What You Need To Know To Fix Cracked Glass
With glass, everything that can go wrong will go wrong. Be it continuous pecking at your window by a bird, a mishap with a soccer ball or baseball, or some miscreants throwing stones. Either way, there is more than one way to get a crack on your glass. There are at least ten dangers of having a cracked glass. Your home's insulation is compromised, says Glass Doctor, the entire glass shatters after a while, it offers an invitation for bugs, as well as unwanted cuts hither and thither. This sounds highly unpleasant, which is why you need to know how to fix cracked glass.
While you can cover up cracks in your windows or glass doors with things like curtains, that doesn't offer much of a fix and still allows for bugs to get in and the other issues that come with damaged windows. Whatever it is, table, window, or heirloom, we're going to review everything you need to know to make that item safe and usable again.
1. Gear Up
By now, you should be used to our cries of "wear protective gear!" Even if you're not, we'll read you the mantra all over again. Browns Ladders writes that it is important to don protective gear to keep you safe when performing any handyman do-it-yourself task.
For fixing cracked glass, you'll require some cut-resistant gloves to ensure protection against cuts, writes Your Gloves Source. Goggles are the other important item to have in your arsenal.
2. Collect your equipment
The next thing to do is to gather up the items you would need to fix the cracked glass. This includes some liquid dishwashing soap, glass cleaner, microfibre cloth, and tissue paper for the cleaning, says Simplemost
For the other part of the job, you'll require some acetone, super glue, and two-part epoxy, writes Fab Glass and Mirror. Finally, to get all these to bind, you'll require a putty knife, a razor blade, toothpick, tape, and paper plates. These items will be used in a variety of ways to fix the cracked glass.
3. Clean the glass
Budget Glass writes that it is important to clean the glass because that way, you are getting all of the dirt out, so the binding properties work efficiently, and your glass is as clear as a summer's day.
To do this, spray some dishwashing soap on the glass and clean it up with a microfibre cloth in one direction that says Screens & Things. When you're done, clean with water and wipe it all off again with another microfiber cloth.
4. Epoxy mix
Take out your two-part epoxy mix, which Fix Your Things writes should contain resin and epoxy. Apply 50% of each onto the paper plates or cardboard if the paper plate is not available. Mix them up using a toothpick until they are dissolved into one another.
As soon as you are done with this, you must use the mixture within or under ten minutes, or else it hardens up and gives a messy finish if it isn't already impossible to use, writes Epoxycrafts.
5. Apply
Finally, using the putty knife, apply the epoxy to the crack in a singular motion. What we mean by this is that you shouldn't start horizontally and complete it vertically — the finish will be messy that way, writes Superclear.
As soon as you are done with the epoxy spread, the mixture should be drying out. Aluplex writes that you should scrape all of the excesses with a razor blade. For a neater finish, you could always use a file.
6. Polish
As soon as all the steps above are done, the next step is to polish our glass to keep it looking as good as new. The epoxy mixture is especially efficient in preventing the spread of the cracks and, as such, should be the first go, especially if you're sure you're not replacing the glass soon, says Prime Glass Windows & Doors
Using a glass cleaner and a microfiber cloth, clean out your newly done job and all of the excess on the rest of the glass.
7. Masking tape
Another quick fix for glass cracks, especially if you are just trying to keep the window intact before the handyman comes to fix or replace the glass, is to use masking tape to cover the glass, says Advanced Auto Glass.
To do this, all you have to do is to measure the crack, cut out the masking tape in the same measurement on two ends and cover the crack at both ends of the glass, one inside and one outside.
8. Acetone and super glue
Here is another quick fix to cracked glass. The Windshield Repair Forum recommends that all you have to do is first use some acetone — which is often found in nail polish remover — on the sight of the crack, add some super glue, and then you are good to go.
Before the process above, you must clean your glass with dish soap and wipe it down with some microfiber cloth for the best results.
9. Use glass adhesive and tape
The last thing you should know about fixing cracked glass is that you can simply make a semi-permanent fix by using glass adhesive and some masking tape, writes Impressive Interior Design.
To do this, measure out the crack and cut some masking tape equivalent to the size of your crack, then tape the back of the crack and then apply your glass adhesive to the front of the crack, press together as the tape will prevent the adhesive from leaking out. Once the adhesive dries up, remove the tape and clean the glass with a microfiber cloth.