39 threads · 34 questions · 5 discussions
Aluminium and glass are everywhere in UAE buildings — and so are the problems that come with sun, sand and the odd downpour. The community works through leaking window frames, stiff sliding doors, foggy double glazing, shower-screen fitting and glass partitions, plus how to spec work that survives the climate. Sealing and drainage detail is where most of these jobs are won or lost.
We'd like some curved glass (a curved shower screen and a curved balustrade panel). - How is curved/bent glass actually made — can flat glass really be shaped into a smooth curve,…
Our glass balustrade (balcony/stairs) has a panel that feels slightly loose, the fittings look tired, and it's hard to keep clean. - How do you maintain a glass balustrade — can l…
We're specifying new aluminium windows and there are different opening types — casement, sliding, tilt-and-turn. - How do I choose the right window type for each room — trade-offs…
We're considering a walk-on glass floor panel (over a stairwell void, as a feature). - Is glass you can walk on actually safe, and what glass and build is used so it doesn't crack…
We want a frameless glass door — for an internal doorway/office area, not a shower. - How does a frameless glass door actually work with no frame — what holds it up and lets it sw…
One pane of our large sliding patio door has cracked, and another has gone foggy. - Can you replace just the glass in a sliding/patio door, or do you have to replace the whole doo…
We're looking at aluminium composite panel (ACP) cladding for a small commercial building's facade, and I keep reading about fire regulations after the tower fires. - What actuall…
I'm choosing a new main entrance door for the villa and aluminium keeps coming up. - Is an aluminium entrance door actually secure and durable enough for a front door, and how doe…
Fitting out a retail/shop unit and I need the shopfront glazing (the big glass front and door). - What type of glass for a shopfront — does it have to be safety/toughened or lamin…
I want a custom glass tabletop (and a couple of glass shelves) cut to size — to protect a wood table and for a display unit. - What thickness and type of glass — does it need to b…
We have a skylight/rooflight that's started leaking when it rains and sometimes fogs up inside. - Can a leaking skylight be repaired (reseal/flashing) or does the whole thing need…
Replacing our villa's driveway and pedestrian gates and I'm looking at aluminium. - Are aluminium gates strong and durable enough (and better than steel/iron for rust)? - How do t…
We need railings/handrails for the stairs and a balcony and I'm looking at aluminium. - Are aluminium railings durable and safe (they carry loads and people lean on them)? - How d…
Thinking about a glass splashback behind the hob/counter instead of tiles. - Are glass splashbacks a good idea in a kitchen (heat behind a hob, cleaning, looks)? - What type of gl…
Thinking about aluminium roller shutters on some windows/doors for security, heat/sun control and blackout. - Are they actually worth it in a Dubai villa? - What are the options —…
We want to open windows and the balcony door in the cooler months without letting bugs in, so I'm looking at insect/mosquito screens. - What are the options — fixed mesh, sliding,…
Several of our mirrors (bathroom especially) have gone black, cloudy or blotchy around the edges and in spots. I gather this is the silvering backing degrading. - Can "de-silvered…
We've got a chipped shower screen edge and some scratches on a glass tabletop and a window. - Can chips and scratches in glass actually be polished/repaired out, or does it always…
Choosing new windows and it's aluminium vs uPVC frames. - What are the real differences for a Dubai villa — durability in sun and heat, insulation, looks, maintenance, cost? - Whi…
Our place has single-glazed windows and they let in heat and noise. - Is it actually worth retrofitting to double glazing here? - Does it meaningfully cut the AC bill and the nois…
Our windows let in a lot of heat and glare, and I've seen window film advertised for heat, glare, privacy and even shatter-safety. - Does applying film to existing glass actually…
One of our window/door glass panes has cracked (not shattered). - Can cracked glass actually be repaired, or does the whole pane/unit have to be replaced? - How do I know if it's…
We want a pergola/shade structure over the terrace and I'm torn between wood (looks lovely) and aluminium (looks low-maintenance). - Given the UAE sun, heat and occasional damp, w…
The rubber gaskets/seals around my aluminium windows are cracking and coming away, and the windows feel draughty and let a lot of heat in. - Can just the seals/gaskets be replaced…
Water escapes from my frameless glass shower screen onto the bathroom floor every time we shower — pooling outside the enclosure. It's starting to worry me for the floor and the d…
Tilal Al Ghaf is stunning, but the villas are very much modern architectural designs — glass everywhere: floor-to-ceiling glazing, glass stairwells, big sliding walls opening onto…
One of the big floor-to-ceiling glass panels in my apartment has gone permanently foggy between the panes — the classic failed sealed unit. In a villa I've learned you just replac…
I love the look of a frameless glass balustrade (railing) — I want one for the internal staircase and the balcony edge. It keeps the space open and the view clear versus a metal r…
Our Al Furjan villa is one of the newer designs with a lot of glass — big windows, a glazed stairwell, wide sliding doors to the garden. It's bright and lovely in winter, but in s…
Several of my windows have gone foggy between the panes — a permanent misting/condensation I can't clean because it's inside the sealed glass. From reading here I gather the edge…
Our shower screen is tired — the seals are gone and it leaks onto the bathroom floor — so I'm replacing it. I'm torn between a cheaper framed one and a smarter frameless glass pan…
I've got one big space I want to split into two — part working/office area, part seating — but I don't want to lose the open, light-filled feel, so a solid wall is out. A glass pa…
We moved to Umm Suqeim for the beach proximity and love it, but the sea has a downside I underestimated: salt air is hard on aluminium and glass. Compared to my old inland apartme…
We're near the water and the difference the sea air makes is real — the sliding doors have gone stiff, some of the window handles look pitted, and there's a hazy film building on…
Every window in the flat seems to leak fine dust and hot air around the aluminium frames — the sills are permanently gritty and the AC never keeps up near them. The glass itself i…
Just moved into a high-floor apartment in Downtown and the aluminium sliding doors and big glass panels behave differently to my old low-rise — more wind noise, a draught, and gri…
The sliding door to my balcony has got really stiff — I have to yank it and it judders along the track. It used to glide. What causes this, and can it be fixed without replacing t…
One of my double-glazed windows has misted up between the two panes of glass — I can't wipe it because it's inside the sealed unit. Can this be fixed, or does the whole window nee…
The few rainy days we get, water seeps in along the bottom of the aluminium window frames in one room. The glass itself is fine. Is this a re-sealing job or something structural?
Almost always blocked weep (drainage) holes on the bottom of the frame, or perished external sealant — rarely the glass itself. Clear the weep holes first, then re-seal the outer bead if it's cracked.
Usually dirty or worn rollers and a track packed with sand and grit. Clean the track thoroughly, then adjust or replace the rollers — a good clean and roller adjustment fixes most sticking sliders.
Moisture between the panes means the sealed unit's edge seal has failed. It can't be dried out — the glass unit needs replacing, though the frame is usually fine.
Yes — in most aluminium frames a single glass pane or sealed double-glazed unit can be replaced while keeping the frame. Match the glass thickness and specification for a clean fit.
Solar/reflective window film, thermal curtains and intact seals all help in the UAE climate. For major heat gain, upgrading to proper double glazing is the durable fix.
An aluminium & glass specialist measures, supplies and fits toughened glass screens and partitions. Insist on toughened (safety) glass and proper sealing to the tray and wall.