San Joaquin County Home Inspections

Sometimes we get what we pay for and sometimes we get just a little bit more. If your home inspection results were not so good, it may be because the home inspector missed something.

As a specialty contractor in finish carpentry and a former service representative for a reputable window & door manufacturer, I have installed and serviced a lot of windows. Now that I am a home inspector in San Joaquin County, explaining window and door problems and offering solutions can be a huge money saver to my clients in the long run.

What is an imploded window?

An imploded window is when both panes of a dual pane glass window concave against each other, this is also called "hourglass". Have you ever driven by a home or business and seen the glass in a window distort like a funhouse mirror? It's not you having a bad hair day, it's probably an imploded window.

As you can see in the picture, the orange arrows are pointing to reflections in the windows. That's supposed to be a vertical drain pipe there from across the street but it looks more like a wet spaghetti noodle... But what causes it?

The term "R rating" is a term that is used to determine a products resistance to temperature changes. Argon gas is injected into the space between the panes of glass by the manufacturer during production. This is done to increase it's "R" value. Here in the San Joaquin County, the sun can produce extreme temperatures over 100 deg. The increase in rating is minimal but it's enough for the manufacturer to advertise them in a higher efficiency category, usually "energy efficient". The argon gas can sometimes escape from the seal around the glass but because the gas is lighter than air, the air will not return into the space where the gas used to be and eventually it "deflates".. for lack of a better term.

What's the big deal?

The value that you lose from the gas escaping is not enough to worry about, estimated at about 1-2 "R" value (depending on size). The only real danger is when the glass panes touch each other. When this happens, the window can break. It will sound like a loud "pop" when it does.

What do I tell my client if they ask about it?

If it's not safety glass, It can be fixed.. well.. sort of. A hole can be drilled into the corner of the glass to relieve the vacuum. The hole will need to be patched with proper adhesive and Mylar paper, and then cured with a black light. It's not common practice but it's cheaper than replacing a window when it breaks. A professional glass company should have to tools to do it, and be able to do it. This will minimize any danger to implosion under stress or continued contraction.

The Truth?

Many windows have this problem. it's the degree that they are imploded that can become a problem.

If you live in the San Joaquin County (or even if you don't), have your home inspected by a professional home inspector that also has experience in construction. The results could save you money before you buy a house because you can negotiate a better price. Getting a home inspections every 2-3 years is recommended to help maintain the value of your investment.

Andy E. Lee

Home Inspector/Carpenter