Complete mystery ..............

[Ann]

I have just gone into our lounge and had a fright as one side of our patio door is completely shattered, just like a windscreen goes, there isn't a single inch of glass which isn't "mosiac" and it looks just like frosted glass. The other side which slides, is completely normal. OH immediately thought a bird had hit it but there is nothing dead outside on the patio and it would take some force to break the double glazed glass, in the past we even had an owl hit the other side of the patio door and left its imprint but didn't break it, so what could be heavier than an owl. There is no actual hole but you can just about make out the point of "impact" as lines radiate out from it but its very low down 18" from the ground. It can't be a stone (none on the ground anyway) or an airgun pellet as our garden is very private with high fences and conifers at the bottom. What on earth do I tell the insurance company? Could it have been a hailstone do you think? We didn't hear any noise and although we had a few heavy showers, we didn't hear hail this morning.
O-er how weird! Any ideas?

[The Builder]

As the others say, Ann ............... toughened glass is under a lot of tension.
They'll replace the double-glazed unit complete (not the door). You can't normally replace only one pane in a DG unit

[chi-chi66]

Are you having the same problems as Tracie


http://www.theanswerb.../Question1115299.html

[chi-chi66]

^^^^^sorry 'Traceee'

[Ann]

Update - well I was spitting feathers on this one! Insurance company turned bolshy, said they wouldn't pay out if it was "thermal pressure" caused by hot sun (yeah right! some hope!) on windows ......... wanted 2 quotes + written reason if it wasn't caused by a bird or a stone thrown up by mower. We must have rung 12 companies within a 20 mile radius, lots of excuses "too busy" "too far out of our area" - this is the best one "won't do it unless you guarantee we get the job when we come out to assess" (eh? Insurance company decides matey!) In the end we managed to get 2 quotes (with inconclusive reasons!) but took nearly two days .......... finally they agreed to pay out but what a huge hassle its caused .... if we had said immediately a bird hit it they would have paid up immediately! Grr! what is the point of being honest?