Double Glazing Repair in Liverpool

What does double glazing repair cover?

A double glazed window is really two things working together: a frame with its hinges, locks and seals, and a sealed glass unit sitting inside it. When something goes wrong it is nearly always one part, not the whole window. The frame itself, whether uPVC, aluminium or composite, usually outlasts the glass and the moving parts by a long way, so a careful repair can give an ageing window or door many more years of use for a fraction of the disruption of a new installation.

We repair existing windows and doors in homes across Liverpool and Merseyside. We do not sell new windows, we do not fit conservatory roofs, and we do not work on timber sash windows. Everything below is about putting right what you already have.

Glass and sealed unit repairs

The sealed unit is the glass part of the window: two panes held apart by a spacer bar packed with desiccant, sealed around the edge and often filled with argon. When that edge seal fails, the unit mists up between the panes. When it is struck, it cracks or shatters. Either way, the glass is replaced as a complete new unit made to measure for your frame.

• Misted and blown unitsIf you can see fog, droplets or a milky film between the panes, the seal has gone. Our misted double glazing repair service measures the old unit and fits a new one in the same frame.
• Cracked and broken panesStress cracks, stone chips and breakages from a ball or a break-in are dealt with through broken window glass replacement, using toughened or laminated glass wherever safety glass is required.
• Making safe after a breakageWhen a pane is smashed and the home cannot be left open, emergency glazing and boarding covers the gap until the new unit has been made.
• Conservatory side and door unitsThe glass in conservatory walls and doors mists and breaks just like window glass. We handle conservatory glass unit replacement for the side frames and doors, not the roof.
• Better-performing glassOld units that are still clear can be swapped for modern low-E, argon-filled ones. Our page on energy-efficient glass upgrades explains when that is worth doing.
• Privacy glassBathrooms, front doors and side panels often need patterned or frosted glass. See obscure and privacy glass replacement for the patterns and safety options.

uPVC and composite door repairs

Doors work harder than any window. They are opened dozens of times a day, slammed, leaned on and locked from both sides, and they carry a lot of weight on their hinges. Most front and back doors in Merseyside homes are either uPVC, with a separate infill panel, or composite, with a GRP skin over an insulated core. Both use a multipoint lock: hooks, rollers or bolts along the edge of the door, driven by a gearbox in the middle and operated by the handle, with a euro cylinder for the key.

• Dropped and sticking doorsA door that catches on the frame, needs a hard lift to lock or lets light in at the top has usually moved on its hinges. uPVC door repair covers alignment, hinges, keeps and general wear.
• Locks that will not engageA floppy handle, a key that will not turn or a door that locks only with force points to the gearbox, the cylinder or the keeps. That is the work of uPVC door lock repair.
• Composite door problemsComposite doors share many faults with uPVC ones but are heavier and use different panels and hinges. Our composite door repair page goes through them.
• Snap-resistant cylindersOlder euro cylinders can be vulnerable to lock snapping. An anti-snap lock upgrade fits a correctly sized TS 007 3-star or Sold Secure Diamond cylinder.
• Damaged door panelsOn most uPVC doors the panel below or around the glass can be changed on its own. uPVC door panel replacement deals with cracked, faded or kicked-in panels.
• Letterboxes and cat flapsA new letterbox, a draught-proofed one or a pet door can be fitted into a suitable panel or glass unit through letterbox and cat flap fitting.
• Heavy sliding patio doorsWorn or seized rollers make a slider hard to move or jump its track. Patio and sliding door repair covers rollers, tracks, locks and glass.
• Bi-folds out of lineFolding doors depend on their runners and hinges staying in adjustment. Bi-fold door repair brings them back into line without forcing them.

Window hardware, seals and leaks

Most uPVC casement windows hang on friction-stay hinges and lock with an espagnolette, or shootbolt, mechanism driven by the handle. Over time the hinges wear, the locking gear stiffens or breaks, and the rubber gaskets shrink. These are some of the most common repairs we carry out, and the parts can often be matched to what is already fitted.

• Locks that slip or jamA handle that turns but does not lock, or will not turn at all, usually means a broken espagnolette or a misaligned keep. See uPVC window lock repair.
• Dropped or stiff sashesWorn friction stays let a window drop, rub or blow open. uPVC window hinge repair replaces them like for like, including easy-clean and egress types.
• Broken and loose handlesSnapped spindles, wobbly handles and lost keys are sorted with window handle replacement, with locking handles where you want them.
• Tilt and turn windowsThese have more complex gear and a mis-operation device that can jam the sash. Tilt and turn window repair should be left to someone who knows the mechanism.
• Child-safety restrictorsRestrictors limit how far a window opens and can be released for escape. We cover window restrictor fitting on upstairs and bedroom windows.
• Aluminium framesOlder aluminium windows and doors use their own hinges, locks and gaskets. Aluminium window repair covers hardware and glass in metal frames.
• Draughts and whistlingShrunken wedge gaskets and flattened brush seals let in air and noise. Window seal and gasket replacement renews them.
• Water coming inBlocked drainage, failed sealant or a sash that no longer presses on its seal can all cause leaks. Leaking window repair finds which one it is.
• Room-side condensationWhere a room is damp rather than a unit failing, trickle vent fitting into existing uPVC frames can help it breathe.

Is it a misted unit or just condensation?

This is the question we are asked more than any other, and the answer saves people money. Where the moisture sits tells you almost everything.

You can check this yourself in seconds: wipe the inside face with a dry cloth, then look again. If the mist is still there, and you cannot reach it from outside either, it is between the panes. Drill-and-reseal services exist, but they restore how the unit looks rather than its original sealed performance, so we fit a new unit as the lasting fix.

Repair or replace the whole window?

Unless the frame itself is rotten, split, badly warped or the wrong shape for what you need, repairing is usually the more sensible route. Glass units, hinges, locks, handles and gaskets are all designed to be changed. A typical repair visit leaves the frame, the sills, the plaster and the decoration around the window untouched.

There is also a regulatory difference. In England, replacing a whole window or door, frame included, has been controlled work under the Building Regulations since 1 April 2002; it has to be done by an installer registered with a competent-person scheme or approved by building control. Replacing the glass only, or a door leaf without its frame, is not controlled. Our work is repair and glass-only replacement, so it sits outside that system, and we do not issue completion certificates for it.

When a frame is genuinely beyond repair we will tell you, so you can talk to a window installer. We would rather do that than sell you a repair that will not last.

Safety glass in doors and low windows

Some locations in a home need safety glass by law. Under Approved Document K, those critical locations include any glazed panel up to 800 mm from floor level, any glazed door up to 1500 mm from floor level, and side panels within 300 mm of the edge of a door. When a unit in one of those places is replaced, the new one must be toughened or laminated.

Toughened glass breaks into small, blunt pieces and usually carries a permanent mark in one corner. Laminated glass holds together on a plastic interlayer when broken, which also makes it harder to get through. We check the location of every unit we measure and specify the right glass, even if the original was plain float glass fitted before the rules applied.

Where do we carry out double glazing repairs?

We cover Liverpool and the wider Merseyside area, including Sefton, Knowsley, St Helens and the Wirral, plus Widnes. Housing across the region has had uPVC and aluminium double glazing for twenty to forty years, which means a lot of first-generation units and hardware are now reaching the end of their working life.

In south Liverpool, the inter-war semis of Allerton and Childwall often have bay windows with several units of different sizes, while Woolton mixes older village houses with later suburban homes. The Victorian and Edwardian terraces of Wavertree and Walton have uPVC fitted into older openings, and many are let, so landlords call us about misted glass and locks before inspections and new tenancies.

To the north and east, the large inter-war estate at Norris Green and the semis of West Derby had much of their double glazing fitted from the 1980s onwards. Across the boundary in Knowsley we work in Huyton, Kirkby, Prescot and Halewood, and down towards the airport in Speke.

On the Sefton coast, homes in Crosby and Formby take wind-driven rain off the sea, which tests seals and drainage hard, and larger Formby houses often have patio and bi-fold doors. We also cover Bootle and Maghull, St Helens and Widnes, and across the water in Birkenhead and Wallasey. The full list, with postcodes, is on our areas we cover page.

What happens when you call us?

1. We ask about the problem. Misted glass, a broken pane, a lock, a hinge, a door catching: we want to know what it is doing, which window or door, the frame material and roughly how old it is.
2. We may ask for a photo. A picture of the whole window and a close-up of any marks or stickers on the spacer bar, or of the lock and cylinder, helps us work out what is fitted.
3. We visit to look and measure. Glass units have to be measured precisely, and hardware has to be identified, so we come out to see it properly.
4. We explain the options and quote in writing. We tell you whether a repair, a part swap or a new glass unit is the sensible fix, and why.
5. We fit the repair. Glass units are made to measure and fitted at a second visit. Small hardware jobs can often be done at the first visit if we carry the part.
6. We test before we leave. Every window and door we work on is opened, closed and locked to check it works as it should.

Glass units are made to order, so there is usually a short wait of days to a couple of weeks between measuring and fitting. Fitting a standard unit often takes under an hour per window. If a pane has been broken and you cannot wait, we can make the opening safe first with boarding or temporary glazing, then come back with the new unit once it is ready.

What affects the cost of a repair?

We do not publish a price list, because two jobs that sound the same rarely are. The main factors are the size and shape of the glass, the type of glass needed (toughened, laminated, obscure, low-E or triple glazed), Georgian bars or leaded designs, how many units are being done at once, access and height, and for hardware the make and model of the lock, gearbox or hinge. Our guide to double glazing repair costs explains each factor and includes some national guide figures from independent sources, so you know what to expect before we quote.

Why do double glazed windows and doors fail?

Most faults come down to age and use, but a few causes come up again and again. Sealed units often fail sooner when the drainage slots in the bottom of the frame are blocked, so the edge of the unit sits in water. Poorly packed glass can put stress on the seal. Strong sun and repeated temperature swings work the seal over many years. On doors, the weight of the leaf slowly wears the hinges until the door drops, the locking points no longer line up with the keeps, and people start forcing the handle, which is when gearboxes break.

If you want to understand a particular symptom before you call, our double glazing problems guide goes through the common ones, what usually causes them and which repair fits.

Simple checks you can make safely

• Wipe the glass to see whether condensation is on the room side or between the panes.
• Clear the drainage slots at the bottom of the outer frame with a soft brush.
• Lubricate the locking points with a light oil or silicone spray as the maker recommends.
• Look at the face of your door cylinder for a Kitemark and stars, which show whether it meets TS 007.
• Keep trickle vents open, especially in bedrooms, kitchens and bathrooms.

Landlords, sellers and existing guarantees

Misted units, a back door that will not lock and a window that will not open are the kind of things that come up on inspections, inventories and survey reports. We repair them for owner-occupiers, landlords and people getting ready to sell, though whether a repair satisfies a surveyor, lender or insurer is always their decision. If your windows or doors are still within an installer’s or manufacturer’s guarantee, check the paperwork before any repair work, as it may set out who should carry out repairs.