The residential area around SeaTac international airport has windows installed that are basically storm windows; they call them “port package windows”.
These windows are used to help with the noise from the planes and come apart usually fairly easily for cleaning in between and sometimes they fog up after you leave (these are big picture windows that do not open)
My question is has anyone ever used anything like a moisture absorptive to suck out the moisture left from window cleaning?
I usually warn my customers that this could happen and when it does I go back and remove the pane and let it sit out for a day and then I return to reinstall it.
The description you gave sounds like the PELLA PRO line here in the Midwest. PELLA has weep holes in each corner between the panels to allow for condensation to escape.
Is this possible with your “port package windows”
I don’t think I could “add” weep holes, these are not Pella, several different brands are found around here, none of which are brand name i.e. Milgard, JELD-WEN, ect.
I literally just got off the phone with the customer tonight and this one window is fogged up again. The one thing I have noticed is that they keep the house every warm thus it is humid in there. I am going over tomorrow morning to take the pane apart again and I will let it sit out over night hopefully it will allow the moisture to dry. I am wondering what I could put in the middle to help absorb the moisture.
David, usually the fog does clear on its own, this is why I warn my customers ahead of time. Sometimes it never happens but this one pane is being …well………a pain.
If they are like Pellas it might help to capture the squeegee water with a rag instead of letting it find its way into the cracks and crevices of the frame. It can often be the water you are leaving behind that gets trapped in the cavity that causes fogging.
What I’ve found that works pretty well is, turn the panel sideways. Take the bottom of the panel and turn it so it’s on your left. When you wash the panel, you squeegee from right to left. Now, when you do the other side turn it around and squeegee from left to right into the bottom rail. What this does is keep the water from getting into the bottom rail and you squeegee into the same corner. Then turn the panel back to original position and set it down and tilt it so any small amount of water drains out. Meanwhile, move on and do some more then come back a few minutes later and reinstall. I do this procedure with my storms and found it greatly reduces the water build up in the frame. Hope this helps…
There’s a product I started using this year on the insides of removable storms. I never tried this product for anything before this year, and I now use it for many things.
I use Zep window cleaning foam on the insides of removable panes. I do so because of the fogging issue. I had a house in late spring that was a combination of cut ups, Pella removable storms, old fashioned removable storms, diamond shaped cut ups, etc. This house was like an obstacle course for window cleaners.
I used the Zep foam on all the cut ups, and all the interiors of the Pella removable storms. I had fogging issues with the first 2 Pellas I did, which I did with brush and squeegee. I had the foam on my belt because of the cut ups I was doing. I tried it on the interiors of the Pellas and it did a wonderful job & I had no fogging issues of any kind.
There’s another benefit too. I had an inexperienced man who needed work help me on a few jobs. I had him just removing and cleaning screens, and other simple work. He helped me on another house that had Pellas, and it had very few screens. In 2 minutes, I showed him how to use the foam. He had all the Pellas cleaned in between by the time I was done with the outside, and I did not have to redo any of the windows he did.
The method I use with the foam is to spray it on, covering all the glass, but not excessively. I clean off the foam with 2 huck towels. The first I use to wipe away most, but not all, of the foam. I leave maybe 10% of the foam behind. Then, I finish with the 2nd huck, drying and polishing.
This method works great. I only use it on cut ups and removable storms, though.
I thought about using sprayway, that is the foam cleaner we use , but this window is a big pane 48 x 60 , with a view of Puget sound and westerly exposure…….i would rather have condensation than wipe marks if you know what I mean!
I should have set rags in the bottom of the pane to catch the water. It is now 8:00am and I am on my way out to remove the pane………again.
If you have any of those little packets of desiccant that sometimes come in packaging w/ metal inside. They are designed to draw in moisture so maybe they could help w/ the one pane.
There’s nothing you can put in there to absorb the moisture since the moisture will still be there. If the windows can be dried in the sun before being replace and evry drop of moisture on the inside frame dried out that should do the trick. An hour or two? Thought of putting a fan to help evaporation while you are drying the galss and frames out?
If the air you are trapping between the glass has moisture in it the window will fog. I’ve had windows fog between the glass when I used no solution, just dry wiped the window.
I’ve had simialr with Pellas in the winter. Had to crank the clients heat up to 80 and leave them all out for the day to dry up well before re-installing. Now if someone wants them done. I refuse this time of year. Too much bs trying to make them right.
