Glass Replacement

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.