You come back into the house after mowing your grass only to find that something has shot out from under the mower, hit the window in the front of the house, and now the window is broken. How broken the window is will determine what you need to do for an immediate repair. Here, you'll find out what to do with your broken window until you can get a window repair technician out to assist you with permanent repairs.

Tiny Chips and Cracks

If the chip and/or cracks are tiny, you'll be able to do a little touch-up work to make them disappear. All that you'll need is a little glass cleaner, a few paper towels, and some clear fingernail polish. If you don't have clear fingernail polish, superglue or clear shellac will work just as well.

Clean the window very carefully, making sure to remove all of the lint left behind by the paper towels. If you notice a lot of lint, get a clean coffee filter or a sheet of newspaper and go over the window. The filter or newspaper will capture the lint and remove it from the window.

Now, coat the crack and/or chips with the polish in thin layers, allowing it to dry fully between layers. Once the crack is filled and dry, you'll barely be able to notice its existence.

Small or Medium Chips and Cracks

A temporary fix for chips and cracks too large to be filled with nail polish is covering it with clear packing tape. Splurge for the quality packing tape – it is thicker and will remain clear longer than the cheap stuff.

Apply layers of the tape to cover the hole until you can have the window repair technician come out to make the necessary repairs.

Large Holes

If the window is damaged beyond being patched temporarily, you'll need to remove the glass. To do this carefully, put good work gloves on, cover the edges of the glass with a few layers of duct tape, and have a box ready to place the broken glass inside.

Cover the window until repairs can be made. If the damage is on a window that is easy to access from the outside, make sure to cover the window with a board that cannot be easily removed. If the window is not easily accessible, you can get away with covering it with cardboard and plastic for the time being.

Make sure you have the window repair technician come out to assess the situation as soon as possible. He or she will provide you with the best solution to your broken window problems.