The Problem
The facilities manager of a mid-rise office building near Bay and Adelaide called about a crack across a large vision unit on the sixth floor. The crack started at the edge and curved across the glass, a classic thermal stress crack. The tinted unit sat behind a column that shaded half of it in the afternoon, so on cold sunny days one part heated while the edge stayed cold.
The glass was still in place, but the PM needed it replaced before it got worse, without closing the tenant’s floor and without a visible mismatch on the facade.
Matching and Access
The crew read the spacer stamp and took reflectivity and tint readings. The original unit was a Vitro Solarban 70XL insulated glass unit, which is still in production. The curtain wall system could be glazed from the inside, so no swing stage was needed. We sent the PM the WSIB clearance, certificate of insurance and a safety plan, and booked the freight elevator for an overnight shift.
Materials
- One Vitro Solarban 70XL insulated glass unit, Argon filled, built to the original size and thickness
- Structural glazing tape and new setting blocks
- Interior glazing stops reused, new gaskets
Timeline
| Step | When |
|---|---|
| Site walk and readings | Week 1 |
| Unit ordered | Week 1 |
| Fabrication | 3 weeks |
| Overnight install | One shift, 8pm-3am |
| Photo close-out to PM | Next morning |
The crew used a vacuum lifter to remove the cracked unit and set the new one from inside. Floor protection went down from the freight elevator to the window, and the tenant’s workstations nearby were covered.
Final Cost
$7,800 CAD, including the Vitro unit, interior glazing, overnight labour, floor protection and disposal. No swing stage, no lane permit and no tenant disruption. From the street, the new unit is indistinguishable from its neighbours. The work carries our written 2-year workmanship warranty plus the fabricator’s IGU warranty.
Related service: commercial glass replacement.
