AN Irvinestown woman who had two window panes in her home shatter unexpectedly on separate occasions in cold weather has warned other residents in the development where she lives that they could face similar unexpected breakages.

Denise Waddell lives with her family in Flax Valley, a housing development on Kesh Road. Their home has three Velux roof windows, one in their ensuite and two in the family bathroom.

Around two years ago, during a hard frost, the inside pane of the window in the ensuite shattered without warning.

Fortunately, Mrs Waddell and her husband Jim were downstairs at the time.

Jim subsequently fitted a new pane, although the couple were never able to explain what had happened.

Then, during the recent cold snap, Mrs Waddell was preparing to run a bath when one of the windows in the bathroom also shattered suddenly.

Speaking to the Impartial Reporter, she said it was just by “pure luck” that she was not yet in the bath and showered with glass.

With her suspicions raised, Mrs Waddell contacted the manufacturers, Velux, seeking assurances that the same thing wouldn’t happen with the third window.

She was surprised to learn that the company had registered a level of “spontaneous glass breakage” in a specific type of small pane produced and sold between 1997 and 2003.

Velux stated: “Under specific conditions, generally experienced in the winter, there is a minor risk that the inner glass may break spontaneously, with the possibility of glass fragments falling.”

In June 2011, the firm issued a product warning in connection with these panes – but Mrs Waddell said she had no knowledge of this.

The Irvinestown woman told the Impartial Reporter that she was alarmed to discover that there had been an issue with the three windows in her home.

After learning of the product warning, she became concerned for her neighbours, many of whom have young children.

“Other houses in Flax Valley similar to our own would also have Velux windows, which would have been installed when they were built. The people who live here need to be aware of this issue.

“It’s a very dangerous thing for glass to shatter without warning, particularly if a young child was covered in fragments,” she said.

Following their standard practice, Velux have since replaced Mrs Waddell’s broken pane, as well as her remaining original roof window.

The firm have also carried out a mail drop in the estate advising residents of the product warning details and giving them instructions on how to contact Velux to arrange replacement of any affected windows.

Ron Hogg, Operations Director at Velux, has confirmed that the company understands how upsetting an experience it is to suffer spontaneous glass breakage.

He explained that spontaneous glass breakage was an “industry issue” with double glazed units as a consequence of their construction.

“This can appear in just cracks in the pane of glass or, as Mrs Waddell has experienced, the glass falling out from the window,” he said.

Mr Hogg said that the mail drop carried out in Flax Valley was Velux’s standard practice where a housing development with windows found from the affected batch had been identified.

“Mrs Waddell has since contacted us to confirm she received this information in the post,” he said.

The Operations Director further explained that every customer that contacted the firm with glazing that was subject to the product warning would have the glass replaced free of charge regardless of the product being out with the 10-year guarantee period.

“We will also assess other VELUX windows in the property and, if they are affected, these will also be replaced,” he said.

Mr Hogg concluded by saying that, when the products are replaced, upgraded laminated glass is used for “additional reassurance”.