I had a similar experience last year, but mine was with a small crack in our bedroom window. Followed the instructions carefully, everything seemed fine at first... then after winter hit, I noticed the resin had turned cloudy and even shrunk a bit. Honestly, I think these DIY kits are more of a temporary fix rather than a permanent solution. You probably didn't mess anything up—sounds like just how these things age over time.
After that, I ended up replacing the pane entirely. It wasn't as expensive or complicated as I'd expected, and the peace of mind was worth it. If it's bothering you every day, might be worth looking into replacing the glass altogether. Otherwise, maybe try another brand of resin? Some friends have had slightly better luck with different kits, though none seem to last forever.
I get why you'd be skeptical of DIY kits—I've seen plenty fail myself—but honestly, not all resins are created equal. Some of the higher-end epoxy resins designed specifically for glass repair actually hold up pretty well over a few seasons. I repaired a small chip in my kitchen window about three years ago, and it's still holding strong without cloudiness or shrinkage (knock on wood...). The trick is really in prep work: thorough cleaning, drying, and applying the resin at the right temperature.
That said, I totally agree that if you're dealing with a larger crack or it's in a spot you constantly look at, replacing the pane is usually the smarter call. But for smaller cracks or chips, a good DIY fix can definitely save you money and hassle. Just gotta pick the right product and spend a little extra time prepping.
- Good points about prep work—I've noticed the same thing with other DIY projects around the house. If you rush the cleaning or drying stage, you're basically setting yourself up for disappointment later.
- I've been thinking about trying a resin fix myself for a small chip in our living room window. It's not super noticeable, but it bugs me whenever I catch sight of it. My main hesitation is temperature control. You mentioned applying resin at the right temp—any tips on how to manage that if you're working in colder weather? Our garage isn't heated, and I'm guessing doing it outdoors in winter isn't ideal...
- Also curious if anyone's had luck using heat lamps or space heaters to keep the area warm enough during curing. Seems like it'd be tricky to maintain consistent temps without accidentally overheating something.
- Another thing I've wondered about: UV exposure. Our window gets direct sunlight most afternoons, and I've heard some resins yellow over time with UV rays. Have you noticed any discoloration issues with your repair after a few years?
- Totally agree on larger cracks though—probably better off biting the bullet and replacing the pane entirely. Had to do that recently with our basement window after a storm cracked it pretty badly. Not fun, but at least now it's done properly and I don't have to worry about leaks or drafts anymore.
"Also curious if anyone's had luck using heat lamps or space heaters to keep the area warm enough during curing."
I've used a small ceramic heater before, just placed it at a safe distance and monitored temps with an infrared thermometer. Worked fine, but you gotta babysit it closely to avoid overheating... Have you thought about insulating around the area temporarily?
I've done something similar with a heat lamp setup, but honestly, I found it a bit tricky to maintain consistent temps. Ended up rigging a makeshift tent with some heavy blankets to trap the heat better—worked surprisingly well. Just gotta be careful about ventilation and fire hazards. Did you find the ceramic heater dried out the curing material faster than expected? Had some issues with that myself...
"Did you find the ceramic heater dried out the curing material faster than expected? Had some issues with that myself..."
Totally agree about the drying issue—ceramic heaters can definitely speed things up unexpectedly. When I did something similar, I found placing a small bowl of water nearby helped balance humidity a bit. Also, your blanket tent idea sounds clever, but yeah, gotta watch ventilation closely. Learned the hard way when condensation built up and affected my curing results... trial and error, right?
When I did something similar, I found placing a small bowl of water nearby helped balance humidity a bit.
Yeah, ceramic heaters can be tricky—I had a similar experience when I was patching up a cracked window pane last winter. Thought I'd speed things up with a heater, but ended up drying the epoxy way too fast, causing it to shrink and crack again. Your bowl of water trick sounds interesting though, might've saved me some hassle. And you're right about ventilation—my makeshift plastic tent turned into a mini sauna... lesson learned, haha.
I've never tried the bowl of water trick, but it makes sense... balancing humidity sounds like a smart move. Did you notice a big difference in drying time or was it more subtle? I usually just wing it and hope for the best, haha. Last time I patched a window, I ended up with epoxy fingerprints everywhere—still scraping those off months later. Maybe next time I'll give your method a shot.
I've done the bowl of water thing a couple times, and honestly, the difference was pretty subtle. It did seem to help a bit with smoother drying, but nothing dramatic. Still beats leaving epoxy fingerprints everywhere though...been there, done that, still have the smudges to prove it, haha.
- Tried the bowl trick myself—honestly didn't notice much difference either.
- Sure, it helps a bit, but not enough to justify the hassle IMO.
- Still, gotta agree about the epoxy fingerprints...been months and I'm still finding random sticky spots, lol.
- For a small crack, DIY might be okay, but anything bigger I'd probably just bite the bullet and call someone.