The team at WRE offers Many Options When It Comes To Solarium Restoration
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Types of Solarium Restoration
Two things go wrong in a solarium, and they are usually connected:
Failed glass, and water getting in where it should not.
Thermal Glass Replacement
Solarium glass is not standard window glass. The units are large, often sloped, and carry snow and ice load, so they are fabricated to the measurements and specification of your structure. We replace failed sealed units in the roof and the walls, matched to the existing glazing, with Low-E and argon filled units as standard.
Waterproofing
Most solarium leaks are not a glass problem. They start at the flashing where the solarium meets the house, or at the roof and sill details. We open up the intersection, find where the water is actually tracking, and rebuild the flashing and the seal so the water has somewhere to go.
Know The Signs
Sign #1: Foggy Windows
Condensation in the double panes of the windows is a common problem that many people ignore since it goes away as the day warms up with the sun. While there may not be a problem if it’s happening in one window, when all windows are affected, it’s usually a bigger problem than you may think.
It’s not about the windows – the fog is just a sign condensation may be an issue in other places. It could be inside the structure of the solarium and that causes mold. The longer this is ignored, the worse the mold gets and this can lead to a few problems:
Damp conditions and mould are a recognized indoor air quality problem, and can trigger allergy and asthma symptoms in people who are sensitive to them.
Mould can take hold inside the framing and insulation, where you cannot see it.
The longer it goes on, the more of the structure has to be opened up to put it right.
Remediation that does not fix the source of the moisture tends to come back.
Most people assume fogging is cosmetic, and sometimes it is. The point of looking is to find out which one you are dealing with. That is a short conversation, not a big job.
Sign #2: Leaking Solarium
Leaks in solariums are common. Many people think it’s a minor one that can be simply resolved with caulking. This is untrue. Caulking only band-aids the problem. In other words, the leak is a sign of a much bigger internal issue. It could mean the flashing at the intersection of your solarium and the main structure of the house has been compromised. This means the intersection needs to be repaired. If where the leak occurs is caulked, the water will still get into the area between the flashing and the house. This will cause leaking in other areas or the same area again. It can also cause mold issues since there’s nowhere for the water to go until it can erode the structure enough to leak out again.
Again, caulking may seem like the perfect, low-cost solution to leaks, but it’s not. It could end up causing a bigger problem you cannot see, and that will come along with an expensive repair bill. We recommend having the waterproofing and roof flashing repaired at the first sign of an issue rather than waiting.
How We Get The Job Done
Tell us what the solarium is doing
Tell us what the solarium is doing: fog in the glass, water at a seam after rain, staining on the frame or ceiling, a room that has become too cold to use. Photos help. We start with the symptom, not a price.
On Site Inspection
We attend and assess the whole structure: the glass, the frames, the flashing where the solarium meets the house, the roof details and the sills. You get our findings and our recommendation, separated into what needs attention now and what can wait.
Fabrication
Nothing is ordered until you approve the scope. Once you do, sealed units are fabricated to the measurements taken on site and materials are matched to what is already in the structure.
Install Day
We work to the agreed schedule, keep the site clean, and hand back a record of what was done. If something on site turns out differently from the assessment, you hear it from us before we proceed, not after.
WRE works on every kind of window and door problem, from sealed unit replacement to hardware repair and structural resealing. We diagnose the system first, then guide you into the Dual Pathway™: restore, replace, or a combination of both.
Restoration has to clear one test: can we stand behind a 25-year outcome? Where it can, restoring is the better use of your money. Where it cannot, we recommend replacement and show you what we found, because we will not put our name to a repair we cannot guarantee for that long.
Ready to start with a diagnosis?
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