Cracked or broken glass
Broken or cracked window glass in Brampton
A cracked pane is unsettling, especially with small children, grandparents or tenants in the house. Most of the time it's fixable without a new window. Make the area safe, take photos, cover the opening if needed, then have the glass replaced properly. We're a free referral service. We connect you with an independent local glass professional who replaces just the broken glass when the frame is sound.
- Safe first, then photos, then glass
- Usually the pane, not the window
- Owners, tenants and family can ask
The first hour
First hour: make it safe
A broken window needs a few calm steps, in this order. Most you can do yourself.
Keep people and pets back
Close the door to the room. Wear shoes and heavy gloves, pick up large pieces first, then vacuum. Don't pull loose shards from the frame.
Photograph before cleaning up
Take wide shots and close-ups of the window, the glass on the floor and whatever caused the break. Insurers and landlords both ask for these, and they help the pro quote.
Tape a crack so it can't spread
If the glass is cracked but in place, run strong tape across the crack on both sides. If the window is open to rain or cold, cover it or see emergency board-up.
A broken basement pane in a window well
Glass often falls into the well. Clear it with gloves and a small scoop, and cover the opening from outside with plywood or weighted heavy plastic. In a basement unit, the tenant should stay out of the room until it's covered.
How urgent is it?
Crack, chip or shattered? Which ones can wait
It depends on whether the room is closed to the weather and whether anyone could get hurt.
A single crack in one pane
If one pane has cracked and the room is still sealed, it can usually wait for a booked appointment. Some cracks start with no impact at all, running in from the edge after a sharp change in temperature. Winters here swing across freezing on many days, and a crack can lengthen with each swing, so book the glass.
A chip or small bullseye
A stone or a puck can leave a small star. It weakens the glass and can let the seal fail, so replace it, though rarely tonight.
Shattered, or open to the outside
Glass on the floor or an opening to the weather can't wait. Clear it safely, close the opening, then have the glass measured.
The fix
Replacing just the glass: single pane, sealed unit or tempered
The pro matches the new glass to what broke; the frame usually stays.
Single-pane glass
Some basement, storm and garage windows have one layer of glass. New glass is cut to size and set in the frame, the simplest glass job there is.
A double-pane unit
Most Brampton windows have two panes sealed together, which pros call a sealed unit. A crack in either pane means the whole unit is replaced, since it can't be resealed on site. It's measured, made to order and fitted on a second visit. If it had also gone foggy between the panes, the new glass fixes both.
Tempered or laminated safety glass
Glass in doors and some door-side panes must be safety glass. It's made to exact size and can't be cut afterward, so it's always made to order.
Safety glass
Where the Ontario code requires safety glass
The Ontario Building Code calls for safety glass, tempered or laminated, in sliding doors, storm doors, sidelights beside a door that are wide enough to be mistaken for one, and shower or bathtub enclosures. When glass breaks in one of those spots, the replacement is made as safety glass.
Code wording changes between editions, so the pro confirms what applies to your window under the current 2024 Ontario Building Code. If the break is in a door rather than a window, see door glass replacement.
After a storm
Storm and wind damage: lessons from the May 2022 derecho
The May 2022 windstorm brought down trees and power across the city, and some of that damage was glass. The order doesn't change in a storm: stay clear of downed wires, photograph the window and what hit it, cover the opening, and call your insurer before paying for a full replacement.
Then check the other windows on the side that took the wind. A small chip from debris is easy to miss; ask the pro to look on the same visit.
What affects the quote
What changes the quote
Glass is priced by the piece. These move the number:
- Type of glass: single pane, double-pane unit, tempered or laminated
- Size and shape of the broken pane
- Which storey it's on, and whether a ladder or a window well is involved
- Damage to the frame, sash or glazing stops from the break
- A board-up or an after-hours visit before the new glass is ready
- Low-E coating or tint to match the windows beside it
A photo of the break and the rough width and height let a pro quote before coming out.
Rented homes
Tenants, landlords and second units: who arranges the repair
In a rented basement unit or house, the tenant tells the landlord first, in writing if possible, with the photos. A tenant can send the request through us with the landlord's permission, so the pro knows who to call and who approves the quote.
For owner-landlords, the City's rental licensing now covers homes with one to four rental units across Brampton. Fix broken glass promptly and keep the receipts. Booking repairs across units is covered on our page for landlords and property managers.
Questions
Broken glass questions
Explore your options
When the break is more than one pane
Glass pros replace broken panes across Brampton and nearby, including Heart Lake, Peel Village, Downtown Brampton and Snelgrove.
Upload a photo of the break and tell us the window size
A photo and a rough size are enough. We'll pass them to a local glass pro for a glass-only quote.