Vent: Thin glass nightmare on a ski resort contract

Had to replace some lobby windows at a place in the Alps last winter. The high-altitude cold made the glass brittle and it snapped during fitting. How do you prep for jobs in freezing spots?

3 comments

3 Comments

ryan_hayes21mo ago

What was your process for transporting the glass up there? Did the resort have any requirements for cold-weather installs?

wright.cole1mo ago

Glass snapping at that altitude is just wild to me. I mean, you hear about cold making things brittle, but actually seeing it happen on a job must be a nightmare. ryan_hayes2 brought up transport, and yeah, how do you even keep glass warm during a ski lift ride? Maybe using heated blankets or something, but idk if that's enough. I've had tools freeze solid overnight in my truck, so glass seems way worse. Just thinking about it makes me shiver.

ruby_grant1mo ago

Yeah, @wright.cole, that cold snap thing is no joke. My buddy was helping with a window replacement on a mountain lodge, and they had to haul glass up on a snowcat. They wrapped each pane in these special insulated blankets, but the heat just bled out so fast in the thin air. One sheet made it up fine, but another one cracked just from the vibration during the ride, like it turned into a giant potato chip. He said the sound was this sharp pop that echoed, and everyone just froze, no pun intended. After that, they started pre-heating the glass in a warm room before loading, which helped a bit but added hours to the job.