Windows are built to be far stronger now than ever before, but regardless of this, people may request window glass repalcement for a variety of different reasons.
Most of these have a clear reason behind them, whether it was a direct impact, a projectile or a crack emerges that expanded into a shattered window.
However, there are times when a window can break, often in a violent explosive fashion for seemingly no reason.
Often it will take an investigation from an expert to work out the exact reason why, but here are some common reasons why a window might break.
Thermal Stress
One of the unique challenges seen in a home during either particularly hot or particularly cold weather is the effects of thermal stress on the glass.
Thermal stress is caused by heat making a piece of glass expand on one side, whilst on the other side, colder temperatures cause it to contract. If the disparity is big enough or targeted enough this can cause stress fractures in the glass that can cause it to shatter.
Imperceptible Chip
A lot of glass used for windows is made of safety glass that is designed to shatter rather than break into shards and is typically much stronger than regular glass.
However, this means that imperceptible chips and nicks that would be more obvious in normal glass often are not noticed until some form of extreme stress or pressure is put on the glass, where it will simply shatter into little pieces.
Manufacturing Errors
Double glazing is complex to manufacture, with two panes of glass and a vacuum seal needing to be protected with the help of a carefully designed perimeter seal.
If that seal loses its integrity, either during installation, over time or due to a defect, it can let in moisture, which looks like condensation but when it expands due to heat can cause stress fractures that can lead to the window breaking.