The questions Tauranga homeowners, landlords and businesses ask us most, from cat doors in double glazing to foggy windows and pool fence inspections. If yours is not here, call 07 571 1336.
Pet doors fitted into glass panels, sliding doors and timber doors. Models, sizes and the measuring guide are on the pet doors page. Pet doors service page.
Yes, but not by cutting the existing unit. A sealed double-glazed unit cannot be cut without breaking its seal. For an existing double-glazed window or door, we assess the frame and arrange a replacement sealed unit made with the pet-door opening, then fit the new unit in place of the old one. These jobs are quoted separately from a standard cat door installation.
It depends on the door model, the type of glass and whether new glass is needed. A cat door fitted into suitable existing single glazing (not toughened or laminated) is the simplest job. Microchip models, dog doors, toughened glass and new sealed units are quoted separately. Send a photo of the panel and we will give you a firm price before any work begins.
We check the glass type first. For suitable existing single glazing (not toughened or laminated), the hole can be cut while the glass remains in place. Toughened glass needs a new panel made with the opening before toughening. Double glazing needs a replacement sealed unit made with the opening. We confirm the method after assessing the glass and the proposed position.
Not after it has been toughened. Toughened safety glass will shatter if it is cut or drilled once tempered. Instead, we make a new pane with the pet-door opening already cut, have it toughened, and install it in place of your existing glass.
Yes. We supply and install pet doors into timber doors if required. Send a photo of the door and tell us which pets will use it.
Yes. The opening is made as part of a new sealed unit rather than cut into the existing one. Pet-Tek Dogwalk doors are available for double glazing, and we assess your frame before ordering the replacement unit with the opening built in.
Yes. Pet doors in sliding doors are our most common pet door installation. With a slider, the flap also has to work with the moving panel, so send a photo showing the overlap, handles and any obstructions. Suitable single glazing can be cut in place. Toughened and double glazed panels need new glass made with the opening.
The largest manual dog doors we list are the Pet-Tek Dogwalk Intermediate, with a 216 by 237 mm usable opening, and the Dogwalk Medium, with a 270 by 300 mm usable opening. Both fit single or double glazing. Measure your dog's body width and depth as well as its height, because breed and weight alone cannot confirm the fit. We do not supply microchip doors for large dogs, but if you have bought one we can assess installation.
Yes. First Glass Solutions supplies and installs cat and dog doors in glass panels and timber doors across Tauranga, Mount Maunganui, Papamoa and surrounding areas. Send us a photo of the panel and your pet's measurements, or call 07 571 1336, and we will confirm the model, the glass work and a firm price before anything starts.
Yes. We supply and install SureFlap microchip doors for cats and small dogs. They read a compatible microchip already implanted in your pet, or a compatible SureFlap collar tag, and they use batteries. Pet-Tek's magnetic cat door is a separate, battery-free option operated by a collar magnet. We confirm compatibility, size and glass requirements with your quote.
What to do when glass breaks, what gets replaced and what affects the quote. For urgent damage, call 07 571 1336 and confirm availability and charges. Glass repairs service page.
Keep children and pets away from the area, and do not try to remove large shards yourself. If it was a break-in or vandalism, call the police first, because you will need a report for most insurance claims. If weather is a concern, a heavy-duty rubbish bag taped over the opening will hold until we arrive. Then call First Glass Solutions on 07 571 1336. We respond across Tauranga and surrounding areas 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Yes. Our emergency line runs 24/7, including nights, weekends and holidays. We board up or temporarily secure the opening first so your property is safe and weatherproof, then organise the permanent glass replacement. Emergency callouts outside normal business hours may incur an additional fee, which we confirm when you call.
The quote depends on the size of the opening, the glass specification, the condition of the frame and site access. A broken single pane, a toughened or laminated safety glass panel and a failed sealed unit in an existing double-glazed window are all different jobs with different glass. We measure, confirm the glass type and give you a firm quote before any work starts.
In most cases a cracked window needs to be replaced. A crack across a pane compromises the glass, toughened glass cannot be cut, drilled or repaired once tempered, and a cracked pane in a double glazed unit will let the seal fail. Crack repair products only suit a very minor surface chip on a single glazed, non-structural pane, and even then as a temporary measure.
Yes. Glass in doors, sidelights next to doors and ranch sliders must be toughened or laminated safety glass to AS/NZS 2208, so we replace it with compliant safety glass rather than ordinary float glass. If the frame, track and rollers are sound, only the glass needs replacing, not the whole door.
First Glass Solutions cuts glass to size at our Tauranga workshop. Door glass has to be safety glass to AS/NZS 2208, and toughened glass has to be cut to size before it is toughened, so give us the dimensions or let us measure onsite. You can pick up from the workshop, or we can deliver and install.
A broken mirror is replaced rather than repaired. We cut mirrors to virtually any size and shape, with polished, bevelled or raw edges, and install them with adhesive, clips or mechanical fixings to suit the wall. Mirrors cut to size cannot be returned or resized, so we measure onsite before fabricating.
In most cases, yes. Home and contents insurance in New Zealand generally covers accidental glass breakage, burglary and vandalism damage, and storm damage, subject to your policy excess and terms. Contact your insurer before authorising repairs. We provide written quotes and GST invoices suitable for claims and can liaise directly with your insurer in many cases.
For a window that is already double glazed, yes. A damaged or failed sealed unit is replaced while the existing joinery stays in place, subject to our assessment of the frame and glazing system. The unit itself cannot be resealed once moisture has got in, so the fix is a new sealed unit, not a repair to the old one.
Keep everyone clear of the area and do not use the shower until the glass has been cleared. Shower screens are toughened safety glass, which breaks into small blunt pieces rather than large shards, but there will be a lot of them. A broken shower panel or door is replaced with new toughened safety glass cut to your opening, so send us a photo of the screen and its hardware and we will measure and quote.
Often, yes. On a shower screen the hardware, meaning the hinges, handles, channels and sliding fittings, is the part most likely to need attention, and a stiff door is usually a hardware job rather than a glass one. If the glass itself is cracked or broken, it is replaced with new toughened safety glass. Send a photo of the door and its fittings and we will tell you which it is.
Seals, handles, locks, rollers and reglazing on aluminium joinery. More detail is in our aluminium window repairs guide. Aluminium window repairs guide.
Most aluminium window problems are repairable without replacing the window. We replace hardened or perished rubber seals and glazing wedges, fit new handles, locks and locking rods for most aluminium joinery brands used in New Zealand, replace worn rollers on sliding windows and ranch sliders, and reglaze cracked or non-compliant glass. A frame that is bent or corroded through the profile is the exception, and we will tell you onsite if replacement makes more sense.
Yes. Replacing glazing wedge rubbers and seals is one of the most common aluminium window repairs we do. Hardened, shrunken or perished rubber causes rattling glass, draughts and water ingress around the glass edge, and new rubber restores the weather seal. We carry seal profiles for most common aluminium joinery systems used in New Zealand.
Corrosion in the frame is a joinery problem rather than a glass one. If the frame is still sound we can reglaze into it and replace the worn seals and hardware. If the corrosion has gone through at the joins or the frame will no longer hold glass properly, repair is not viable and we will say so onsite, so you can decide about the window rather than paying twice.
Foggy units, condensation and what an upgrade actually involves. Our double glazing repair guide covers it in more depth. Double glazing repair guide.
It depends on which job you mean. For a house that is single glazed, double glazing means replacing the windows with new joinery made for sealed units, quoted opening by opening at the measure. For a window that is already double glazed, replacing a failed sealed unit is priced on the unit's dimensions, glass specification, frame condition and access. We do not fit a sealed unit into an existing single glazed frame. Either way, you get a firm quote before any work starts.
Not by fitting a sealed unit into the frame you already have. A single glazed frame is not made to carry a double glazed unit, so the upgrade is new joinery made for sealed units, fitted to the existing opening, and quoted as a window replacement. Most people do it in stages, worst rooms first.
Fog or mist between the two panes means the edge seal of the sealed unit has failed and moisture has got into the cavity. Heat cycles make the unit expand and contract, and eventually the seal gives way. Once that has happened the unit cannot be resealed or dried out. It is replaced, and the frame stays if it is sound.
Only by replacing the sealed unit. There is no method to reseal a failed unit or remove the moisture without replacing the glass unit entirely. We assess the existing frame and glazing system, measure the unit and order a replacement sealed unit to fit the joinery you already have.
Condensation on the room-side surface forms when warm, moist air meets cold glass. It is common in winter and clears when the room warms up or is ventilated. If the fog is between the panes and does not clear, the seal has failed. A simple test is to wipe both surfaces: if the fog clears, it is surface condensation. On single glazed windows, the long-term fix is double glazing, which is a joinery replacement rather than a glass job.
A quality sealed unit installed correctly should last 15 to 20 years. Seal failure before 10 years usually points to an installation issue, a manufacturing defect or frame damage that let moisture in. Where a house was double glazed in one go, the units tend to reach the end of their life at roughly the same time.
If one unit has failed, it does not mean the rest are about to. We recommend replacing failed units individually as they go, unless the whole house has the same installation date and several units are showing signs of failure at the same time. We can advise on the condition of your other units at the quote.
Glass cut to size, shape and thickness for table tops, shelves, sheds and one-off replacements. Custom glass service page.
Yes. We cut glass to size, shape and thickness at our Tauranga workshop: clear float, toughened, laminated, obscure, patterned, tinted and low-E, with drilling, cut-outs and edge polishing as needed. Give us the dimensions or let us measure onsite, then pick up from the workshop or have us deliver and install.
Yes, in the right order. Toughened glass cannot be cut once it has been toughened, so we cut the glass, polish the edges and make any holes or cut-outs first, then send it for toughening. Toughening is done off-site with a fast turnaround.
It depends on the size of the panel and whether it is fully supported. As a guide, up to 600 by 600 mm, 6 mm toughened glass is usually enough for a fully supported top. From 600 to 1200 mm, 8 or 10 mm is recommended. Over 1200 mm or spanning an unsupported gap, 10 or 12 mm, and very large panels may need a structural calculation. We confirm the thickness at the quote.
Yes. Glass table tops are one of our most common custom glass jobs, whether to protect a timber surface, as the table surface itself on a base, or as a replacement for a damaged top. We use clear toughened safety glass, cut to any size or shape, with a flat polished, pencil or bevelled edge.
First Glass Solutions is a Tauranga glazier that cuts and installs mirrors and custom glass to order. Bathroom, full-length, gym and feature wall mirrors are cut to size and shape at our workshop, with polished or bevelled edges, and installed with the right fixings for the wall. Call 07 571 1336 or send us the sizes for a quote.
Frameless and semi-frameless pool fencing, what it costs to quote and what an inspector checks. Pool fencing service page.
The quote depends on the length of the run, the frameless or semi-frameless system, the number and position of gates, the fixings into concrete, pavers or a timber deck, and site access. A site measure establishes the total run and any level changes, and you get a written quote before any work starts. Council inspection charges are separate from the fencing quote unless expressly included.
Yes. We design and install frameless and semi-frameless glass pool fencing across Tauranga and surrounding areas, using 12 mm toughened safety glass and stainless steel hardware rated for coastal conditions. Every fence is installed to NZ Building Code clause F9, and from quote approval to completion allow approximately 10 working days.
Frameless fencing holds the glass panels on stainless steel spigots with no posts and no top rail, for a minimal look. Semi-frameless uses slim posts between the panels with a top rail, still clean and slightly more affordable. Both use toughened safety glass and both meet the same pool barrier standard when installed correctly.
Pool barriers are governed by the Building Act and NZ Building Code clause F9, with the specifications in NZS 8500. The fence must be at least 1.2 metres high with no gaps larger than 100 mm, the gates must be self-closing and self-latching and open away from the pool, the outside latch must be at least 1,500 mm above ground, and nothing climbable can sit within 1.2 metres of the fence on the outside. We build to that standard and test every gate before we leave.
Who pays when a window breaks in a rental, and how a claim works. General information, not legal advice. Our landlord and tenant guide has the detail. Broken window in a rental guide.
It depends on how the window broke. Under the Residential Tenancies Act, fair wear and tear is the landlord's cost. A break-in, vandalism by an outsider or storm damage is not the tenant's fault and is usually handled through the landlord's insurance. Careless damage by the tenant or their guest is the tenant's liability, capped at the lower of four weeks' rent or the landlord's insurance excess per incident. Deliberate damage is charged in full. This is general information, not legal advice. Check tenancy.govt.nz for current guidance.
For careless, accidental damage, the tenant pays up to the lower of four weeks' rent or the landlord's insurance excess, per incident, and a landlord cannot ask for more than that cap. For deliberate damage, or damage during an act that could carry a prison sentence, the person responsible pays the full cost. Your tenancy agreement should state whether the property is insured and what the excess is. This is general information, not legal advice.
In most cases, yes. Accidental breakage, burglary and vandalism, and storm damage are generally covered by New Zealand home and contents policies, less your excess. Notify your insurer and get a claim number before authorising the permanent repair. We attend, assess the damage, provide a written quote and GST invoice, and can liaise with your insurer on your behalf.
Whatever the cause, securing the property comes first. Tenants should tell the landlord or property manager as soon as possible, in writing, and the landlord should arrange the make-safe work straight away. Our 24/7 emergency line boards up the opening the same night and the permanent glass follows once it is cut to size. For the legal timeframes that apply to your tenancy, check tenancy.govt.nz or Tenancy Services.
Call with your address and the work required. We confirm any call-out, travel or after-hours charges before arranging attendance, and provide a firm quote before work starts. Photos of the job often let us price it without a visit.
Send a photo of the job or call us. We confirm what needs assessing and any charges before attendance, and you get a quote before any work starts.