikely to be a thermal
effect - consider the temperature differential, it's tiny. Where in
the door is the glazing panel? What is the door made of?


J.B.

"Jerry Built" ] wrote in message
...
Dean Jarratt wrote:
This morning...about 3:30AM I heard a strange noise (loud enough to wake
me up).... [ ] I got up to investigate...and [] noticed that the small
double glazed window in the front door was cracked quite badly (multiple
cracks, almost on the point of being smashed). []
Is it possible for the sub-zero temperates to filter through an outer
pane
of double glazing and smash the inner pane? Would it be possible if the
outer pane was old and/or unnoticable damaged?

The only time I've heard of this happening it turned out that a plate
fell of a wall hanging and bounced down the stairs, hitting the pane
and breaking it. If it's a small pane, it's unlikely to be a thermal
effect - consider the temperature differential, it's tiny. Where in
the door is the glazing panel? What is the door made of?

The door is one of those white PVC doors, and the window is pretty much
central...above a letterbox which is placed at just below half-way up the
door.

I'll have to check the outside pane again more thoroughly...I think.

"Dean Jarratt" wrote in message
...
"Jerry Built" ] wrote in message
...
Dean Jarratt wrote:
This morning...about 3:30AM I heard a strange noise (loud enough to
wake
me up).... [ ] I got up to investigate...and [] noticed that the small
double glazed window in the front door was cracked quite badly
(multiple
cracks, almost on the point of being smashed). []
Is it possible for the sub-zero temperates to filter through an outer
pane
of double glazing and smash the inner pane? Would it be possible if
the
outer pane was old and/or unnoticable damaged?

The only time I've heard of this happening it turned out that a plate
fell of a wall hanging and bounced down the stairs, hitting the pane
and breaking it. If it's a small pane, it's unlikely to be a thermal
effect - consider the temperature differential, it's tiny. Where in
the door is the glazing panel? What is the door made of?

The door is one of those white PVC doors, and the window is pretty much
central...above a letterbox which is placed at just below half-way up the
door.

I'll have to check the outside pane again more thoroughly...I think.

One of my patio doors went in a similar manner (if it's any consolation), ie
with no cause. As it happened the poxy company who had installed it had put
the laminated sheet on the inside and the toughened one on the outside (the
wrong way round) so there was no shattering, just a crack propagating across
the pane. I assumed there had been a stress point at the edge somewhere,
either due to damage or something trapped there which had developed into the
crack. I know this was one crack and the OP had many but maybe his was
toughened and just holding together? It was an insurance job as it exceeded
the excess by enough but irritating in the extreme.


--
Bob Mannix
(anti-spam is as easy as 1-2-3 - not)

Bob Mannix wrote:

snip

One of my patio doors went in a similar manner (if it's any consolation), ie
with no cause. As it happened the poxy company who had installed it had put
the laminated sheet on the inside and the toughened one on the outside (the
wrong way round)...

Just a small point: how can you tell if they're the wwrong way round?
I've just had some windows installed in my loft conversion, and I can
tell the builders got the bathroom windows back to front (patterned and
textured bit on the outside), but how can I check that the clear-glass
windows are the right way around?

Regards
Paul

Just a small point: how can you tell if they're the wwrong way round?
I've just had some windows installed in my loft conversion, and I can
tell the builders got the bathroom windows back to front (patterned and
textured bit on the outside), but how can I check that the clear-glass
windows are the right way around?

Regards
Paul

Hmmm!

It,s all getting a bit technical now.

Historically, textured glass sealed units were installed with the texture
on the inside pane. However - in order to conform to the FENSA standards
many companies are using "K" (low E) glass to improve the overall U-value
of the window. The low E coating is only fully effective on flat glass
and is applied to the inside of the inside pane. Therefore if your
bathroom window has a combination of Texture glass and "K" glass the
Texture will be placed on the outside, harder to clean but more thermally
efficient.

How can you tell whether the clear glass windows are the right way round?
There is a simple test that you could do by looking through the unit at a
flame held on the inside BUT my advice would be to trust the installers.
Some sceptics might be surprised to learn that they usually get it right.

(But then I am biased )

In article , Use-Author-

The only time I've heard of this happening it turned out that a plate
fell of a wall hanging and bounced down the stairs, hitting the pane
and breaking it. If it's a small pane, it's unlikely to be a thermal
effect - consider the temperature differential, it's tiny. Where in
the door is the glazing panel? What is the door made of?


J.B.

Spontaneous disintegration of normal toughened glass is a well known and
accepted fact within the industry. Pilkington makes a special type of
toughened glass which "reduces the risk" (their words not mine) for
situations where the normal risk is unacceptable.

--
Ziggur
"S'ils te mordent, mords-les"

Ziggur wrote:
Jerry Built wrote:
The only time I've heard of this happening it turned out that a plate
fell of a wall hanging and bounced down the stairs, hitting the pane
and breaking it. If it's a small pane, it's unlikely to be a thermal
effect - consider the temperature differential, it's tiny. Where in
the door is the glazing panel? What is the door made of?

Spontaneous disintegration of normal toughened glass is a well known and
accepted fact within the industry. Pilkington makes a special type of
toughened glass which "reduces the risk" (their words not mine) for
situations where the normal risk is unacceptable.

The OP's description did not suggest toughened glass was in use (it
"cracked quite badly (multiple cracks, almost on the point of being
smashed"). For panes below a certain size toughened/laminated is not
a requirement, as I should think you're aware.


J.B.

Ziggur wrote:

snip

How can you tell whether the clear glass windows are the right way round?
There is a simple test that you could do by looking through the unit at a
flame held on the inside BUT my advice would be to trust the installers.
Some sceptics might be surprised to learn that they usually get it right.

(But then I am biased )

Without wishing to offend my builders, who were hell-bent - despite my
protestations - on building what they *thought* I wanted, as opposed to
that which I had planning permission for (two separate, and, quite
frankly, hugely different things), could you explain the test for me?

Regards
Paul

"Jerry Built" ] wrote in message
...
Ziggur wrote:
Jerry Built wrote:
The only time I've heard of this happening it turned out that a plate
fell of a wall hanging and bounced down the stairs, hitting the pane
and breaking it. If it's a small pane, it's unlikely to be a thermal
effect - consider the temperature differential, it's tiny. Where in
the door is the glazing panel? What is the door made of?

Spontaneous disintegration of normal toughened glass is a well known and
accepted fact within the industry. Pilkington makes a special type of
toughened glass which "reduces the risk" (their words not mine) for
situations where the normal risk is unacceptable.

The OP's description did not suggest toughened glass was in use (it
"cracked quite badly (multiple cracks, almost on the point of being
smashed"). For panes below a certain size toughened/laminated is not
a requirement, as I should think you're aware.

If I had to guess (I'm guessing because I'm not at home right now)...I'd say
that the pane is 60cm by 30cm. The inner pane had no laminate on it, and was
textured...I don't know what constitutes toughened glass, but there were
shards of glass on the carpet where the postman normally posts letters

I've had another look at the outer pane, and there is strictly no damage, no
brick dust, no pellet marks, and I didn't hear any fireworks after I was
awoken....I'm gonna have to go with the 'Spontaneous disintegration' theory
on this one...

If I had to guess (I'm guessing because I'm not at home right now)...I'd say
that the pane is 60cm by 30cm. The inner pane had no laminate on it, and was
textured...I don't know what constitutes toughened glass, but there were
shards of glass on the carpet where the postman normally posts letters

I've had another look at the outer pane, and there is strictly no damage, no
brick dust, no pellet marks, and I didn't hear any fireworks after I was
awoken....I'm gonna have to go with the 'Spontaneous disintegration' theory
on this one...


You might like to check out

http://www.thewindowman.co.uk/explode.htm

Another bit of information. The pattern on standard texture glass is put
onto the glass, before it hardens, with a roller. The roller imprints the
pattern. This means that some parts of the glass (where the pattern is
an indentation) are thinner than the standard 4mm/6mm used in a domestic
door.

It has been a recommendation for many years and a requirement more
recently that safety glass (toughened or laminated) should be used in
doors where any part of a pane falls below 1500mm from the floor. Your
door will have safety glass in it and it will almost certainly be
toughened. I suspect that your "shards" are actually granuals,

You are going to need a new sealed unit

--
Ziggur
"S'ils te mordent, mords-les"

"Ziggur" wrote in message
t...


If I had to guess (I'm guessing because I'm not at home right now)...I'd
say
that the pane is 60cm by 30cm. The inner pane had no laminate on it, and
was
textured...I don't know what constitutes toughened glass, but there were
shards of glass on the carpet where the postman normally posts letters


I've had another look at the outer pane, and there is strictly no
damage, no
brick dust, no pellet marks, and I didn't hear any fireworks after I was
awoken....I'm gonna have to go with the 'Spontaneous disintegration'
theory
on this one...


You might like to check out

http://www.thewindowman.co.uk/explode.htm

Excellent link....thanks for that.