Hey Australia, you're super hot. This is not a compliment. Not to make light of an increasingly serious situation, but it can feel like the temperature and overall climatic conditions have become haywire. December 2019 saw a catastrophic heatwave affect most of the country, with temperatures approaching unprecedented levels. And this is in addition to the alarming bushfires raging across much of the east coast, with Sydney practically choking under a smoke haze. Just how well your home will handle such heat is going to be a concern for any homeowner. Have you ever wondered if it's possible that this extreme, ongoing heat might ever be too much for your windows?

Direct Heat

Please don't worry that continual exposure to sunlight will cause your pristine windows to spontaneously shatter. Direct, extreme heat can certainly make this happen, but this would involve a bushfire blazing directly outside the window, and you will have undoubtedly already evacuated if this was the case. And yet, it's possible for windows that already have a tiny amount of damage to crack as a result of heat. With prolonged extreme temperatures, damaged windows can be a cause for concern.

Thermal Stress

Broken glass as a result of heat is known as a reaction to thermal stress. Solar radiation causes glass to expand and contract, and while these movements are utterly minuscule, it can result in breakage when a small crack already exists within the glass. This means that the structural integrity of the sheet of glass has already been compromised, meaning that less external force (via solar radiation) is needed to crack the glass, which wouldn't be the case if the glass was undamaged.

A Small Crack

Essentially, all this means that you shouldn't overlook a small crack in your windows. Yes, you should probably get around to replacing the window anyway, but extreme heat means that glass replacement should be a priority. However low the risk of heat cracking your windows might be, wouldn't you prefer to avoid this risk altogether? For added protection, a window tint (with a film applied to the exterior of the window) or window shades installed on the exterior of your home will do a great job of minimising the amount of solar radiation the windows are exposed to.

In short, in these uncertain times when the temperature seems to be out of control, it's important not to overlook a small crack in your window.

To learn more about glass replacement, consult a resource in your area.