The thing about living in a skyscraper is that most folks who design them are going to want to maximize on the views they can achieve.

That of course translates into glass. Lots and lots of insulated glass.

Lots of insulated glass translates into lots of failed (foggy) insulated glass. Here we have a fairly large unit on the corner near a deck.

And in another room, we have another one. See the X taped onto the glass?

Handling these large insulated glass units safely requires considerable man-power, so we have a fair contingent of technicians assigned to this project.

The new insulated glass units are safely transported to the property.

And then safely transported from the vans to their respective condos high above with the expert guidance of our technician Bruce Hinkenlooper…

…who is then shown here removing one of the failed insulated glass units with the help of Hosea cutting the glazing at the bottom from the exterior.

In transition. The original glass on the left is safely stored in the hallway, while one of the new units on the right awaits installation while the aluminum frame is cleaned and new glazing products are applied.

Later that same day, Hosea, Brandon and Bruce (through the door) are all busily deglazing the corner unit near the deck.

1500 S.W. 11th Ave. in Portland. Built in 2007 with 26 Floors, 250 feet tall.

It’s pretty difficult to see in these small photos, but the glass in this kitchen window cracked for some reason probably related to settling.

It’s also probably difficult to see, but the glass extends up past the ceiling at the top and below the kitchen countertop at the bottom.

If you enlarge this photo by clicking on it, you might be able to better see this from the exterior.

That ceiling is hanging down 20″ in front of the glass, and only 8 1/2″ away.

And the glass sits 5 1/2″ down below the Granite countertop.

Since the glass comes out to the interior…something had to change, or there would be no way to remove the glass. And as you can see from this above photo, it was the drywall ceiling…

…that was changed. The top half of the above photo is showing the steel-stud substructure that was removed after cutting back the drywall.

Hosea hanging around outside waiting to do his part to help us deglaze the glass unit from the exterior.

Our technician Brandon readies the new insulated glass unit for installation after having removed the broken unit.

The Benson Tower in South West Portland.

As most folks would suspect, even the high-rise, high dollar…

…condos have incidences of insulated glass failure.

And as you might expect, replacement necessitates access to the glass from the exterior.

And as you can see, 26 stories is a little far to reach with a man lift, so we hung a rope. Several ropes actually.

Step one is to deglaze the existing glass on the exterior, remove the fiberglass stops on the interior and attach the suction-cups.

Well that’s actually three steps, but we’re shooting for brevity here, so step two is to remove the glass.

Step three is to clean the window jamb (removing original glazing-tape, caulking and what-have-you).

Step four is to install the replacement glass. Yes, as you can see in this photo, the 26th floor actually has a little protrusion upon which our technicians were able to stand…

…or crouch, as the case may be. This did in fact translate into an easier go of it for our two dangling glass replacement experts, one of which is the owner’s son.

Ten years ago, as of the posting of this project on our website portfolio in 2014, this building was owned (in 2004)by a company called N.W. Pump & Equipment, who hired us to replace some of the damaged glass.

We don’t know who owns the building today, but as of 2014, it’s no longer a Chevron Gas Station, but rather a Union 76 Gas Station, as shown above.

Handling large pieces of single-pane plate-glass like this is always a bit disconcerting due to potential breakage.

Although the two large sheets of plate-glass we replaced this time were both next to doors, which means that building-code required one of several type of safety glass be employed.

Nonetheless, breakage would have still translated into a work stoppage and the temporary boarding-up of the windows.

Just about everything about these old sheet-metal gas-station exterior walls was unique, including the neoprene-boot (sample above) that sat around the perimeter of the glass…providing a sealed barrier between the glass and the aluminum.

It took us a bit of research to find a product that would work with the original extruded aluminum window frames.

Technicians Nate Velazquez…

…and Rubin Sanders putting the finishing touches on the glass replacements.

Riverplace Condos and the retail shops upon which they sit at the waterfront in S.W. Portland.

Much of the insulated glass in these aluminum-framed casement windows has been failing for many years now.

The reason some of these photos show bare trees while other photos would suggest the warmer seasons…

…is that the time between when we are asked to inspect (measure & photo document) and bid the glass replacement project, and the time when…

…the condo association and owners authorize the work can sometimes take many months.

Add to that, that inspecting all the condos slated for glass replacement often involves many trips to the job site over the course of several months, because some of the owners live out of state half the year.

You may want to click on this photo to enlarge it so as to appreciate this shot of our man-lift accessing the window openings as viewed from the docks out in the river.

The operable window-sash can usually be taken out from the interior by one or two technicians using glass-cups if the sash is not too large, after which the glass can be replaced while the sash is disassembled on a set of saw-horses. But the glass in the picture windows needs to come out to the exterior side (thus the man-lift).

Then it is passed back through the opening and handed to the technicians on the interior side. After the aluminum frames are cleaned of the old glazing-materials and new glazing-tape is applied, everything is done in reverse for the new replacement insulated glass units which were able to be transported up to the top floor via the service elevator.

Heir apparent, Jared Anderson, now in his mid 30’s, has been working in this trade since about 12 years old when he began working with his father in the summer months during school break.

One among many buildings in the Bridgeport Shopping Center…

…with commercial offices above retail space. Remodeling for a new tenant…

…is to include replacing the failed insulated glass in the Marvin Wood Windows.

We personally do not believe that the failure is indicative of a problem with Marvin products.

Anybody’s wood windows wood be sorely tested by the exposure that this architecture allows.

We would be more inclined to question the decision to install wood products into openings that have this exposure in the Willamette Valley.

As we’ve alluded to a number of times as we’ve discussed a number of our projects in this portfolio, these architectural practices probably work fine down around the sun-belt.

But not so much so in the Willamette Valley or any other places with like-kind climatic patterns.

Not that we’re complaining. It keeps us busy, and as the old axiom goes; “busy hands are happy hands.”

We’re very happy and thankful for the work.

Heat Stress Fracture is, for those of us in the glass business, a fairly common term nowadays.

If you have an aftermarket 3M-film applied to your glass, most glass manufactures will not honor their warranty against glass breakage.

And heat stress fracture is the reason why. One of the common characteristics of this phenomenon is that it’s the interior pane that brakes.

Which is the same pane that most, if not all after-market films are applied upon, such as this unit on a restaurant downtown in N.W. Portland.

One of the other most common characteristics of this phenomenon is that there appears to be no other explanation for the sudden breakage.

Regardless of what other folks may think about it, it sure results in a lot of business for us. I suppose 3-M should be getting kickbacks or something from me.
I really don’t mean to dis on someone’s product. I really don’t.

Seriously, if someone asks me about aftermarket films, I usually tell them about Peake Sun Control Inc. @ www.peakesuncontrol.com.

Because it will invariably result in more business for my business.
No, I’m kidding. No really, I really am kidding.

After-market films do have a viable place in the market place. There are hundreds, if not thousands of folks who have had these films on their windows in the Willamette Valley for many, many years, problem free.
Heat Stress Fractures are just a “potential” consequence if one of your panes of glass…

…happens to be seated too close to an aluminum-frame or a nail or a screw when the sun heats it up and it expands against a surface that is harder than the glass is.
Just know that “darkened-after-market-films” will cause the glass to heat up more, and thus expand more when the sun hits the glass and…

…that there does exist this possible risk. I have no idea what the percentages are for the risk, and I really have no idea if anyone else knows. It may be unknowable.
And please forgive me if my “jesting” irritates or offends you, it just seems that some of my prattle could use a little levity.

St. Anthony’s Church in Tigard. We were told that this location…

…and these stained-glass works of art (though clearly not the current building) date back to when local American Native Villages existed nearby.

In any regard, the building was unfortunately vandalized by means of someone throwing a rock through one of these works of art.

As you can see from this photo, it damage two pieces of glass and even bent the adjoining zinc-caming. If you click on the photo, it will be enlarged.

The rock also damaged a piece of obscure glass to the exterior.

Technicians Tim Afonin and Phil McNair go about the business of removing the exterior obscure glass.

And modern-day art-glass artisan David Schlicker ( http://davidschlicker.com/) is employed by our company…

…to effect the more critical repairs to the irreplaceable works of art. You may want to enlarge this and the next photo.

Being given the opportunity to watch a true craftsman such as David cut-to-fit and then finesse this piece of glass into position between…

…the metal framing (zinc caming) would be (and was for us) a rare treat for anyone who really understands what it takes to become a true artisan in just about any craft.

An old commercial building on N.W. Naito Parkway with a broken window that has been boarded up.

The building has been converted into a parking garage for the condos built nearby.

Not only is the glass broken, but the painted aluminum framing components that glazed the glass in place to the frame are missing.

Finding the missing components would take a miracle because there are so many different aluminum window manufactures, many of whom are no longer in business. But with a little two-part welding glue and an ounce of creativity…

…we fabricate an aftermarket glazing component comprised of wood-sticking that is…

…then clad with aluminum, all of which is held fast with the two-part glue.

Whoever has to replace the glass next time may be cursing at us when they try to remove what has become a not-so -removable framing component…

…but they probably won’t lose them either.
We mask off the aluminum angle just before painting them to match the original aluminum framing.

We could perhaps write a book regarding the evolution of the wood window industry and it’s wrangling with the issue of designing windows.

For example, there’s the issue of trying to make a window sash with insulated glass look like it has multi-panes, or what they call “divided-lites.”

They began with “true-divided-lites” a little over two decades ago, but the muntins necessary to house and cover the spacer-bars that separate and hold the panes together…

…necessitated muntin dimensions that were too much of a departure from the classic 7/8″ muntin. I suspect that architects rejected them in mass.

And thus was born the “Simulated-Divided-Lite” feature in windows & doors.
It has been my experience to observe that this feature has for the most part, gone…

…unnoticed by the general property owning populace, because I am continually having to explain why it is a bit more difficult to replace…

…failed or broken glass with “Simulated-Divided-Lite” glass with the muntins that have been adhered semi-permanently to the glass.

Such as these Eagle brand wood clad windows have in this northwest Portland Condo building.

Learning to order the glass correctly with the corresponding simulated spacer-bars that align internally with the simulated…

…muntins, and learning how to correctly re-adhere the simulated muntins to the glass has become a skill-set in and of itself.