Just installed some new Milgard vinyl windows in house we’re remodeling. Most of windows are single hung which look fine but two sets of windows, one with 6 panes (4×6), one with 4 panes (4×4), all panes roughly 24″ square, have t-bar dividers and each pane looks warped or curved inward. Is this typical of t-bar type windows or not? Could it be that there is too much vacuum between the double panes, sucking them together?
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Milgard rep. came out and we looked closer at other windows and they actually look similar (just not as noticeable since on sides of house): reflections are curved, upward and downward on each pane. Is this typical of all vinyl windows or double-paned windows or all windows nowadays? He thought it might have something to do with low-E glass?
Insulated glass does not have a vacume. It's either regular old air in there or a gas. Many manufactures used arogonne till they found out it migrates through silicone leaving a vacume and what I refer to as carnival glass... distorted reflections. The panes will deflect till they touch leaving the window with the insulatiing qualities of single pane. Some manufactures came up with a repair.... most didn't.
I'd suspect your windows suffer from being made on the wrong day, having something to do with temp or barometric pressure causing the glass to deflect. There is a laser device used in the window biz that measures the distance between the glass and the individual pane thickness. Have the window mfg check it out... if the edges to center vary more then a couple of milimeters have them replaced.
Enough stress on that glass will make you swear they exploded when they break on a very cold... high pressure , winter night.
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Spoke to salesperson at local glass company (not where I purchased windows) and he said they warn customers that insulated glass windows have tendency to deflect in way I was describing and that they normally recommend ordering units with thicker glass to avoid this problem.
So far it seems like problem has nothing to do with windows being made of vinyl but rather a result of air sealed between two layers of glass having different pressure than air inside/outside house, causing panes to curves inwards/outwards and produce curved reflections.
That is true.
A thought after my last post which did not include...
When making up large units laying flat, if the glass thickness is inadequate it will deflect when sealed and never give a true reflection or the desired air space between panes.
Bottom line is your glass ain't right and they should fix it.