to think I can mend a bullet hole in a window

[PyjamaDayToday]

Actually a friend's window - she lives in a roughish area, own house, and the window was shot, she thinks, with a BB gun - its a double glazed window and one on the panes of glass now has a bullet hole in it. Has been reported to the police.

I suggested she should get it fixed as it may shatter later don't know what I'm talking about really, but seemed good advice when I gave it

She's really down at the moment and said she couldn't be bothered and she's got no family etc to help. So i said I'd see if it could be fixed cheaply - was imaging buying a tube of gunk from B and Q for her and there being a clip on youtube showing what to do. But nothing on youtube and B and Q staff weren't overly helpful when i popped in earlier.

So AIBU thinking I can mend the bullet hole?

Her insurance company could send Autoglass around to mend it? Or you can just call them yourselves?

I had to have the window replaced when this happened to us (an air rifle the police thought) it was only a quarterlight and was around £90 I think?
The window man confirmed it was "mindless vandalism" but to be honest I didn't take it to the insurance as the excess would have been about the same.
If it's upstairs it's tricky to reach the outside to fix it.

She has no insurance, unfortunately.

Leave it alone. By fixing it you'll not add to the structural strength of the window. It's still likely to shatter. And it'll look dreadful. If you want to help - get a quote for a new window. And she must have insurance if she owns the house. If not, it'll be covered under her landlords insurance.

Really don't attempt a DIY bodge on it.

There is no must for insurance for owned houses other than rebuilding costs if its mortgaged and that wouldn't include window panes. You could simply use something like blutac to seal the hole and stop draughts. Structurally it will be weaker but not to the point that it would just shatter just more likely to break if something hits it.

Your friend has my sympathy because living in an area like that can be soul destroying.

She doesn't have buildings insurance? Does she have a mortgage? Having buildings insurance is a requirement from her mortgage lender.

I would leave it as it is, its only one of the panes so there will be no draft through it from out side. If you seal it up then you could end up with moisture build up inbetween the 2 panes, leaving it open means that some air can circulate.

Don't do it yourself. Is it a big pane? It really won't cost that much if you can find a local window company. Get a couple of quotes and hopefully they will be reasonable.

Once someone threw gravel at our window and got hole as you describe in one pane of glazing. We did replace window. However before then we cut a small square of the sticky back plastic stuff you can get to make glass safer/ prevent shattering on it as had some in the house and covered hole. Looked pretty discreet from distance of street.

you cant fix it with anything, you need to replace the double glazed unit.

Surely if the integrity of the seal is broken it is only a matter foo time until it cracks or shatters in the cold. Replacement may not be as much as she fears

Leave it alone. We moved into a brand new house and Dh mowed and shot a little stone at the window making a little hole in the outer pane of glass, looked like a bb had gone through. It stayed like that till we sold the house this year, the house was 20 years old.

A small patch of duct tape to cover the hole and give a small overlap on all sides. Works fine - although there may be issues if the window is facing the prevailing wind and there's a storm, I guess.

That window repair film is pretty good and will hold the pane together if you're worried about it shattering.

You can buy a resin on amazon designed for car windscreen chips. It's about £10 I think. We used it when dh flicked a stone up when mowing. We are replacing the windows next year so haven't lathered getting it replaced.