The windows in most homes are strong. They are designed to keep your home protected and safe. Older single-pane windows tend to break more easily than newer, double or triple-pane windows. Regardless, strong forces can make the glass inside of a window to break. If you have a broken window, it is essential to know what to do to fix it as quickly as possible.

Maintain Safety

The first thing you need to do is to make sure that your home is safe. If the glass just cracked, your home should be safe. If the glass shattered inward, you are going to want to clean up the glass.

Start by sweeping up the glass to remove any large shards. Do not touch the glass with your hands. Wash the broom and the dustpan to remove any glass particles. Then, vacuum up the area to get rid of any small glass particles.

Once the glass is cleaned up, you can tape plastic over the surrounding window area to keep the elements out.

Schedule an Emergency Consultation

Second, you are going to want to schedule an emergency consultation with a window company. Let the window company know that you have a cracked or shattered window, and they can come over to check out the damage.

Many window companies have someone to deal with emergency requests outside of their regular scheduled business for things like remodeling and new construction homes.

Meet with the Glass Professionals

Many glass companies can provide you with a free, in-home consultation. They will look at the damage and let you know if they can patch the crack in the glass. They will let you know if the glass pane needs to be replaced or if the entire window structure, including the frame, needs to be replaced.

The glass professional will take precise measurements to ensure that they have the right glass to replace it. They may be able to fix or replace the glass during the consultation if you agree to their prices and services.

In rare situations, such as if a custom-made piece of glass broke, they might have to come back later to replace the glass. If this is the case, they will board up the window and secure it.

If you have a broken pane of glass, you will want to clean up the area to the best of your ability. Then, you are going to want to schedule an emergency consultation with a glass and window installer. They may be able to fix the glass during the consultation; if not, they will board up the window and come back to fix it once they have the right supplies. Contact a broken window replacement service for more information.