Glaziers often request a photo…

People often find us online by searching for ‘Glass Installations‘, and call straight from the site of the broken panel and want their quote on the spot. To be capable of doing this, we ask questions and for a photo.

Measurements are only the first step…

While measurements are great, they’re not the whole story with glass replacement. The placement of the panel affects what kind of glass we’re allowed to put in. For example, if a panel is within 50cm of the floor, then something thicker needs to be used. This is why photos are so important! Moreover, we need a photo from the outside to check for access issues, such as heavy bushes, bars, that kinda thing so there are no surprises when we come to do the job.

What about coming out to quote instead…?

Well, that’s a tough one. We’d love to be able to come out in person to provide quotes, but it’s faster (and cheaper!) for all involved for us to quote remotely. Again: photos!

What’s the ideal photo, then…?

Firstly, you always need to take the photo from outside the property, looking in. The reason you can’t take photos from the inside is due to lighting. Face a camera out a window and it’ll backlight everything, making it impossible for us to see the frame etc.. An ideal photo from us is taken directly in front of the affected panel, about two meters back so we can see the whole thing, plus the surrounding wall/how it’s situated.

And what happens if decorative glass is involved…?

Well, that’s a good one! While we usually need the photo from the side of the house as described above, but if it’s frosted glass, or has some kind of pattern, then we’ll need a close up to see if we can match it. There were a lot more frosted/obscure types made years ago, but less now, so it’s not always possible to match.

Where’s the funny bit here…?

Well, it’s in trying to get the photos! So many people call up and ask, “I’ve got a broken bedroom window, how much to come and fix it?” Now that you’ve read our blog, you’ll understand that to be able to generate an accurate quote like that, WE WOULD NEED A CRYSTAL BALL!

Glazing Services and Frame Work Are Not the Same Thing

What experienced glaziers can do…

Despite what many people think when they look at their windows, glaziers aren’t trained or skilled to repair frames. It’s actually a totally different trade. Think about it for a second. Glass is the thing that glazing experts are trained for, but frames involve wood, aluminum or steel.

Not all frames are created equal…

Whether doors or windows, the glass will be held in place by either wood, aluminum or steel. These different frames, as you can imagine, hold the glass in place differently and affect how the glass repair can take place.

Two types of wooden frames and how they affect glazing services…

With older properties, these timber frames generally have putty involved. It’s an old way of holding glass in, but if a frame has this putty in place, it’s what needs to be removed then reapplied. It’s more labour intensive for the glazier as it involves hacking away with a chisel-like device to get the putty (which over years becomes like concrete) out.

The newer kind of timber frame is known as ‘beaded’, and is easier to deal with as the beads that hold the glass in place can be popped off and back on relatively easily.

Steel and aluminum frames…

Steel frames are another older frame type, and involve a special kind of steel putty. Back in the day, this putty involved asbestos, and so this is something to keep in mind if you have steel frames. Only let glass specialists near it! Aluminum frames are the newer way of doing things, and are generally the easiest as they simply involve silicone or rubber seals. Often, the rubber seals can be reused for a broken window during installation, too, if the same glass type goes back in.

Even experienced glaziers tend to frame work…

As mentioned, glass is what we’re good with! We aren’t sheet metal workers (aluminum), or carpenters (timber), so now you know who to call for glazing services, and for frames!