Three simple glass checks before ‘we should fix that’ becomes a family tradition
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This article is brought to you by Cherry Glass & Aluminum, a premier provider of premium commercial and residential glass and aluminum storefronts in Idaho Falls. We specialize in aluminum storefronts, aluminum windows and doors, commercial glass, mirrors, cabinet glass and mirrors, residential windows, shower doors, tub enclosures, and automatic sliding doors. Whether you’re planning a new commercial storefront, upgrading your shower with custom glass, or have any other glass or aluminum needs, we’re here to help.
A moth gets through one torn screen, and suddenly it owns the living room.
It circles the lamp with the confidence of someone who pays the mortgage. Someone finds a towel. Someone suggests turning off every light. Someone else says, “We should probably fix that screen,” as if this is the first anyone has heard of the problem.
Home projects tend to become family traditions that way. The cloudy window gets cleaned again. The shower enclosure keeps quietly dating the bathroom. The screen develops a side entrance.
Before deciding what to replace, try these three checks. They can help you separate a cleaning job from something worth showing a glass professional.
1. Find out where the window fog is
Wipe the room-side glass first. Check the outside only if you can reach it safely from the ground. Moisture that wipes away is on the surface, which does not by itself mean the insulated-glass seal has failed.
If fog, streaks or droplets remain trapped between the panes, the seal may have failed. Make a note of the room and take a photo. “Kitchen window facing the driveway” is more useful than “the foggy one.”
A spray bottle cannot reach between the panes, no matter how confidently someone aims it.
That does not automatically mean replacing the entire window. Cherry Glass & Aluminum can assess the frame and the rest of the window to determine whether replacing just the insulated glass unit makes sense.
2. Close and lock the window gently
A window that is not fully seated can feel drafty. Close and latch it without forcing anything, then inspect the accessible weatherstripping. Look for missing, folded or brittle sections and visible gaps where the window should seal.
Hold your hand near the frame and meeting rail to feel for moving air. Use your hand, not a candle. This investigation does not need special effects.
Photograph anything unusual. If the sash binds, the lock will not work, the glass is cracked or the draft remains, get a professional assessment rather than forcing or dismantling the window.
3. Give shower glass the kind treatment
For residue on intact shower glass, use a soft microfiber cloth and a cleaner approved for the glass, coating and metal finish. Rinse thoroughly and dry. A squeegee or soft towel after use helps reduce what dries on the surface.
Skip razor blades, abrasive pads and aggressive scraping. More elbow grease is not always more progress.
If glass is chipped or cracked, a panel moves, hardware is loose or the door drags, stop using the enclosure and call a glass professional. Leave the hardware adjustments to the crew.
Start with the project you keep looking past
Some glass needs care. Some need repair. And sometimes the bathroom simply deserves a look from this decade.
Cherry Glass offers framed, semi-frameless and frameless shower enclosures, custom mirrors, cabinet glass, glass railings, window replacement, and window and door screen repair. With roots in East Idaho dating to 1968, the company helps homeowners tackle one project or several together.
Bring your notes, photos and ideas. Give Cherry Glass & Aluminum a call at (208) 522-6681 or request an estimate online to explore the options for your home.
The moth has had a good run.