Ask the Foggy Window Doctor
These are the questions people most frequently ask the Foggy Window Doctor. Do you have a question? Send us an email with your question or fill in our estimate request form for quickest service. We'd be happy to hear from you and we may add your question to our list of foggy window questions and answers.
Generally speaking the cost of window restoration using our patented process costs a fraction of the price of window replacement. Plus you don’t run in to ‘hidden’ costs like frame or interior trim replacement. A small or medium sized window will cost about ½ to 1/3 of the price of replacing that same window. Really large windows or full-house jobs will be as little as 1/10 the replacement cost!!
Unfortunately automobile glass is not thermopane type, therefore we are not able to repair windows in cars.
No! That is one of the great things about our patented process. The windows are treated by a certified technician (‘window doctor’) on site, usually from the exterior of your home. This is non-intrusive and convenient for you. Our technicians pride themselves on leaving a clean work-site and respecting your home and landscape.
We offer a 20 year warranty that our service will remove the moisture from your windows permanently.
The holes that we make in the glass are very tiny and the vents are small and discrete. The products we leave on your windows are out of the main field of view, such as in corners.
The service itself is relatively fast. Usually no more than 30 minutes per window; then we let nature take its course, and allow time for “Healing”. Each individual window is different in the time it takes to heal/dry, some take days, others take weeks. This time period depends on many factors; such as how much moisture is stored inside the unit; its orientation to the sun and the exterior humidity (time of year). Once dry they never look back.
The style of a window, its frame or sash material does not affect this process.
As far as removing moisture, this system will work on any thermopane window.
Clarity is another issue. There are some windows that have had moisture inside them for years! In some cases there will be areas in these windows where the moisture has caused damage to the glass surface. Tempered glass must be assessed on an individual basis. (case by case)
Our foggy window technicians are experts in determining how clear the glass will be once dry. They will determine a ‘percentage clarity’ and discuss each of your windows during your free estimate.
We offer our window restoration service throughout most of Southern and Central Ontario.
Our regular weekly or bi-weekly routes include Barrie, Orillia, Orangeville, Collingwood and Midland as well as the GTA (Newmarket, Aurora, Thornhill, Markham and Vaughn etc.).
In warmer months we cover the Near North, Bruce peninsula, Muskoka and Haliburton ‘cottage country’ areas.
Please contact us for availability in other areas or request an estimate.
To begin with new thermal pane windows have an “R” or insulation value of about 2 or 4. Once a window develops moisture inside, its insulating properties are gone and it becomes a negative R-value! Our patented process allows the air-space between panes to dry out, thus restoring the insulation value of the window back to almost what it was when new.
Argon gas was introduced to increase the “R-Value” or insulating value of windows. This was found to work because argon gas is more ‘inert’ than plain air so it moves less and conducts heat less easily. That’s a great idea! Unfortunately, by the time moisture is evident on the glass, the argon is long gone.
No, we do not replace the argon gas at this time. However, simply by drying out the air-space in the window, the R-value is restored to nearly what it was when new. (Dry air is a good insulator, wet air in not!)
Yes, we have extensive experience with window features. A certified technician will discuss any special considerations with you during your free estimate and or consultation.
YES! In fact it is the only truly “green” approach to failed windows! Not only are our products and cleaning agents environmentally friendly; but consider for a moment the thousands of tons of glass that we are NOT sending to the landfill. (Our network saves millions of tons a year in Canada, the US and the U.K.)
Also new glass production is an absolutely huge culprit in the release of green house gases, countless chemicals and it uses massive quantities of energy.
Absolutely! In this type of situation we have specialized tools and techniques for working from the interior of the building. Ask us for a list of commercial projects, both national and local.
We encounter this problem from time to time, and have found an excellent solution - check out our page on interior house moisture and residential ventilation systems.
