I have a sliding patio door in which the glass system failed. The result is that water apparently condensed on the interior surface and during the winter ran down over the wood (pine) below the glass creating a fairly large stain. The wood was originally finished with a Watco fruitwood stain and the damaged area is quite light, almost white.
Any suggestions for how to repair this damage?
Boden
Since it failed, it's replacement time.
Question is: Who pays for it?
You,the insurance company or the manufacturer under warranty?
Lew
I would think replacement, also. I am thinking that you are talking about a double paned door, so the door will have to be taken apart to replace the panel anyway. I believe that ordering a new side from the factory would be cheaper than having a measured piece made to fit into your frame.
Besides, the frame is probably damaged anyway if the water worked its way from inside to out. And some of the frames aren't made to come apart anyway, but actually made to be replaced in the event of damage to the glass.
Robert
Are you SURE that the glass system failed?
Condensation on the inside pane, running down over the glass is only caused by the humidity inside the house being too high. When the temperature of the glass drops to the dew point of the inside air you will have condensation. Think of a can of pop coming out of the refrigerator and leaving a puddle on the counter if set there too long. Same principle. Brand new windows will weep in this situation.
When the glass fails, the water is between the two panes, and doesn't run anywhere.
If you have closed drapes in front of the glass this will make the situation worse.
Only reason for asking, is that if you go to the trouble and expense of replacing glass or door, the same thing will happen unless you do something about the humidity.
Old Guy
I'm sure the glass failed. When the barometric pressure is up I can see Newton's rings in the center where the inside and outside panes touch.
Since the house is unoccupied most of the time the humidity is about 30% during the winter. Condensation forms because the center of the failed pane is at, or close, to the exterior temperature. If the window didn't fail the double pane window would afford enough thermal impedance to not allow the interior glass to drop so far.
The door is an Andersen Frenchwood sliding door. They will replace the glass assembly under warranty (although all they want to do is drill through the frame to vent the glass assembly.) I still have to remove and reinstall the replacement parts though. I have a total of 41 similarly failed Anderson windows but this is the only that caused damage to the surrounding wood.
Boden
Old guy wrote:
by the humidity inside the house >being too high.
Good point. Using my own reference point as a remodeler, I immediately thought, Old dude is off the mark.
Almost all of today's double, and now triple paned windows are hermitically sealed at the factory after having all the air removed. After the air removal, it is replaced with Argon gas, a dry, non toxic, extremely stable gas. The ONLY way for condensation to form betweent the panels is a leak in the seal causing the Argon to leak out, being replaced with outside air which of course is humid.
BUT... there are indeed some cheaper, less quality alternatives out there that are indeed simply double paned. Much like cheap sunglass lenses, they are simply coated to achieve a "low E" rating. No gas, just a seal with some silicone sealer around it.
What immediately came to mind when OP said wood was Pella, Anderson or the like, which may not be the case at all.
Robert
It does sound like a replacement if something must be done. I will say, however, that so long as it opens, closes and locks then you may wait to replace until it no longer does those things.
Then the glass has not failed. It has morphed into a weather prediction tool that every home should have. "Honey, lets; take the convertible today. The Newton's rings are on the door so it will be a bright sunny day. "
Ahhh ... so that's where he left them.
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