[rhino]

In the article below it mentions 'coated' and 'uncoated' Glass.
Anyone know what this means and how to tell the difference?

Cheers.

P.S Anyone thought about or actually offering a Scratched Glass repair service?


 Scratched-Glass.Net

 
Professional Window Cleaners DO use scrapers
Since window cleaning is one of the last phases of construction, meeting deadlines for occupation requires the most efficient method, and scrapers have been part of that method for decades.

So that windows can be cleaned efficiently with standard methods - not only after construction, but throughout the life of the home or building - builders, architects and remodelers are urged to specify that tempered glass surfaces be free of fabricating debris, and to indicate that any tempered glass with fabricating debris will be returned for a full and complete refund.  The International Window Cleaning Association is recommending that tempered glass be checked for fabricating debris before installation.

Certainly the ultimate owner of the new home or building deserves to know whether or not fabricating debris is present on tempered glass, because if it is, then vigilance will be required of them to somehow assure that scrapers are never used, or that the need to use scrapers never arises - for the life of the window.

But it is sometimes suggested that the fabricating debris scratch problem is simply due to the use of scrapers by window cleaners who "should know better".

Don't let anyone tell you that the very act of using a window cleaning scraper on uncoated glass is unprofessional.

The simple fact is that the use of window cleaning scrapers is widely accepted and embraced by professional window cleaners.

One need only to look at the websites of professional quality squeegee manufacturers to see that their product lines include window cleaning scrapers.

Ettore Products Company window cleaning product line includes squeegees as well as scrapers.

Pulex Cleaning Equipment  - window cleaning product line includes squeegees as well as scrapers.

Sörbo Products   - window cleaning product line includes squeegees as well as scrapers.

Unger Enterprises  - window cleaning product line includes squeegees as well as scrapers.

And a quick look at major professional window cleaning supply catalogs shows the same thing. They sell window cleaning squeegees and scrapers.

Detroit Sponge & Chamois - sells squeegees and scrapers to window cleaners.

Squeegees.Net - sells squeegees and scrapers to window cleaners.

The Colker Company - sells squeegees and scrapers to window cleaners.

CWC Supply - sells squeegees and scrapers to window cleaners.

J. Racenstein & Company - sells squeegees and scrapers to window cleaners.

Furthermore, the largest supplier to the glazing industry - CR Laurence - actually sells a variety of scrapers, and some tempered glass products. An item in their catalog called a window scraper is described as "Very commonly used when scraping walls, windows, paint, and labels. From building maintenance to glaziers, and general contractors, all can benefit from these tools!"
(Search their site for "tempered glass" and "scraper".)

One of the world's largest largest tool manufacturers - Stanley - sells scrapers, including one called a window scraper. (Search their site for "scraper".) Their Stanley Access Technologies division sells door systems featuring tempered glass.

To bolster your argument that Professional Window Cleaners DO use scrapers, you can visit the above websites and print catalog pages.

You may also wish to print this page, along with other resources linked to by our Scratched Glass Documents & Links Page - including the IWCA's IWCA Tempered Glass Informational Bulletin 2004 - Scrapers & Fabricating Debris

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[Tosh]

A local window cleaner close to me has recently had a 'bit of a trauma' with being accused of scratching the windows of a pub who'd just had new windows installed. 

He firstly thought it was him; then on closer inspection he found out that it actually wasn't him who scratched the glass. 

The scratch pattern wasn't what you'd expect from a scaper blade; it went from one side of the pane to the other, in a straight line; rather than the pattern you'd expect from blading paint from a window.

It wasn't noticible unless you really looked, though give him his due, he would've tried to remove the scratches and if that failed; would've forked out for new windows if it had've been him.

Anyway, I think some good advice is to always test a small  (discrete) area on each brand new pane you clean with a scraper.  Make sure the scraper is new, and try your best to scratch each pane with it.  The chances are you'll not have a problem.

Also, if I were in this position of being accused of scratching a large amount of brand new windows with a scraper blade, my position would be to would to blame the glass manufacturers.  There's no way I know of, of removing builder's detritus and paint from a window other than getting your nose to the glass and using a scraper blade.

I must've cleaned thousands of windows without a problem using this method, therefore if I scratch a bunch of brand new windows; then the problem is firmly with the glass and the people who made it.

[East coast window cleaning Services]

Do Shed loads of builers cleans best way is always use a fresh blade and make sure the window is always wet with either soapy water or glass cleaners, And keep wiping and crap of the blades edge with a clean cloth

[rhino]

Understand what you're saying Tosh, just wondered if it was possible to tell the difference by sight of coated/uncoated Glass.
Looking at the article it seems it might be an Amercan thing, maybe we don't have it over here.

Cheers

[Ian_Giles]

Shudder I am he, the poor sap accused of really badly scratching the glass on the pub windows
At some point, when all has been resolved I'll be doing a thread to relate my experience..

Coated glass (at least as far as I understand it) is done at the manufacture stage...more of an impregnation of the surface I think, as against something stuck on.

These particular windows are tempered and I believe coated too.

I ended out getting a window polishing pad from a guy who worked at Pilks, plus a load of jewellers rouge.
Tried it at home first (great for  getting rid of mineral deposits by the way )
Not really effective on scratches deep enough to 'catch' your nail in.

Tried it out on one pane of the pub windows...pad left loads of marks...you CANNOT polish out coated glass.
I obviously inferred that glass was coated.

As tosh said, I noticed on this one particular pane that many of the scratches were deep and went horizontally all the way from side to side.

Light bulb glimmers fitfully overhead...........

All scratches, deep or otherwise on this pane went only in one direction.

Totally at odds in the way in which I would have scraped the glass.

Called landlord over and pointed it out to him, also attempted to deliberately scratch the glass with a Stanley scraper and an Unger 4" razor scraper.

Was totally unable to do so, was easy to demonstrate in front of the landlord as I went in the opposite direction to the scratches.
I even used the point end of the stanley blade and wasn't able to mark the glass.

Apart from which, on these windows I only 'nibbed' off emulsion speckles, I didn't  hack aggressively at every square inch of the glass.

I've been going close on 25 years and have used scrapes on glass the entire time, i've done countless builders cleans and I've never scratched the glass using these blades.

In this case it was only the actual panes I had worked on, and the phone call came less than a week after I had cleaned them, and I was also observed using a scraper on them.
At first I actually believed it must have been me.

you have no idea how physically relieved I was to find that it simply could not have been me.
I did manage to make a single faint line on the inside of one pane, but that was after a lot of effort, to consider that I may have really badly marked 10 panes of glass - and I mean really badly too - is ludicrous.

However; The landlord and landlady want to blame someone, and I'm the poor sap in the firing line
They are not at fault, they came back off holiday and found their windows looked awful.
I can't explain the scratches, other than perhaps the staff or the painters who painted the walls used a paint scraper, and they WILL scratch glass!
At the moment it is all sweetness & light, but when they find I am not going to roll over and pay for the replacement panes I'm sure it will get nasty

The fact that I cannot make a mark on the windows with the scrapers will be neither here nor there, in the absence of someone else to blame, they are going to blame me.

Darn...didn't mean to go into so much detail!

upshot is that I know of no way to scratch glass, coated or not (oh, I believe that it is the 'coated glass that beads by the way, the half pane I used the polisher on now sheets beautifully, the other half beads...).
The other glass is different, by that I mean the self cleaning one, I've not come across that stuff yet, but i understand that no way should you use a scraper on it!

I'll keep you posted on what happens with regards to the pub...

Ian

[Pat Purcell]

The easiest way to tell the difference between coated and uncoated glass (if its not obvious by looking at or through it) is to put your fingers on it ( just your finger prints) and pushing slightly drag your fingers down the glass
If its coated you will feel a lot more resistance than if its uncoated
Until recently I was fairly sure it was an American thing but theres been a few posts lately about scratched glass so maybe its over there too
I dont know the building codes over there but in the US, tempered or toughened glass is a must in any door way glass or any glass thats positioned below 3 ft
Ian from reading some of your posts I believe you used to be a painter, most of our domestic windows are georgian and when painting the mullions most painters sand between coats and the inexperiencedones sand the glass as well leaves a lovely straight line scratch just inside the mullion or sometimes when the window has been taped off the scratch is 1" or 2 " in from the edge depending on the size of the tape , is there any way this is what happened to your pub windows

[Ian_Giles]

Hi Pat,
I know what you mean about sandpaper and decorators!, but no. this isn't from that, I know exactly the kind of scratches that a decorator might leave behind.
On the one pane with the horizontal scratches I would hazard that they were there on when the glass was fitted.
On some of the others the scratches are more general and do appear as if someone  has gone over it with a scraper of some description, which is why I mentioned a decorators scraper, you know the kind, those that you will use on paintwork, or to strip wallpaper with, or to use to mix polifilla with and fill walls and so on.

The strange thing was that while the landlord and his wife were on their hols, the staff rang me a couple of times to be sure that I was going to turn up that week, just before the landlord got home... retrospectively that does make me a little suspicious...

Ian

[dai]

Ian, are these windows on the ground floor? can they be reached standing outside? The reason I ask is that people often put their hand up to the glass to stop reflexion, when they are trying to look inside. I remember my sister wrecking my dads windscreen, she forgot about her engagement ring when trying to wipe mist off with her hand. Diamond scratches are forever. Dai