repair of crack in window

You might start by having a chat with your local windscreen repair place.

They use a transparent resin that matches the refractive index of glass very closely, and should have the equipment to generate the vacuum needed to pull the resin into the crack.

Does that not only work on laminated glass? I have no idea.

Drill holes at the ends of the crack to stop it spreading?

I've never tried it, and doubt that it would work, but I think you somehow need to reduce the strain at the ends of the cracks, and drilling holes works in other mediums.

Simon,

Use a glass cutter and score a small, short cut across the end[s] of the crack at right angles to it. That usually stops the crack 'running' long enough to replace the glass.

Just out of interest, I have even used this method on the laminated windscreen of a van which lasted around 6 months before I got around to replacing it.

Cash

Did you test this with another crack *without* the scoring to see if it worked? One uncontrolled test doesn't prove much. ;-)

Tim

It should work on any glass. Another option might be to try some clear nail varnish on the crack.

about 4cm curved crack near the bottom. Is there some penetrating glue tha t I can use to fix this crack so it will not run any further in the near fu ture ?

Well SWMBO does not want me up a ladder with glass just before our first ch ild (!) but I might see if I can find a local glazier that does not need a scaffold and get a quote for removal and replacement with 4mm glass (glazin g pins and putty). The glass currently there in the fairly small triangular "bay" is very thin (feels less than 3mm to me) and it seems silly not to s ort if before painting the outside.

This window will be replaced with double glazing eventually but we don't re ally want to go there yet.

Cheers, Simon.

Nope, but some 50+ years of playing with the stuff does, cutting it, fixing it, breaking it etc - and yes, leave it alone and the crack will 'run', very often in more than one direction.

Now tell me on what experience of the stuff did you base your response.

Cash

What, windscreens or window glass?

I only ask as I based my comment on someone's relation of how they regularly defrosted their cracked laminated windscreen with hot water

Tim

a about 4cm curved crack near the bottom. Is there some penetrating glue t hat I can use to fix this crack so it will not run any further in the near future ?

child (!) but I might see if I can find a local glazier that does not need a scaffold and get a quote for removal and replacement with 4mm glass (glaz ing pins and putty). The glass currently there in the fairly small triangul ar "bay" is very thin (feels less than 3mm to me) and it seems silly not to sort if before painting the outside.

really want to go there yet.

If its a victorian sliding sash it'll need 3mm, or 2mm for small surroundin g lights. Fitting 4 would make it misbehave quite a bit. Regs require 4mm, not 3mm horticultural, so you wont get a glazier to do that.

NT

Wouldn't recommend it for cracks in the glass, but it's excellent stuff for sealing where things join (caravan windows, old rubber roof seals on old Moggy Minor Travellers, and around the edge of old leaded stained-glass panels).

The windscreen repair resin comes in various 'thicknesses' - there's a 'thick' one for filling in actual pits in the glass and a very thin one for actually getting _into_ cracks. Cures with UV / sunlight.

Available on eBay, or talk nicely to your friendly local windscreen repair place...

a about 4cm curved crack near the bottom. Is there some penetrating glue t hat I can use to fix this crack so it will not run any further in the near future ?

child (!) but I might see if I can find a local glazier that does not need a scaffold and get a quote for removal and replacement with 4mm glass (glaz ing pins and putty). The glass currently there in the fairly small triangul ar "bay" is very thin (feels less than 3mm to me) and it seems silly not to sort if before painting the outside.

really want to go there yet.

Well a local glazier will do the two panes in 4mm glass for 80 quid cash. T hen I need to re-make the two secondary glazing frames that were destroyed in removal due to old seized / rusted screws. Simon.