But remember, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably isn’t true – a saying that often applies to these situations.  These bold auto glass sales tactics vary from approaching drivers at car washes and gas stations, to aggressive telemarketing to actually damaging windshields, then approaching owners at home or work about replacement.  Their work practices also range from the completely above board to down and dirty – some lie to insurance companies about everything from the quality of glass to the location where the repair was done.  (They have even been known to spam perfectly good auto glass blogs!)

The worst of the worst work in teams: one repairman does the work, then another comes by and approaches the same driver, stating that the work is of inferior quality and needs to be re-replaced.   When these charlatans convince drivers to sign off on this work they are securing one’s complicity in defrauding their own insurance company.  And usually the car owners still find themselves with cheap glass and bad installation – and maybe slightly higher insurance premiums.

So drivers beware!  If you weren’t seeking out a service for you car, don’t trust a stranger who approaches you to tell you what they can do for your automobile.  An auto glass replacement company with a good reputation doesn’t need to be aggressive to make it in this business!

For more recent news about the problem with windshield bullies check out these articles at MSNBC’s Red Tape Chronicles and The Consumerist.

The possibility to save business owners from this plight is what makes Deal Glass Services so thrilled to be providing commercial glass repair to Charlotte and Lancaster area proprietors.   Commercial window and storefront repair can save these businesses from all the issues that make replacement such a painful procedure – including the cost.  After considering the options when faced with fogged commercial glass, repair makes the replacement process seem archaic.

Thermopane repair can be performed in half the time and completely from the inside -  no scaffolding, no crane, no eyesore.  The procedure is largely the same as that used for residential window repair.   The technician drills two small holes in the window and introduces a cleaning agent that eliminates the moisture and any detritus that has made it’s way into the area between the layers of glass.  Once this product is vacuumed out, the technician installs two small valves: a sieve valve and a traditional one way valve.  Not only does this fix the problem, it prevents the issue from recurring and saves a large, expensive piece of glass from a landfill.

With this option now available to Charlotte area property owners, we hope this can help some of those businesses who are struggling to survive, by cutting the cost of dealing with fogged commercial storefronts.  If you are interested in this service, you can contact us in Charlotte/Kannapolis, NC at (704).933.9341 or in Lancaster, SC (803).286.7611 to find out more about how commercial window repair can help your business save without cutting corners.

Since the foggy window repair process is a fairly new idea, many people facing thermopane seal failure don’t even consider this solution.  At a price of about $90 it is the most cost effective, can be completed in about an hour and since we aren’t disposing of the old glass, it’s also the most environmentally friendly method.   But if you wait too long  after the seal fails, the moisture will permanently stain the inside of the glass giving it an opaque or mottled look – then the foggy appearance cannot be repaired.

Even if the glass has been permanently fogged you can replace the glass in the window at a cost of about $150 – $170.  It it cheaper and easier than full window replacement – but we still have to create waste, making it not nearly as green as repair.  If you have a qualified glass technician come look at the damage as soon as you notice the fog, this can be avoided.

For most people with vinyl windows there is no need to replace the entire window, which not only costs about $300 but also can be quite hassle to the homeowner.  As long as your windows were installed after 1975 and you don’t have any serious problems with them then the expense of this project can be prohibitive.

Check out our site for more info about repair or replacement of fogged resiential window glass in the Charlotte, NC area or to get an online quote.