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UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Steve Weatherley on August 27, 2014, 04:53:17 pm

Title: Advice Please - Window Scratches
Post by: Steve Weatherley on August 27, 2014, 04:53:17 pm
I visited a customer this morning to attend to the monthly window clean which I have been doing for this customer for about 7 years. She pointed out 3 scrathes all running parrallel with eachother approx 3 inches long on a conservatory window. She asked me if this could have been caused by my brushes if there was a stone caught up in the bristles. She then went on to point out a similar scratch on the downstairs front window (both areas of damage have appeared since my last clean in her opinion). I have never had this problem in 9 years of cleaning windows but can understand her concerns. However I'm more convinced that it wasn't from my cleaning as when I clean this house I do the back windows and I disagreeisstant does the front (so it would have had to happen with two different brushes on the same job!). She's a loyal customer and I wouldn't have any reason to doubt her honesty.
Any ideas?
Title: Re: Advice Please - Window Scratches
Post by: Mick Kent on August 27, 2014, 05:05:09 pm
Doesnt your insurence cover you at all for that?
Title: Re: Advice Please - Window Scratches
Post by: Steve Weatherley on August 27, 2014, 05:17:42 pm
Yes my insurance does cover me. However I'm very reluctant to make a claim and have to pay £250 excess based on what I said in the opening post where I'm not certain that this was caused by our brushes
Title: Re: Advice Please - Window Scratches
Post by: Nick Day on August 27, 2014, 06:12:35 pm
Hello,

If the scratches were fine scratches quite close together they were probably caused by a bird hitting the window and the scratches are it's claw running down the window. It happened to me while I was in my lounge and a bird hit the patio door. There was no other sign of the contact but I saw and heard it happen. Hope this helps.
Title: Re: Advice Please - Window Scratches
Post by: J.D on August 27, 2014, 07:21:51 pm
Hello,

If the scratches were fine scratches quite close together they were probably caused by a bird hitting the window and the scratches are it's claw running down the window. It happened to me while I was in my lounge and a bird hit the patio door. There was no other sign of the contact but I saw and heard it happen. Hope this helps.

I seriously would not give this line to my customer as an excuse! True or not she will think your taking the P out of her!

Its almost as helpful as the "Doesn't your insurance cover you" line from Mick!  ::)roll
Title: Re: Advice Please - Window Scratches
Post by: Steve Weatherley on August 27, 2014, 08:40:52 pm
So thanks for all the useful advice! Has this happened to anyone else?
Title: Re: Advice Please - Window Scratches
Post by: Alex Gardiner on August 27, 2014, 08:55:09 pm
I visited a customer this morning to attend to the monthly window clean which I have been doing for this customer for about 7 years. She pointed out 3 scrathes all running parrallel with eachother approx 3 inches long on a conservatory window. She asked me if this could have been caused by my brushes if there was a stone caught up in the bristles. She then went on to point out a similar scratch on the downstairs front window (both areas of damage have appeared since my last clean in her opinion). I have never had this problem in 9 years of cleaning windows but can understand her concerns. However I'm more convinced that it wasn't from my cleaning as when I clean this house I do the back windows and I disagreeisstant does the front (so it would have had to happen with two different brushes on the same job!). She's a loyal customer and I wouldn't have any reason to doubt her honesty.
Any ideas?

It would be very difficult for 3 parallel scratches to have come from trapped grit in a brush due to the fact that the bristles are soft and would not allow the scratches to stay parallel.

Are the windows painted or PVC? How far apart is each of the scratch lines? Which brush are you using?
Title: Re: Advice Please - Window Scratches
Post by: johnny bravo on August 27, 2014, 10:35:06 pm
if your wiping sills with brush, minute grit and dust could cause this.   you cant see it.  ive noticed it more latelly.   on new builds or customers check out the glass prior to cleaning.
Title: Re: Advice Please - Window Scratches
Post by: Bungle on August 27, 2014, 10:45:13 pm
I have a house with really bad scratch marks on one window. The previous owners had a cat and he used to use this window to climb in the house through an opener above it. Does she have a cat?
Title: Re: Advice Please - Window Scratches
Post by: Jonny 87 on August 27, 2014, 10:47:11 pm
How deep are the scratches?

Which brush are you using?

How long have you been using WFP on the windows?

It's a very hard thing to do, to scratch glass with a WFP brush but it is possible if you have grit in the bristles. I've stopped using flocked brushes for that reason now. I think I put a light scratch in some glass but you can't notice it unless you stare very hard.

Use a mono filament brush and good flow rate, as long as you keep the bristles on the glass and not the stock of the brush, then you should never scratch Amy glass.

If it is just two pains of glass then it will be cheaper than your £250 excess to get a local joiner out to fit new glass units. Still though I'd be very reluctant to go down that route.

Title: Re: Advice Please - Window Scratches
Post by: Steve Weatherley on August 27, 2014, 10:56:31 pm
Im using a Vikan Monofilament brush. The frame is UPVC
Title: Re: Advice Please - Window Scratches
Post by: Steve Weatherley on August 27, 2014, 10:57:37 pm
we recently had a windscreen repair after a stone chip. It's hardly noticeable now - just wondering if scratches can be removed from glass??
Title: Re: Advice Please - Window Scratches
Post by: H20cleaning on August 27, 2014, 11:16:19 pm
Did the windows look clean when you arrived? Sometimes customers decide it will be a good idea to clean there own windows "when you havnt been for a while" or more like when they are bored and pottering round the garden.
I had a customer try blaming me for scratching their brand new units, when there next door neighbours had just built an extension and he decided to clean his own windows with one damp cloth one wet one (must of rubbed grit in)
Title: Re: Advice Please - Window Scratches
Post by: paulben on August 28, 2014, 07:08:29 am
I had a customer years ago blamed me for scratching her glass with a ring ,til I showed her I don't wear rings or watches while working.think it was her son doing gardening and lent hoe against it then tried to blame me
Title: Re: Advice Please - Window Scratches
Post by: Steve Weatherley on August 28, 2014, 07:59:16 am
I'm sure this lady wouldn't be deliberately trying to blame me for something she has done - she just thinks the damage was caused by me as I'm the only person who touches the glass. However I think I need to find alternative theories.
Title: Re: Advice Please - Window Scratches
Post by: paulben on August 28, 2014, 08:59:05 am
Does she have a gardener or has she had any work done on house where workmen have lent something against window