If your double glazing is smashed, make the area safe first, photograph the damage, then book a repair. In many homes and businesses the frame is still sound, so only the sealed glass unit needs replacing, not the whole window. At Cloudy2Clear Windows we replace just the glass, and you can call us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to book a quote.
This guide takes you through the first hour, the evidence to gather, the insurance and landlord questions, and what a proper repair involves. It is written for homeowners, business owners and housing association managers across the UK.
What to do in the first hour
A smashed window is stressful, but a calm order of tasks protects you and makes the repair and any claim simpler. Follow these steps in order.
- Keep people and pets away from the glass. Shut the door of the room if you can. Fragments travel further than you expect, and bare feet are the usual victims.
- Photograph and film the damage before you touch anything. Take wide shots and close-ups from several angles, inside and out, including any sign of forced entry. Insurers and landlords both ask for this evidence, and it is much harder to produce after you have cleaned up.
- Clear loose glass carefully. Wear thick gloves and sturdy shoes. Use a brush and pan for larger pieces, then a damp cloth or paper towel for slivers. Never use bare hands or a household vacuum on sharp shards.
- Cover the opening. Cardboard, thick plastic sheeting or a board fixed over the gap will keep out rain, wind and draughts until the glass is replaced. Fix it to the frame or wall securely, so it cannot blow loose.
- Report it if a crime may be involved. If there are signs of a break-in or deliberate damage, contact the police and ask for a crime reference number. Insurers commonly require it when you claim.
- Contact your insurer or landlord. Do this before you commit to a permanent repair, so you know who is paying and what paperwork they need.
- Book a glazier. Tell them the size of the window, how many panes are affected and whether the frame looks bent or damaged. Photos help us a great deal at this stage.
If the window is on an upper floor, over a pavement, or beside an entrance used by the public, make the area safe for others too. Business premises should cordon off the space beneath the opening until it is secure.
What a smashed double glazed window actually is
A double glazed window is made of a sealed unit: two panes of glass separated by a spacer bar, with a gap between them that is sealed at the edges. That sealed unit sits inside a frame, held in place by beads and gaskets.
When the outer pane smashes, the sealed unit has failed. Even if the inner pane looks intact, the seal is broken, so the unit no longer insulates properly and will mist or let in moisture. In practice, a smashed pane means the whole sealed unit is replaced, not patched.
That is good news in one respect. The unit is a separate component from the frame. If the frame is sound, you do not have to pay for a new window, a new installation and the disruption that comes with it. We explain more on our page about whether you can replace glass in double glazing without new frames.
Why double glazing smashes
Some causes are obvious, such as a ball, a thrown stone or a break-in attempt. Others catch homeowners by surprise.
| Cause | What it looks like | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Impact | A clear point of damage, often with a spider-web crack | Accidental or deliberate damage, so check insurance and whether to report to police |
| Corner damage | Cracks starting at a corner and running across | Corners are the weakest part of the unit, so small knocks can start a crack |
| Thermal stress | A single crack that grows from the edge, often on a sunny day or after a cold night | Uneven heating across the glass, sometimes made worse by shading or blinds close to the pane |
| Spontaneous breakage | Glass breaks with no obvious impact | A flaw in the glass or a stress in the pane |
| Poor fitting or movement | Cracks near fixings, with a frame that sticks or looks out of square | A fitting or frame issue to be checked before new glass goes in |
The Double Glazing and Conservatory Ombudsman Service (DGCOS) explains that thermal shock and nickel sulphide inclusions can cause spontaneous breakage, and that fitting and the quality of the glass edge also play a part. If your window broke with no impact at all, mention that when you book. It helps us check the cause before we fit the new glass, so the same thing does not happen again.
Making it safe until the repair
A temporary cover is only a stopgap, but a good one prevents water damage, protects your home’s security and keeps your heating in.
- Use a rigid cover where possible. A board or thick sheet of plywood is more secure than a flimsy sheet of plastic.
- Fix it from the inside if you can. That makes it harder for someone outside to pull it away.
- Tape over cracked glass that is still in the frame. Strong tape across a crack can hold loose pieces together, but never push on glass that is still in place.
- Move furniture and valuables away from the opening. This protects them from rain and from view.
- Close curtains or blinds on the inside. They catch stray fragments if the glass shifts.
Do not try to lever out broken glass from the frame yourself. Sharp edges are hidden at the rebate, and the pane may be under tension. This is a job for a trained glazier, who has the right tools and gloves, and who will clear the old unit safely.
Repair or full replacement: what your glazier checks
The question we hear most is whether the whole window has to go. The answer depends on the frame.
The sealed glass unit can often be replaced separately when the frame is in good condition. Full replacement is generally needed when the frame is warped, rotting or structurally damaged.
When we look at a smashed window, we check:
- The frame material and condition. Uncracked, straight uPVC, aluminium or timber frames can usually take a new glass unit.
- The beads and gaskets. These hold the glass in. They are often reusable, but worn ones can be replaced at the same visit.
- The hardware. Handles, hinges and locks affect security and how well the window closes. We can repair locks, handles and hinges alongside the glass.
- The glass specification. A new unit can match what you had, or be upgraded. Energy-efficient insulating glass and soundproofing glass are both options if you want the replacement to do more than the original.
If the frame is beyond saving, we will tell you so. Our guide on replacing only the glass and checking the frame first explains how to judge this yourself before you call. For a longer view of when a whole window is the better decision, this overview of when to replace windows and doors covers the warning signs of a failing frame.
How long does a repair take?
There are two stages. First comes a survey: we confirm the size of the unit, the glass type, and the condition of the frame. Then the replacement unit is made to measure, because double glazed units are manufactured to the exact dimensions of each opening. Once it is ready, fitting is usually a quick visit compared with a full window installation, as the frame stays in place.
The manufacturing time depends on the glass specification, so a standard clear unit is generally quicker than a specialist type. We will give you a realistic timeframe when we quote. Because we replace only the glass, a visit causes less disruption than a full window change, and the work is generally faster.
Insurance: what to check before you claim
Whether your insurer pays depends on your policy and on what caused the damage. As an example of typical wording, Nationwide’s home insurance policy wording says buildings accidental-damage cover can include a broken window. Your own policy may differ, so read your schedule.
Before you phone your insurer:
- Find your policy schedule and check whether buildings cover includes accidental damage.
- Check the excess. If it is higher than the likely cost of a glass-only repair, a claim may not make sense.
- Gather evidence: photographs and video, dates, any receipts, written quotes, and a crime reference number if the police were involved.
- Ask before you repair. Some insurers want to approve the repairer or the quote first.
- Keep the old glass or photographs of it if the insurer asks to see it.
A written quote from a glazier is usually part of the claim. Tell us if you need one in a particular format, and we will help where we can.
Tenants, landlords and housing associations
If you rent, a smashed window is normally not yours to fix. Landlords are typically responsible for structural repairs, and broken windows generally count as part of the structure. Tenants should report the damage in writing as soon as possible, with photos and any crime reference number.
For landlords and housing associations, speed and communication matter. In one case, the Housing Ombudsman found maladministration where a leaseholder’s shattered balcony-door and bedroom-window glass led to delayed communication about who was responsible. The Ombudsman also pointed to a failure to consider evidence and household vulnerability, and ordered repairs with a realistic completion timeframe.
The practical lessons for a housing provider are simple:
- Log the report on the day it arrives and confirm in writing who is responsible.
- Treat ground-floor and entrance glazing as a security priority.
- Consider vulnerable residents, such as young children or older people, when setting the repair timeframe.
- Give the resident a realistic date, and keep them updated if it changes.
Our guide to landlord glazing responsibilities sets out who fixes windows and when. We also offer inspection services and window replacement for commercial and housing association properties through our commercial fenestration service.
Smashed glass in shops, offices and other premises
For a business, a smashed pane is a security, safety and trading issue all at once. Make the area safe for staff and customers, record the damage for your insurer, and arrange a temporary cover straight away. Then book a repair that gets the glazing restored with minimal disruption to trading.
Because we replace the glass rather than the whole unit, the work is typically quicker and leaves your shopfront or office frame in place. Our commercial window repair service covers business premises across the country.
Other kinds of smashed glass we repair
Not every smashed pane is in a standard window. We also repair:
- Double glazed doors, including patio and French doors, through our double glazed door repairs service.
- Conservatory glazing, where roof and side panels can be affected by impact, weather and movement, through conservatory window repair.
- Velux and roof windows, on our Velux window repair page.
- Caravan windows, listed with our other window repair services.
Smashed double glazing repairs across our branch areas
We operate nationwide through local branches, so the engineer who visits you knows your area. Examples include:
- Double glazing repairs in Oxford: see our Oxford branch.
- Double glazing repairs in Norwich: see our Norwich branch.
- Double glazing repairs in Leicester and Loughborough: see our Leicester and Loughborough branch.
- Double glazing repairs in East Lancashire: see our East Lancashire branch.
- Double glazing repairs in Coventry, South Birmingham, Milton Keynes, Stockport, South Manchester and Chesterfield: each has its own page on our site, starting with Coventry.
Our perspective: why we replace only the glass
We have installed, replaced and repaired double glazing since 2005, and the same pattern comes up again and again after a break. People assume the whole window is ruined. Most of the time it is not.
When a pane is smashed, the part that has failed is the sealed glass unit. If the frame is straight and sound, replacing that unit restores the window, and it means less disruption, less waste and a faster job than replacing the whole window. That is why we replace only the glass, not the frame.
We also think a repair is a chance to improve, not only to restore. When a unit has to come out anyway, you can choose energy-efficient insulating glass or glass that reduces noise, so the new unit works harder than the old one.
Our work comes with a 25-year guarantee, and we cover homes, businesses and housing associations nationwide. Whatever has happened to your window, our aim is the same: make it safe, then bring back its clarity and efficiency.
Book your smashed glass repair
If your double glazing has been smashed, our broken window repairs service replaces the damaged glass unit and keeps your existing frame wherever it is sound. For standard misted or failed units, see our double glazing replacement page.
Our lines are open for calls from 8.30am to 6.30pm, but you can call us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to book a quote. Have your photos, window size and a note of any frame damage to hand, and we will tell you what the repair involves.
Frequently asked questions
Can I repair a smashed double glazed window myself?
We do not recommend it. Broken sealed units have sharp edges, and a proper repair needs a new unit made to the right size and fitted correctly in the frame. A temporary cover is fine for keeping the weather out, but the permanent repair is best left to a glazier.
Do I need a whole new window if the glass is smashed?
Not usually. If the frame is in good condition, the glass unit can often be replaced on its own. A new window is generally needed when the frame is warped, rotting or structurally damaged.
Why did my double glazing crack without anything hitting it?
Spontaneous breakage can come from thermal shock or from tiny inclusions in the glass. Fitting and the quality of the glass edge can also contribute. Tell your glazier what happened, so they can check the cause when they replace the unit.
Who pays when a tenant’s window is smashed?
Broken windows generally fall under the landlord’s responsibility as part of the structure. Tenants should report the damage in writing as soon as possible, with photos and any crime reference number. Whether the landlord’s insurer pays depends on the policy and the cause.
What should I do first if my window is smashed at night?
Make the area safe, photograph the damage and cover the opening with a rigid board or thick sheeting. If there are signs of a break-in, call the police. You can call us at any hour, every day, to book a quote for the permanent repair.
