The Damage One Small Water Leak Can Do

What I'm about to explain to you, cost the homeowner about $1200 and it could have been fixed, with a two dollar rubber washer. When I say two dollars, it could have been even less than that, but we'll stick with two dollars.

The story you are about to listen to, deals with the renters, the owner of the rental house and the water damage repair contractor. The water damage repair contractor makes the money, the owner of the home, loses the money, and the renters, really don't care, because it's not their home anyway.

If you own property, and rent it out, I would like to advise you to, do a walk-through on your properties at least every two months. If this homeowner, would've seen the water heater damage, he could have simply went down to his local home improvement center, or plumbing supply Center and purchased a new water heater connection pipe or the rubber washer, that was leaking and repaired it.

Instead of checking up on the property, regularly, I don't really believe that the homeowner, ever went back to check on the property, once it was rented. I always feel sorry for these guys, I have to repair, all of the water damage, replace all of damaged materials, and the homeowner needs to fork out the money. The water leak ruined the water heater and it also needed to be replaced.

This is the damage that one small leak can do. I often hear people joking about it, and I even seen it on a television show one time, when the entire house collapsed and at the end of the show, the plumbing repair contractor, held up a $.15 rubber washer and told the homeowner's, that this was the problem and if they would've replaced it, their house would still be standing today.

I understand that this is the movies, but things like this really happen. So pay attention, inspect your homes on a regular basis and save yourself hundreds if not thousands of dollars in the future.

If you're really interested in basement remodeling and repairs, you should click on this link Home Repair Advice. Get some great home repair advice that can make a big difference on any of your home remodeling projects.

Click Here To Learn More About Water Heater Damage and Repairs

Greg Vandenberge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a Home Buyers Guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

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Hotels in Milan Bring Eclectic Souvenirs For Italy Travelers

Milan, one of the topmost cities of Italy, is the ground for business, fashion, design and architectural heritage. It is not only the financial powerhouse of Italy, but also the business heart of Italy. The masterpiece of art in Milan resembles more to Paris or London than to other Italian cities. Milan's furnishing and designer's clothes have a charismatic influence on fashion conscious tourists. Indulging in window shopping is enjoyable and sitting outside a caf and admiring well dressed world go by is a wonderful experience. Churches, museums and historic monuments will surely leave you spell bound and uplift your spirit. The majority of cultural and artistic treasures have fomented Hotels Milan to offer world class services to augmenting number of visitors.

Milan offers variety of hotel ranging from cheap discounted hotels to expensive luxurious hotels that suit every taste and budget. It is beyond any doubt that even cheap hotels in Milan are also in demand and searched by budget conscious travelers. They have earned reputation for providing good services for weekend trips or overnight stays. The best features of these cheap hotels is that the basic facilities like laundry, telephone, conference and bar facilities are not confined to few visitors. Some good hotels avail the discount on bulk booking, or for senior citizens or children and join the group of cheap hotels. Hence, a smart and calculative person can be benefited with these discounts and can spend a memorable time with the minimum budget in such an expensive city of Italy.

Hotels in Milan include 1 to 5 rated hotels, discount hotels, luxury hotels, bread and breakfast etc... They cater best services with global appeal that have attracted tourist from the world around. One can acquaint himself about the hotels Milan through several online and offline resources. Many online sites lend the helping hand in booking rooms for clients in Milan hotels and avail them maximum facilities and discounts.

There are various tourist attractions in the city. Piazza del Duomo occupies the first position in the list of tourist spots. It is a Gothic cathedral reflecting the change of fashion in the mixture of architectural styles. A trip to its roof provides a spectacular view. After Duomo, glass covered shopping arcade, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, is an excellent tourist destination. One of the prestigious monuments, gargantuan Sforzesco castle is well renowned for its dazzling interiors and three museums accommodated in it.

The long list of tourist attraction in Milan continues with myriad of churches, monuments, museums etc... hence, hotels in Milan adhere to the need of providing world class services with maximum facilities and amenities to its visitors.

For hotels in Milan and cheap hotels in Milan please visit http://www.quickbooker.com/uae/dubai/cheap-hotels-in-dubai.html

Author Name:- Nancy Eben

Pest Droppings in the Attic - Pest Problems

Sometimes I wonder how these large animals can get through such small holes in our homes and into our attics and crawlspace's. A few years ago, I was working on a home that had water damage to the siding that needed to be fixed. The homeowner of course didn't want anymore water damage and this required repairing roof, the original cause for the siding damage.

When I bid the job, I had no idea what I was about to run into. The first day on the job, went smoothly as I repaired some damage fascia board, but the next day I was in for a surprise, as I removed the damaged siding, I found what looked like dog poop in the attic.

I was looking around in the attic and trying to figure out how a dog could of got up there. I know that I shouldn't have, but I walked around the home inspecting it for a large hole, any holes, something that a small dog could have wiggled his way into. I got my latter off of the truck and then went on the roof, trying to find a place where a dog could have got into the attic.

I couldn't find any holes and after wasting about an hour, I decided it was time to get back to work and since the homeowner wasn't there, I couldn't show him my new findings or ask him any questions. I cleaned up the mess and repaired the water damaged siding, but in the back of my head I kept thinking about how in the heck a dog got up in the attic.

To make a short story even shorter, when the homeowner arrived home that day, I showed him my findings and he informed me that he didn't have a dog. He did however inform me that he has been hearing something walking around in his attic for about a year now. He had a pretty good idea that they were raccoons.

I told him, that I had inspected his home and only found one small hole on top of his roof underneath the roof eave, but there's no way that a small raccoon could fit through that hole. He told me that you would be surprised, what these animals were capable of squeezing into and out of.

Well that's about it, the mystery was solved, I repaired the small hole in the attic and have never heard from the homeowner again. Hopefully that meant I did my job well and not that he was embarrassed about the poop in the attic.

Pest Control Ideas, House Pest Pictures

Greg Vandenberge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a Home Buyers Guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

Bathroom Accessories and Color Schemes That Make You Relax

How to Consider Bathroom Accessories that makes you relax?

When considering bathroom accessories it is wise to consider your bathroom style, design, patterns, etc. For instance, if you have a kiddie's bathroom, you want to consider its details to avoid adding bathroom accessories that make it appear. If you are designing a guest bath, you may want to add a sink skirt, fancy towels, soaps, dishes, mirror, shower curtain, toilet seat, decorative toiletries, and so on.

Decorating a master bathroom may benefit from fringed rugs, towel display, monogram towels, potpourri, decorative soap, and dish, bath oils, etc. After you decide you room, you want to consider your style. What do you prefer? Do you like traditional? Do you like contemporary? Do like Victorian? It is your choice. If you like the country style you can add a few baskets, picket fence accessories, rod-pocket shower curtains, etc. Add a couple of tiebacks to the curtain, preferably braided ties and you are off to a country setting.

If you like, the wood looks consider rustic bathroom accessories, such as birdhouses. Birch baskets are nice as well. Create a garden in your basket and you are off to the wood look. If you want dramatic, try adding live plants, vines, blending shower curtains, rugs, toilet seat, etc. On the other hand, if you want a fishery bath, add a fish toilet seat, matching curtains, and perhaps a sink skirt to match. Set off the area by adding nature-based tiles, walls, and so on.

Now that you have your style down, consider the patterns and colors you desire. If you are adding bathroom accessories to offset your bath, try coordinating your colors and patterns with fixtures, floor covering, wall colors, and other decorative. If you have porcelain fixtures, you may want to consider off-white, antique white or related colors and patterns when choosing bathroom accessories.

In addition, if you have porcelain sink, tubs, or toilet you may want to try a few darker shades or else brighter colors. Try to match the color. You can add greens to your room, which you can offset with accents of yellow as well.

If you are not, sure, which colors and patterns are best suited for your bath, try visiting Home Depots or related stores, and carry home a few samples. Any store that sells paints, tile, etc, will provide you sample colors.

How can I find color schemes?
You can match color schemes by considering neutral colors, in depth darker shades, brilliant colors, strong shades, etc. Patterns might include the pastels, which include the blonde woods. Wickers will set off blonde woods.

What about storage:
Once you have done your style, patterns, colors, etc, you may want to add storage. If you already have sufficient storage, you may want to add wicker baskets to the space.
Toss in your shampoos, conditioners, toothpaste, and other accessories to clear up additional space.

How much does it cost for accessories?
It depends on where you purchase the items. If you are on a budget, try visiting your local Family Dollar Stores, General Dollar, or related stores. Often you will find various bathroom accessories to offset your bath. The items are affordable, and often delightful to the eyes.

Online you will find a wide array of dollar stores. The stores online will ship your items to your doorstep while offering you a wider selection. In addition, you can view the images online, which helps you match your patterns and colors more freely.

If you want to add additional storage, online you will find affordable shelves and baskets. The deals online offer you the option of saving money and time.

Ismail Y. Alabdullah
http://www.hottoptopics.com

for more information visit: http://hottoptopics.com/bathroom/

Basic Home Electrical Wiring - For the Do it Yourself Home Electrician

The Green Bay Packers were one of the most successful football teams and Vince Lombardi said something to them that I will never forget," This is a football." All the football players laughed and he said that we're going to start with the basics and that's what I'm going to do, with this article.

Let's start with our electrical wire, the two most common electrical wire sizes, that will be used in most homes, will be 14 and 12 gauge electrical wire. Let's clear something up, right off the bat, the smaller the number, the larger the wire. In other words a 12 gauge electrical wire is a little bit larger and will carry more electricity, for longer distances than a 14 gauge wire.

What about electrical outlet plugs? These plugs are usually the same, except for the fact that they come in different colors. When I said that most electrical plugs are the same, I'm talking about your standard wall outlet plug. There are different electrical plugs that will be used for air conditioners and some kitchen appliances like 220 Volt electric stoves and ovens.

What about your home's light switches? Your standard two way light switch will usually turn a one light on or a group of lights on, from one location. A three way light switch will usually turn one light on or a group of lights on from two different locations. A four way light switch, will usually turn one light or a group of lights on from three different locations.

It doesn't get any more basic than that. I hope this gives you a better understanding about your home's electrical system.

If you're really interested in learning more about remodeling, new home construction, home maintenance, home repairs and really want to get the nuts and bolts of home improvement. Visit our web site and select from the best-selling home building books on the Internet.

Greg Vandenberge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a Home Buyers Guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

If your looking for some more home inspection pictures or home building ideas.

Thanks For Reading My Articles

Childproof Your Bathroom When Remodeling

While renovating a bathroom can get you excited and can be done in a number of ways, the most important thing to consider is safety of your family. Usually, we view things from our own perspective and take care of problems that we might be facing. But if you've got a small kid or are expecting one in the near future, then it's necessary to consider the child's safety too. Else, you would be renovating again and incurring more expenses at the end of the day.

So when you redesign your bathroom, make sure that it will not only be safer for children to use, but will also not pose any problems for adults. The first step should be to put barriers such that your child cannot enter the bathroom without your assistance. You can move the door knob a bit higher so that it goes out of reach for your kid. If you don't want to move the door knob, then you can install a sliding bolt on top, or you can get a doorknob cover that won't allow your kid to open the latch. Make sure that the doorknobs can be opened from the outside even if you child locks himself in accidentally.

Whether inside the bathroom or outside, water is one of those things that can hurt your baby in many ways. But the slippery floor tiles in the bathroom can significantly increase the risk of your child slipping on it, especially if they are wet. So make sure that your bathroom floor is leveled such that water doesn't stay there; it should rather drain quickly even if you spill a bucket full of water. Moreover, the thermostat should be fixed around 115 degrees Fahrenheit so it doesn't burn your baby's skin. You should further test it on your own hands first to be safe.

Another area which parents usually ignore is the faucets around the bath tub. It's pretty easy for your kid to hit them while playing in water. So buy a spout cover for them while you do other shopping for your renovation. If you have got curtains around your shower, don't use long tiebacks that can cause strangulation. And forget walk-in-showers if you are really conscious about your kid's safety. Their glass doors are too much of a risk and can break quite easily, inflicting serious injuries to your child.

Though it might not be common, there's always the chance that your small toddler can fall into the toilet, which is unhygienic at the very least and can even cause drowning. As a solution, you can buy a latch to keep the toilet lid shut. If you place a stool where your kids can stand to brush their teeth and wash their face, make certain that the bottom of the stool is rough, strong and stable.

A typical toilet has many small products that can be pretty harmful for your child, like razors, chemicals, plungers, etc. Have a small closet where you can keep these out of the reach of your children, and make sure you always keep them locked. And take care of naked sockets and electrical outlets using safety plugs and other appropriate measures.

Although it's nearly impossible to make your bathroom 100% safe for kids and adults, taking the above mentioned measures can reduce the chances of a good number of hazards.

Scott Rodgers has child-proofed numerous bathrooms in his career as a plumbing contractor. If you want help renovating your bathroom, check http://eLocalPlumbers.com

Do I Need a Home Inspection? - Real Estate Advice

Most home inspections today run between $300 to over $1000 and sometimes you don't really get your moneys worth. There are home inspection companies that guarantee, any problems that they miss will be repaired at their expense over a desired period of time, usually a year. It seems like, most home inspection companies are just inspecting the property and have no guarantees or liability from their inspection.

It's not a good idea to buy or sell a home without getting a home inspection from a licensed home inspector. This is like having a second opinion from someone who is usually skilled in the process. I would like to point something out to unsuspecting, potential home buyers and sellers. Sometimes a home inspection company will get a little behind in their work and need to hire other home inspectors if these home inspectors don't have any experience in the construction business or have never inspected a home before. In other words there fresh out of home inspector school. You might not get a good home inspection.

You can always ask the question, how long have you been in business?... How long have you been a home inspector?... have you ever worked in the construction business or have any skills in home building and remodeling. If the answers to these questions are satisfactory, it doesn't mean, that they're telling the truth and being sincere and could lead to problems later if they are lying to you.

Let me rephrase the question now, "Do I Need a Home Inspection" from an unqualified home inspector? Absolutely not. But how can you really tell the difference and is the report going to be worth the money that you paid for it.

What would you say, if I had the solution to your problem. How about a pre-home inspection, using a home buyers checklist? What if I could give you a check list with questions, that you could ask your home inspector? Some of these questions are not going to be part a regular inspection but should always be asked and make sure you get the answers to them, before purchasing the property.

Would you be interested now? What if I told you, for under $20, you could purchase a home buyers checklist, now for the tough question, this checklist could save you thousands of dollars and prevent you from purchasing a home with major construction problems or defects, and can be used on every house you look at.

Don't buy a home without purchasing a professional home inspection checklist. These lists of questions can save you some serious headaches and stress in the future.

Greg Vandenberge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a home buyers guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

If your looking for some more home inspection or home building ideas.

Baltimore Hotels

Baltimore offers hotels in different price ranges and locations, including luxury hotels, discount hotels, downtown hotels and more. There is a wide range of prices for a room, and an equally large number of options and packages for hotels in Baltimore.

In the downtown Baltimore Inner Harbor area, hotels include the Biltmore Suites, Brookshire Suites, Clarion Hotel Peabody Court, Courtyard by Marriott, Harbor Court Hotel, Holiday Inn Inner Harbor, Hyatt Regency, Marriott Inner Harbor,, Marriott Baltimore Waterfront and the Mount Vernon Hotel.

The hotels convenient to the Baltimore Washington International Airport are the Marriott Washington Airport, Sheraton International Hotel and Sleep Inn & Suites Airport.

In northwest Baltimore along I-695 you will find the Hilton Pikesville, and near Johns Hopkins University is the Hopkins Inn and Inn at the Colonnade.

Hotels in northeast Baltimore include the Fairfield Inn by Marriott, the Hampton Inn, the Hilton Garden Inn White Marsh and the Quality Inn.

East Baltimore hotels include the Best Western Hotel & Conference Center, the Rodeway Inn and the Super 8 Motel.

West Baltimore hotels include the Best Inn, Days Inn, Mt, Washington Conference Center, Oakwood Park Charles, Quality Inn West, Quality Inn and Suites, Ramada Inn, Sheraton North Hotel, and the Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel.

No matter which hotel you choose, and no matter which category, size or price range, be prepared to expect the very best treatment during your stay. Baltimore is an excellent and diverse city to discover, and the hotel operators want to keep you coming back for more.

Baltimore provides detailed information on Baltimore, Baltimore Aquarium, Baltimore Inner Harbor, Baltimore Hotels and more. Baltimore is affiliated with Atlantic City Casinos.

What is a Three Way Home Electrical Light Switch?

A three way home electrical light switch is a special light switch that can be used in your hallways, large rooms and stairways. These light switches are specially made to operate one light or a group of lights from two different locations.

They are most commonly found in hallways and provide a homeowner with the option of turning the light on at one end of the hallway and turning it off, when they are finished walking through the hallway and are about to enter into another room.

Before three way home electrical light switches were made, people would turn the hallway light on and leave it on or they wouldn't turn the hall light on at all, because they knew that after they walked down the dark hallway, they wouldn't be able to turn the light off at the other end.

Three-way light switches are also used in stairways. It makes a lot of sense, to be able to turn your stairway light on, at the bottom of the stairs and then after you have walked up the stairway safely, you can simply turn the stair lights system off.

As homes become larger, it's not going to be uncommon to find three way light switches being used at either end of large rooms. If your living room or family room was located within the center of your home and had an entrance at each end, it wouldn't be a bad idea to install a light switch at each end, for travelers who are simply walking through these room.

Remember that three-way light switches, are used to operate lights from two different locations.

If you're really interested in basement remodeling and repairs, you should click on this link Great Home Repair Advice. Get some great home repair advice that can make a big difference on any of your home remodeling projects.

If You Live in Northern San Diego County or South Orange County, and You're Looking for a Great Contractor, Click on This Link Encinitas Home Remodeling Contractors

Greg Vandenberge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a Home Buyers Guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

Thanks For Reading My Articles

Romantic Bathroom Ideas

Creating Romantic bathroom more often than not requires the Master Bathroom of the property to be transformed with a masculine touch, whilst keeping in mind that two people share the bathroom space and one of them may have more masculine tastes in decorating. Romantic usually comes hand in hand with old world decorating accessories and decorates, when placed in an old world style bedroom or master bath, exaggerate the room's comfort while crafting ambience, drama and style. Consider framed art, wall tapestry and iron work when decorating a romantic bathroom.

Like all rooms in your home, choice of wall colour and accessories determines the decorating style. Enhance a bathroom's romantic look by including scrolled iron wall art in your bathroom decorating equation. Enjoy casual romantic bathroom decorating by choosing storage and display accessories that compliment European classical and in particular french interior design. Moen's Kingsley line of bathroom solutions, including faucets and shower faucets, are sure to have the finish to match your decorating flare. Meeting the expectations of the couple desiring a romantic ambience in their master bath is challenging, but coming to the rescue are the Mediterranean Italian - French decorating styles. Create a beautifully well designed bath by decorating the walls. Decorating French Style with Italian Ceramics and Scrolled Iron.

Today, wall mounted bathroom accessories are fashionable and practical, and can be suited to compliment both contemporary and classic styles. Add a ledge of candles or a romantic French style wall sconce to provide ambience and luxurious style to your powder room. If you are looking for beautiful coloured reflections, in classic Mediterranean style the Celice oval mirror is a widely acclaimed choice.

For more bathroom accessories ideas, please visit bathrooms cheaper

Lee Tyrrell of Bathrooms Cheaper

Attic Handrail Safety - Do it Yourself Home Repair

Some stairways that lead up to your attic will have a safety or guardrail to prevent people from falling down the stairs or off of them. Attic handrail safety can provide homeowners with a little peace of mind if they just follow the few simple steps. Make sure that the handrail is at least 42 inches in height. 42 inches is the minimum height for guard rails and can be found in the uniform building code.

The uniform building code is the Bible to the building industry and sets the standard for new construction and remodeling.

The 42 inches will be measured from the floor to the top of the handrail. Some older homes will have handrails that are 36 inches and some of them will be even 30 inches in height. A 30 inch handrail provides limited protection for anyone who is over five foot tall. 30 inches becomes the center point for any one over 60 inches and these people could easily fall over the short handrail.

Now for the homes that don't have any attic handrail safety systems. Some homes that were built before the 1960s won't have a handrail system at all in the stairway. Keep something in mind here, when these people were building these houses, some of them were trying to save money, some of them figured that it wasn't going to be a big deal and other builders simply forgot to install them.

It's not hard to install a working attic handrail for safety but keep in mind, that if the handrail isn't the right height, it will provide you with limited protection. Attic handrails that are lower than 30 inches can provide young children or others who are shorter than five feet with very little protection but can be a safety hazard to anyone over 5 feet tall.

If your attic doesn't have a safety handrail, use caution and be careful in these areas of your home. It wouldn't be a bad idea to install a locking doorknob if your attic access has a door that can be secured to prevent small children or other people from entering these unsafe areas.

Home Attic Repairs

Greg Vandenberge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a Home Buyers Guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

If your looking for some more Home Remodeling Pictures or home building ideas.

Pebble Tile Shower Floor

A Pebble Tile Shower Floor enables you to redecorate your home by using the same techniques and style used by the Greeks and the Romans. If you look for a quick way to redecorate any surface at home, you should try these natural stone panels. If you are interested about Easy do-it-yourself tiling techniques - read the following article.

Short overview

A Pebble Tile Shower Floor is about gathering the same small flat stones that are manually and carefully attached onto a mesh backing of 12" by 12" size. The seashores of S. East Asia are rich with these flat pebbles, and indeed most of these tiles are originated from that part of the world. It seems like no other tiling technique enables you to redecorate practically anywhere inside and outside your house: Bathroom flooring and wall coating (including showers), kitchen surfaces such as countertops & backsplashes, patios, pools and even fireplaces.

Main advantages

Using this simple tiling solution definitely brings various redecoration advantages:

* Durable to most common home detergents.

* Considered inexpensive compared to other tiling solutions.

* Installation process is quick and takes only a few hours.

Useful tips!

* Upon completion, it is important to wait the adhesive's recommended drying time before you begin on grouting.

* Use a tile saw in order to cut stones to fit edges or corners.

* Make sure the surface you are about to tile is flat, clean, dry and free of contaminants.

Conclusion

Pebble Tile Shower Floor remodeling is highly effective for any home-maker as it requires minimal effort, knowledge, and resources. We could easily find many other benefits provided by this fun & easy remodeling option, simply because any average and unprofessional home-maker can do it easily by him/herself. If you wish to succeed with your first installation it is recommended to use the following tips & advices just as you decide on using these natural panels.

Get creative! - Learn more about how you can easily decorate your bathroom with Pebble Tile Shower Floor.

Dual Pane Window Glass Repair

For the past few weeks, I have been explaining how to repair a broken window pane in your home. But, what if you have dual pane windows? Is the process the same? Well, pretty much, except for a couple of variations. So, let's review the single pane repair process, and I will point out the differences regarding dual pane windows.

When we start talking about dual pane windows, one of the first things that comes to mind is vinyl window frames instead of aluminum. When dealing with dual pane windows, you can have either aluminum or vinyl frames, depending on the year the house was built. Dual pane glass got popular in the 1980's, but vinyl frames didn't really catch on until the 1990's. So, if your house is less than 10 years old, chances are you have vinyl framed windows. In either case, I will discuss the differences. Let's say you have a sliding aluminum frame window with dual pane glass. The procedure for removing the frame from the opening and the glass from the sash is the same as with the single pane windows.

The differences are, first, the glass goes into the frame about twice as far as the single pane window. The single pane window glass went 1/4" into the surrounding rubber. The dual pane usually goes 1/2" into the rubber. So, if both pieces of glass have been broken, you are going to have to order a new IGU (Insulated Glass Unit) from the local glass shop. They are going to want to know the width, height, overall thickness, and possibly the individual glass thickness. The best way to get the dimensions is to measure the width and height from rubber to rubber, write those numbers down. Then, remove the panel from the opening and place it on a table like we did with the single pane window. Remove the screws from opposite corners and pull of the frame. You will be able to see how far the glass goes into the surrounding rubber. If it's 1/2", then you want to add 1" to the width and height that you measured previously (1/2" times two sides= 1"). Then, measure the overall thickness of the unit by removing the rubber from the glass edge.

Typically, this dimension is 1/2", but not always. There is a metal spacer that divides the two panes of glass. Make a note of the color so you can request the same color in the new IGU. It's either going to be silver or bronze. If you want to get the same size spacer you need to give the glass shop the thickness of each piece of glass in the IGU. If the old unit has 1/8" glass on both sides, and the overall thickness of the unit is 1/2", then they will use a 1/4" spacer. If the glass is 3/32" on both sides, they will use a 5/16" spacer. If you don't care about matching the spacer thickness, you can request the thicker 1/8" glass, and they will automatically use a 1/4" spacer.

When you get the new IGU home, the installation is the same as the single pane window. Now, what if only one side of the IGU has been broken? Many times the outer pane will break, but the inside pane is fine. You can order a whole new IGU Like we just did, or, if you're the adventurous type, you can order only the single pane of glass that was broken and replace it. I'm going to explain how to do it, then i'm going to tell you the things that can go wrong. After you have the window pane on the table with the surrounding frame removed, you will see a black rubber type substance around the edge where the spacer is applied. This is a butyl sealant, and you have to separate the broken glass from this butyl. The best way to do it is to take a utility knife with a new blade and break through the butyl where it meets the broken glass. Then, take a new hacksaw blade, and push it into the area where you sparated the butyl from the glass. You don't want the hacksaw blade to be attached to a hacksaw. Using your hand, saw back and forth as you work your way around the edge of the glass. This should allow you to remove the glass.

Once that's done, lay rags on top of the good piece of glass to catch any debris, and scrape the surface of the spacer that will be contacting the new glass. Use a putty knife. Then, remove the rags and debris. When you are ready to put the new glass on, clean the inside of the good piece of glass that you didn't remove. Remember, once you install the new glass, any debris or finger marks on the inside will be permanently sealed. So, clean it real good and check it from all angles. Do the same to the side of the new glass that will be going to the inside of the IGU. Then, run a thin bead of clear silicone around the entire perimeter of the spacer. Set your new glass on the spacer and use finger pressure to adhere the glass to the silicone all the way around.Then, come in from the side, and run silicone around the side where the glass and spacer meet. Cover the window opening with something for 24 hours. You do not want to touch the IGU for 24 hours. The silicone needs to cure. After 24 hours, you can assemble the unit and install it back into the opening.

There are a couple of things that can go wrong. The first one is leaving marks on the inside portion of the glass. Once you seal the glass, you cannot clean what's between the panes. The other thing involves condensation between the panes. If you have even the slightest break in the silicone seal around the glass, chances are you will beging to see moisture form as soon as the nights get cold and the days get warm. You are going to have to decide if you are confident enough in your ability to do the job right, or if it's better to pay the extra money to have it done for you. Just because you pay someone to do it, doesn't mean you still won't encounter the same problems. The difference is, they have to guarantee their IGU for a minimum of 1 year. I have received many units over the years that had marks in between the glass. The beauty of it is the manufacturer can't dispute it, because there's no way anyone else could have done it except them.

OK, what if the window frames are vinyl instead of aluminum? Well, the main difference is the glass in a vinyl window no longer has the rubber gasket around the edge. You dont remove the opposite corner screws and separate the frame from the glass. What they do is put either silicone or a two sided tape on the lip of the frame where the glass rests. That's what holds the glass in the frame, then they apply a snap in stop on all four sides of the glass. So, you have to remove the stops first, then turn over the panel and break the seal holding the glass to the frame using a utility knife. Wear gloves during this procedure. If only one side of the IGU is broken, don't even think about repairing just the one side. You will never get that IGU out of the frame without breaking the other piece of glass in the process. But, on the positive side, you can remove the stops without taking the panel out if it's a slider. You can then measure the dimensions of the glass, and order the new IGU. That way you eliminate any need to temporarily cover up your window. The same is true for the stationary portion of a slider, or a picture window. Before you install the new IGU, be sure and clean the lip that had the tape or silicone, and apply either silicone or tape. Either will work.

You will discover that replacing an IGU in an aluminum frame window is a whole lot easier than a vinyl window. But, in either case, you can do it yourself and save a few bucks.

John Rocco has been installing replacement windows since 1978. To learn more, visit How To Install Windows