Blamed for condensation between fixed double glazing

Hi all,

Drove over to  place ive done twice before to be told not wanted anymore because of some condensation inbetween fixed double glazing. She reckoned I was responsible, yet how could I have got water in there? Its fixed glazing/cannot be removed. The place is like modernist, all glass panels with little else. I said that particular panel already had that problem before I started but she wouldnt have it.  Reckoned it was the water I used ffs. I said its the same or better than any water any replacement company would use. Ah, not worth arguing or getting stressed over. Usually I would point these issues out first off, to customers, and Im sure I did mention it, but will make double sure in future and take photo of problem area to show customer and use in case of possible attempted legal action.

If she’s that fussed let your insurance company deal with it. There is no way to have ‘caused’ it. It was most likely already blown especially if it was an older unit...

Your insurance company will most likely tell her where to put it...


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You more than likely won’t have caused the damage which lead to the failed unit but squirting water at the seals won’t help the moisture build up inside. You only need a tiny pin ***** on the unit seal for it to let moisture in. The only way you could have caused it is if you have cracked a pane. The best window manufactures only offer 10 year guarantees on their units at best.


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After I set up for WFP last year I practiced on my own windows a few times, a couple of days later I noticed condensation in our top bedroom opener.
Now we've lived in this house 14 years and the double glazing was already in so I don't know how old they are, so it got me thinking that our house is South facing and gets a lot of sun and can take a battering from the elements.
So I'm wondering if the brush as maybe caused a tiny hole while I've been scrubbing and aggravated already old seals, or it's just a coincidence?

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The seal has broken down between the double glazing. The bristles of your brush are nowhere near that seal. A double glazed unit is 2 pieces of glass stuck onto a spacer to keep the glass panels apart. They use a special glue.

Over time that seal created by the glue breaks down.

This break down is usually first noticed on south facing windows as they expand and contract with the sun's heat. Wind can also cause the glass to move, and of course, windows that open also experience more stress than windows that don't.

My advise is to just walk away and not say another word. Its not your fault. If your insurance company decides to replace the glass because the cost isn't worth the trouble to them, then its your excess and a black mark against your insured risk in the future.

The customer gets a new piece of glass, you pay the excess (in my case £350) and the customer dumps you anyway. Don't throw good money after a bad customer. 

When asked to give a quote, If the windows are the older double glazed and already showing signs of condenstion, i just advise the owner that they would be better off getting them cleaned by traditional method.
Not worth the hassle.

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Have they just been on holiday


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It’s when the temperature is different outside to inside


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And a shot unit we’ve had it a a few rimes


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yeh this is an old place, ahead of its time modernist style. The panel that has this is in its own sun trap all day. I have walked away, we kind of left it on amicable terms at least and the thing is this section already had the condensation. Yep certainly something to watch out for.

ks789 said:

yeh this is an old place, ahead of its time modernist style. The panel that has this is in its own sun trap all day. I have walked away, we kind of left it on amicable terms at least and the thing is this section already had the condensation. Yep certainly something to watch out for.

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UPVC window manufacturers usually warranty their replacement windows for 10 years. If double glazing units are fitted into wooden window frames then you will find getting any kind of warranty difficult as wood expands and contracts with temperature and humidity.

I studied the info that is on this site many years ago.

https://www.thewindowman.co.uk/misted-up.htm

I used it when some old dear accused us of damaging her double glazed units in her wooden sash window frames with our 'jet wash'.  She was demanding that we replace them. My response was to prove it was me and then sue me.

I never heard another word but 2 years later she asked me if I would resume cleaning her windows. I declined.

It certainly does help to have a little knowledge about the stuff your working on. One of my close friends works for a window manufacturing company and also has a lot of experience in fitting so I’ve an abundance of knowledge about these things. It really pays off when you get complaining custys trying to pass the buck onto you and you can give a valid explanation as to what’s really happened leaving them speechless without a leg to stand on.


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To be honest i just consider this as bad luck. I’m sure we all give a good look over people’s windows before we take them on, but the fact is, the amount of dirt on any first clean often hides existing condensation or scratching issues that may exist. Do we really get the ladder off and inspect every upper window with a professors eye glass and a fine tooth comb? Noo of course we don’t. We’d be charging the earth for inspection time!
There’s always the ones out there that will try and bring your business crashing to the ground and ruin everything for you and your reputation to point where you feel like why the hell do i bother. It then it ruins it for hundreds of your “decent customers” when you “pack it in”.
Unless i can get the very top rates for window cleaning now i’m not interested as id rather take on add ons where there’s less customer volume less travel time and more money in the job. Less volume should technically mean less chance of picking up claim culture customers as well hopefully.


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Incheck said:

To be honest i just consider this as bad luck. I’m sure we all give a good look over people’s windows before we take them on, but the fact is, the amount of dirt on any first clean often hides existing condensation or scratching issues that may exist. Do we really get the ladder off and inspect every upper window with a professors eye glass and a fine tooth comb? Noo of course we don’t. We’d be charging the earth for inspection time!
There’s always the ones out there that will try and bring your business crashing to the ground and ruin everything for you and your reputation to point where you feel like why the hell do i bother. It then it ruins it for hundreds of your “decent customers” when you “pack it in”.
Unless i can get the very top rates for window cleaning now i’m not interested as id rather take on add ons where there’s less customer volume less travel time and more money in the job. Less volume should technically mean less chance of picking up claim culture customers as well hopefully.


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The other thing is that the condensation will be worse once we have cleaned the window. When the air inside the gap is warm it will hold more moisture and might even seem clear. But when we come along and clean the window we also cool the air in the gap down. That cooling will release moisure which will form on the glass inside.

So it could be perceived by the customer that we have caused the problem.

There was one property in particular that taught to be cautious. It was a typical small terraced house.
I did the first clean and all appeared okay.
However, when i arrived a few weeks later to clean it again, i stopped the van directly outside and could immediately see all of the three windows were badly condensated.
I thought to myself "i cant seriously go and knock the door to say i was back to do their windows again", and drove away from there asap to be honest !!!
But as said above, you can be as cautious as possible, but much of it does depend on luck really.


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Jake J said:

There was one property in particular that taught to be cautious. It was a typical small terraced house.
I did the first clean and all appeared okay.
However, when i arrived a few weeks later to clean it again, i stopped the van directly outside and could immediately see all of the three windows were badly condensated.
I thought to myself "i cant seriously go and knock the door to say i was back to do their windows again", and drove away from there asap to be honest !!!
But as said above, you can be as cautious as possible, but much of it does depend on luck really.


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A pane of glass can go very quickly. We clean a business premises every four weeks. It includes an enterance conservatory with double glazed glass roof panels. We cleaned it one month and it looked like all the others on an interior inspection. The following month it was misted up like it had been that way for years.

In this dry heat over the past 8 weeks the panel looks like its been replaced; it hasn't.

This can be caused by a poor unit installation in the first place. If the installer does not use spacers in such a way to let any water that gets in to the frame back out again through the channels at the bottom of the frame then the unit is basically sitting in the water that pools there.

If the seals have gone on the glazing unit and then we come along and clean the window then the water that we use will enter the unit, in the heat this will condensate and "highlight" the issue. Not "cause" the issue.

As has already been mentioned these units are guaranteed for 10 years MAXIMUM and sometimes only 5. This is a problem for the supplier of the glass in that period, then a problem for the owner after.

Our window cleaning cannot break the seal on the units, it can only highlight if the seals are degraded/breached.

After all what is the difference between the volume of water we use and the average monthly rainfall?

Do any of you include liability disclaimers or mention this topic in your customer info forms? Wonder if it May be worth mentioning the "common misconceived problems" when becoming a customer to a WC company that users WFP.

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