Replacing double glazed units

[Bankrupt]

I have some Staybrite windows which I've had for about 10 years.
One small double glazed unit has broken down and is fogged and has drops of condensation inside.

Is it easy to change these units from inside after taking out the rubber beading and is there anywhere online where you can supply the required dimensions and a new double glazed unit online ?

Thanks .

 

[davidatwork]

get a local glazier there's so much to go wrong if you diy will you damage the beading, do you know the air cavity,its easy for a novice to break a unit trying to fit it. A small unit eg in a sash will only be about £50 cheers David,

 

[Bankrupt]

get a local glazier there's so much to go wrong if you diy will you damage the beading, do you know the air cavity,its easy for a novice to break a unit trying to fit it. A small unit eg in a sash will only be about £50 cheers David,

Thanks for the reply.

I would have thought that all I needed to order a replacement unit would be the Length, Breadth and thickness of the unit. The unit I'm looking to replace is even smaller than you'd get in a sash.

I believe that if I take out the rubber wedge gasket on the inside and then move the unit to take the pressure off, the four clip in beads on the outside should pop out fairly easily....

 

[crank39]

Staybrite are externally beaded so remove the white wedge gasket inside and then go outside push the glass in to loosen the beads, here lies your problem, staybrite fit security clips to stop the glass being taken out at this stage, it now becomes a 2 man job. One man on the inside to disengage the clip and one outside removing the clip.

And to give you a head start staybrite units are 24mm, 4/16/4 thick, all you'll need is width, height, spacer bar colour and glass spec, if they were fitted after april 2002 then they should be pilkington K but you never know with staybrite, also if the glass is lower than 800mm to the floor or closer than 300mm to a door then it needs to be saftey glass

 

[Bankrupt]

Thanks Crank - That's very helpful.

It's only a small unit and I can reach outside to take out the beads through the very large vent in the window ( it's an upstairs bedroom so we fitted large full height vents in the centre as emergency exits ).

What do I need to release the security clips ? Are they under the wedge gasket ?

 

[crank39]

I ve scoured the net for pictures of security clip but to no avail.

Basically they are on the outside under the beads, if you remove the beads you will see how they work. After the glass is put in a stainless steel 'L' shaped clip is locked onto the frame, the longer part of the L sliding in the gap of the glass and frame and the short stubby part of the L wraps over the glass, there is no room to shuffle the glass over to one side to disengage one clip then over to the other to disengage the second, this is how they work and are meant to be burglar proof.

If yours is an upstairs window then you will find it almost impossible to remove staybrite beads by sticking your head out of an opener, they are a little tricky them beads, but during writing this there may not be ANY clips fitted as its an upstairs window, best done of a ladder me thinks, i'd hate for your glass to fall out as you remove the last bead from inside

 

[Bankrupt]

Thanks Crank. .

If I understand correctly the external beads can be removed once you move the unit inwards slightly to take the pressure of the glass off them - Then once you have removed the beads the clips can be seen ?

I'm not too worried about working on the outside. I have a small roof outside the window that I can pop out onto if necessary.

I wouldn't be too worried about dropping the old misted up unit either - The new one would be a different matter.....

 

[crank39]

Thanks Crank. .

If I understand correctly the external beads can be removed once you move the unit inwards slightly to take the pressure of the glass off them - Then once you have removed the beads the clips can be seen ?

Correct, just remove the inner rubber, white it is on staybrite if my memory serves me correctly, this allows the glass to rattle and takes the pressure off the beads like you say, then get a 2" scraper/putty knife a flick the beads out and then you'll see the clips