Broken glass replacement on the Costa Blanca

When a glass breaks on the Costa Blanca

The most common causes we see are three. First, strong wind that slams a sliding door violently against the frame and cracks the tempered glass. Happens especially in westerly or strong easterly wind areas like La Mata, Punta Prima or Pilar de la Horadada when doors are left poorly latched. Second, kids’ balls or accidental knocks against ground-floor or terrace window glass. Third, break-in attempts where the burglar smashes the balcony glass to get in, relatively rare here but it happens.

The right protocol when glass breaks is to immediately remove all loose fragments to avoid accidents (especially important with kids or pets at home), provisionally cover with thick plastic sheet or board if the area is accessible from outside and there’s break-in risk, and call the glazier as soon as possible for measurement and replacement. Urgency depends on whether the area is watertight. An interior-courtyard window can wait 2-3 days. A balcony door or exterior window with rain or break-in risk needs urgent replacement.

Glass types and regulation

Tempered glass is the standard for balcony doors, large windows and impact-risk areas. Its distinctive feature is that when it breaks, it shatters into thousands of small blunt fragments that don’t cause serious cuts, instead of the large sharp fragments of standard glass. Spanish regulation (CTE) requires tempered or laminated safety glass in all walkways and heights below 90 cm. If your broken glass was standard, we replace it with tempered as mandatory for compliance.

Laminated glass, formed by two panes joined by an inner transparent PVB layer, is the premium option for doors and windows with break-in risk. When it breaks, fragments stay stuck to the PVB layer and the window keeps significant residual resistance. Recommended on accessible ground floors or isolated villas with elevated risk.

Climalit double glazing is the standard for thermal and acoustic insulation in modern construction. Two panes separated by a dehydrated air cavity and perimeter-sealed. If one pane of a Climalit unit breaks, the whole unit must be replaced because the air cavity gets contaminated with moisture and loses its insulation function. Replacement is somewhat pricier but technically the only proper fix.

The replacement process

We start with a measurement visit. We measure the existing aperture to millimetre precision, identify the glass type to replace (tempered, laminated, Climalit), and verify the frame fixing system (silicone, PVC profile, neoprene seal) so the replacement is identical to the original. We give a fixed quote on the same visit.

The new glass is made to measure at a local glazier. Typical lead time: 3-5 days for simple tempered, 5-7 days for Climalit, 7-10 days for laminated or specials with treatments. Once made, we arrive on site, safely remove the broken glass (safety glasses and specific gloves), clean the frame, apply new sealing if needed, fit the new glass and verify watertightness and fixing.