Travel media brand Travel + Leisure has ranked Grand Rapids, MI, the second most beautiful place in the U.S. to live in. It also cited the city as one of the country’s most affordable areas.
But along with the city’s natural beauty is its proneness to inclement weather events. In the past 12 months alone, it’s been under eight severe weather warnings. These include hail storms and thunderstorms that can damage and shatter window glass.
If that has happened to your windows, you need professional replacement glass installation. While you can do it yourself, hiring a licensed home window installation company is a much wiser move.
We’ll tell you the top reasons why, so please read on.
No Need to Shop for Pricey Tools
When you go with DIY glass installation, you’ll spend money on the pane, tools, and equipment. While you may already have a hammer and screwdriver, you also need the following:
- Glass cutter
- Glass suction cups or seals
- Pry bar
- Caulk gun and caulking material
- Sealants and glazing material
- Power drill
- Level and tape measure
- Fine-grit sandpaper
- Glazing compound
- Rubber mallet
- Tape measure
- Putty, putty knife, and chisel
You can use those items for other minor home repairs. However, you’d still have to spend hundreds (or thousands) on them in one go for your glass installation.
If you go with a pro, you don’t have to invest in all those tools and materials in one day. Their pricing already includes everything the professional installers need to use.
Reduce the Risk of Injuries
A tiny crack in a window can be a DIY project, as fixing it may only involve applying glass adhesive or epoxy. However, if the pane has too many delicate cracks (e.g., spiderweb cracks), it’s best to leave its repairs to the pros. Such severe damages often warrant emergency window repair or replacement.
One reason is that the more cracks and the larger they are, the likelier the glass will shatter as you tinker with it. If it breaks completely, the shards can rain all over you and cause cuts and puncture wounds. They may also cause eye injuries that could be severe enough to result in vision problems.
There’s also the risk of breaking the replacement glass itself.
Window glass is heavy, especially the thicker, multi-glazed panes. So, a DIYer may accidentally drop it, especially if they don’t have someone to help them carry it. This is why a DIY job is one of the most common window installation mistakes homeowners should avoid.
On the other hand, if you hire professionals, expect them to come as a team, usually of two experts. They also use specialized tools like heavy-duty suction seals to reduce slippage risks. These, plus their lengthy training and experience, let them do their job as safely as possible.
Licensed professionals also have liability insurance coverage. In the (rare) event they damage your property, their coverage kicks in to cover the repair cost. If you DIY the installation and cause damages, you’ll be responsible for the costs to fix them.
Prevent Costly Glass Sizing Mistakes
DIY glass installation requires taking the pane’s horizontal and vertical measurements. Then, you must subtract 1/8 inch from all sides to ensure it fits into the existing opening. You must also accurately measure its thickness.
You can have a local hardware store cut the glass. However, if you make a mistake with the measurements, you may get an oversized pane. Unless you own a glass cutter, you’d have to take the glass back so the store can cut it again.
If you’ve had the glass cut too small, it will either be too loose and won’t hold in place or will create small gaps. Those spaces can let in drafts, noise, contaminants, water, and bugs.
Poor-fitting windows are also inefficient, allowing more heat to escape and enter. The problem is that window heat gains and losses account for 25% to 30% of home heating and cooling energy use. So, windows that don’t fit well and are drafty can waste even more energy.
Either way, you’ll likely spend more than your initial project budget. It’ll also take more time to complete the installation.
You can avoid that by hiring pros on the get-go, as they have the skills and tools to size and cut glass accurately. For the same reason, they can complete a job that exceeds expectations in just a few hours.
Ensure Proper Window Glass Installation
If you install window glass the DIY way, you must first remove the old or damaged pane. Again, this is risky, so you must wear protective eye and hand gear.
If you have wood windows, you must reglaze them before installing the glass. The new pane also needs glazing before installation.
Once in place, you must properly seal the glass. Making mistakes in this step can result in gaps that reduce window efficiency. Incorrect installation can also affect the pane’s integrity, making it more damage-prone.
Avoid all that trouble by hiring a licensed professional window installation company.
Avoid Voiding Glass Warranty
New window glass often comes with lengthy warranties of at least ten years. Warranties guarantee that a manufacturer or installer will replace or repair defective products.
One way those warranties can become void is through improper glass installation. This can happen if someone who installed it lacks experience or makes mistakes.
So, a DIY glass installation project that goes wrong can void the product’s warranty. If it fails within a few years, the owner would be responsible for its repair or replacement costs.
You don’t have to worry about that if you hire a glass installation professional. Plus, licensed installers back their high-quality services with warranties.
Let Experts Handle Your Glass Installation
DIY glass installation may save you a bit upfront. However, it has many risks that could make it all the more expensive in the long run. So, to ensure your project goes smoothly, invest in professional services.
Our team of experts at Michigan Screen and Window Repair is ready to help. We have over 25 years of experience and a portfolio of 5,000+ completed projects. Our repair center in Grand Rapids, MI, allows us to serve all of lower Michigan.
Contact us today to get your free estimate and schedule your glass installation!