Inspect Tech Products

 Essentially the idea is to improvise with crossover technologies to "see" different surfaces in different ways.  Ever hear of a Sound Spectrum Analyzer?  It gives you a running profile of multiple frequencies of any sound in real time.  You can download it to your phone as I have free and profile any sound.  In theory I should be able to join this to a stethoscope and record the sound created by moving different materials such as a penny over glass surfaces.  So now I will be "seeing" glass surfaces with sound.  The beginning of a new way to understand defective scratch sensitive surfaces.  Just bought a four pound chunk of ultrapure silicon.  NOT glass.  Silicon.  

It is rather brittle.  So a single strike with a hammer will break it.  I have learned that a small piece with a sharp point is very effective at "feeling" a glass surface.  Now I just have to get a quality stethoscope and connect it to the SSA app on my phone.  The scope can be placed on the glass while running a piece of silicon over the glass.  The sound that is created moves through the glass and into the stethoscope.  Which I can connect to my phone that has the SSA app.

Phones have many apps that can be downloaded that allow for some very interesting Inspect Tech products.  Such as handheld lighted microscopes for viewing blemishes, point impact fractures (PIFs), and scratches on glass.  As pictures and videos.  I have a couple of other posts in this blog with pictures I have taken.  The images are transmitted by the app and the net to my phone.  Then I can send them to my computer and include them in the posts that I write here.  What I have already discovered is I can create a homogenous scratch sensitive surface with cerium oxide and make specific scratches with different implements like different metals, rocks/minerals, etc.  Scratches actually have identities characteristic to what caused them.  So by categorizing them I can figure out what most likely caused scratches in the field.  Can't date them yet.  But I am advancing.

Another tool I am working on is one that will tell the degree of negative deflection over a certain distance and area.  I know there are tools that can do this using lasers.  So I will look there first.  But currently I have had much success with a simple six inch Triumph razor.  Move it in one direction then another at 90 degrees of the first and take pictures of the results.  The greater the amount of soapy water left behind the more concave the negative deflection.

Then another is to use a light fog to show contamination of the micro-surface.  Usually I just use my own breath on a day with the right dew point.  But it is possible to quickly fog out an entire plate of glass using a cold sound generated fogging machine.  Then what if I were to use more than pure water?  Will different solutions create different effects and show different results?  These results are all measurable by using the hand held lighted microscope I mentioned earlier.  Because fog that condenses on glass forms little micro-drops.  Which differ in size and can be seen in the microscope.  The size depends on what chemical is on the glass.

There is actually no limit to the inspect tech tools or products that are already out there and that can be developed.  The only limit is our imagination.

My goal is to have a couple suitcases with these tools so when I arrive on site at the building I am consulting on I can open it up and get some real data!

Again if you have some buildings you would like some help with just send me an email.  Especially if you are in the New England area.  And the first talk is always free.

Henry Grover Jr.

Glass Smart Consulting

henrygrover222@gmail.com

Glass Smart Products for New England USA

 

The New England Glass Smart Association is a subgroup of IGSA.  My focus here includes industries other than window cleaning companies.  As I have operated as a consultant in New England over the years, it has always been the window cleaner who has called me into an association with general contractors, building maintenance professionals, real estate brokers, insurance companies, lawyers, and more. Sometimes the Window Cleaning company will pay me for my time, but usually it is the associate company that does this.  I think the furthest south I have traveled has been DC, west would be Ohio, and north was Halifax.  Sometimes I drive, and sometimes I go by plane.  These days I would rather drive.

The point here is when consulting on an international level I focus on the window cleaner who is just trying to do things right, get out of a damaged glass lawsuit, or insulate themselves better from any damage they might do by using the wrong products or tools.  But when working as an independent consultant on a relatively local level, I almost always end up working with an associate.  Which is the subject and focus of this post.

There are SO many associates within a couple hundred miles circumference of where I live here in NH, that I could make an easy living, in my now old age, just operating through them.  So could any other window cleaner in their area.  If they wanted to spend the time acquiring the hands on knowledge of glass and products that I have. 

My goal is to continue adding these associates to my list when I am out on the run.  Especially now that the warmer weather is with us.  The products I have discovered and developed are a great adjunct to this business.  Because such associates always have specific buildings with specific problems that must be addressed in one way or another.  In the case of staining problems my goal is to identify the cause, the solution, and the prevention in a single visit.  Demonstrations of the repair always include proprietary products and tools.  As do inspections of scratched glass or first surface low e windows.  Or many other situations.  I think etched glass problems are the most interesting. I do not sell these products directly but can make sure you get samples and are able to buy what you need from the provider.  I am an independent consultant NOT including sales.  Never wanted to do this, and I never should.  But I can put anyone in contact with some amazing companies out there with some amazing products.  Or even amazing ingredients so you can blend or make your own proprietary products to enhance the services or products your company offers.  Window manufacturers might need a long lasting hydrophobe/oleophobe for their glass.  Whereas a window cleaner might want the same, or a scratch/blemish remover, or stain remover.  PRODUCTS (the best) will drive your company.  Whether that company is service oriented or product oriented.  Unfortunately product manufacturers usually have absolutely NO CLUE about the technology of how to use the products they sell.  Or that they should NOT even be selling them!  Only because they have no experience using them.  Also they are NOT consultants.

So the bottom line here is very simply I don't care who you are out there, just send me an email.  I will get in contact with you asap.  Then we can talk.  The first consult is always free.  Just tell me about your situation and I will do my very best to help.

Henry Grover Jr.

Glass Smart Consulting

henrygrover222@gmail.com

Searching for Consultants to Lead Our Industry

International Glass Smart Association

Over the last 45 years the surface of windows has become VERY scratch sensitive. It is defective.  What has happened is totally needless.  Many surfaces are also NOT even glass, but are very thin metallic coatings applied when the glass is still on the float bath.  We are NOT working with that old smooth glass of yesteryear.  

Coupled with these technical challenges is the fact that most people in every other related industry have NO clue about this.  General Contractors don't know anything about defective scratch sensitive glass surfaces.  Painters know nothing about this too.  Power washers don't know how quickly even pure water can leach minerals from certain building exteriors and create water spots in as little as thirty minutes.  Property maintenance managers have no clue that sprinkler systems can literally destroy millions in low level windows.  Lawyers are completely ignorant as to how quickly a 1 to 2 percent solution of HF acid will ripple out dark glass and cloud out clear glass.  Also and especially window cleaners have no clue how quickly so called restoration products based on "super-abrasives" can create thousands and millions in permanently damaged glass.  It is unfortunate that the window cleaning industry now includes very large corporate franchises that span the country from sea to sea.  Having given a seminar for one of them telephonically on this technology we discovered something at the end during the Q and A that is really counterproductive.  It surprises me that I even encouraged it at that time.  We learned that if a problem surface was revealed during the analysis of a potentially new job, the best and most safe thing to do would be to walk away.  So that the franchise would not incur a lawsuit of course.  But really that is NOT a foolproof method.  Owing to damage that could be revealed after a simple routing cleaning.  Which damage had been left by the previous window cleaner, or another professional during the construction of the building.

All of this explains why our industry NEEDS more consultants.  I have run into them out there.  They are not your average window cleaner.  Kind of like a family spread out around the world.  Some of these have companies of ten to twenty employees.  Others work alone.  All of them have learned by experience.  When I tell them I learned everything I know by wasting brand new glass, and reading books on chemistry and physics, they understand.  It is fascinating!  Just to name a couple.  I met Marc Tanner on FB one late night many years ago.  That was a two hour messenger conversation.  Nick Evans contacted me by phone from New Zealand.  We have done messenger, and Zoom.  He developed his own tech FB Group local to NZ and AU.  Both of these men are totally unbelievable.  I could mention others as well.  Simply said I have had a great deal of joy meeting them and exchanging ideas and knowledge.

Our industry needs people like this.  Which is what I would really like to do.  Find them and introduce them to you by means of this IGSA and this blog.  Also if the AWC is on board with this idea I would like to work with it too.

Please check out the latest July issue of the American Window Cleaner.  It is a fantastic issue of the past.  Many leaders have come and gone.  What we need now more than anything are consultants.  Send me an email so we can talk.

Henry Grover Jr.

henrygrover222@gmail.com

https://awcmag.com/

Testing Organic Solvents Against Cured Silicone Caulk

 

Toluene, Xylene, Ethanol, Methanol, Hexane, Benzene, Ketone, and Dimethyl Sulfoxide are a short list of organic solvents.  Organic solvents contain both carbon and oxygen and other elements sometimes such as sulfur.  They have different strengths and are used for different purposes.  They also will soften cured silicone caulk to different degrees.  We need to find out which works best.  That will be the one we will want to use to create a compound based on different superabrasive powders such as a silica, or aluminum oxide, or another.  To do this I developed a very simple grassroots test for my IGSA  members.  The followers of this blog.

First I created my own "test strips" of cured silicone caulk.  By laying down swaths of silicone flattened out on a sheet of plexiglass.  Each about three inches wide by six inches long.  Le them cure.  Then peal them off the plexi.  Next I filled six cups with six different solvents in question.  After I dipped a piece of cured silicone in each cup.  Then left them all to hang out together for a half hour.  Same time, same silicone, different solvents.  I removed them, dried them, and dug into them using my thumb nail.  Or something else.  If you just got a manicure done you might want to use something else.

Most of the solvents that I tested didn't make "much" of a difference.  But one did.  It was a product called Safe Strip by EcoLink.  The chief chemical used is N-Methyl-2-Pyrrolidone CAS No 872-50-4.  Another chemical name is Dipropylene Glycol Dimethyl Ether.  I am putting this out there because if I were to develop a product based on this chemical for the WCR I would have to include the MSDS anyhow.  So it really doesn't matter.  The point I am making here is that finding the correct solvent to use for a product/compound is only a first step.  The most important one is locating the correct superabrasive powders to blend with the solvent.  On the open market we have an absolute zoo of these.  I call it the particle zoo.  But I am NOT talking about the subatomic particle zoo.

Another reason that I don't care about mentioning Safe Strip is because it does have some health concerns.  If you look up the SDS you will be able to read about them.  Also there are other solvents out there that are very strong solvents.  My focus is on the testing of these different ingredients and products.  If you do the tests you will be able to figure things out on your own.  Or you can send me an email and tell me what you are working on.  I can then help you figure out what to use, how to efficiently and safely do the job, how to sell it, and especially how to price it.

If for example someone has sealed the brickwork of the building with a waterproofing siloxane spray (similar to cured silicone caulk), you will be facing a restoration job.  Because a metal scraper will not work.  Especially if there are hard water spots underneath.  You might also have an etched glass surface hidden underneath the siloxane overspray from the previous use of hydrofluoric acid.  The acid having been used to remove hard water spots.  Also the glass might be scratch sensitive (defective).  The real answer then to finding the correct answer to restoring the glass will absolutely lye in using several different inspection techniques.  Further once the building has been restored correctly you will need to use the right glass sealant to cut the time down to a fraction of the first time if any hard water spots are expected to return.  This of course must be added to the price.

Henry Grover Jr.

henrygrover222@gmail.com

The Absolute Best Silicone Caulk Buster !!!

Once a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) chain polymer has crosslinked to itself (cured), there are very few liquid chemicals that will melt it off glass.  Short of those that have extreme health hazards.  In other words, once caulk has cured and bonded to itself and the glass, there are no products you can just wipe it off with.  But we can develop a very powerful, solvent based superabrasive loaded compound, that will very easily rub it off by hand with a soft terry towel.  Safely.  Here is a picture of  the solvent that I use.  It makes a great suspension with most any superabrasive powder.  The powder that you chose is really the key however.

Key because it must not do any harm to any factory applied thin film metal coating if it were used just in water.  Also it must not do any harm to defective glass that is scratch sensitive.  An extreme word of caution however is you should never use this solvent or any type of superabrasive provided on any type of plastic surface.  That includes acrylic, polycarbonate, or solar film.

Once blended it can be kept in a small 4 ounce open mouth jar.  Preferably made of glass.  Then if the superabrasive powder falls out of suspension it can be blended again with a coffee stirrer.  When it is ready to use a 20 ounce syringe works great.  Just soap and squeegee the window.  Then wet it with pure water.  Any silicone residue will remove the water.  Then you just put a small amount on a terry and rub the silicone off.  Soap and squeegee then wet with water again.  If the Silicone Buster has worked the water will sheet and not bead.  The solvent is water miscible so is easy to remove with soapy water.  It is not an oily chemical.

The idea in using it from a syringe is you can control how much product and time you put into removing the silicone.  Which will save you a lot of money and maximize profit.  Remember process and profit go together.

Henry

henrygrover222@gmail.com

Creating a Product for Coated Window Surfaces

The very first thing that MUST be considered is excatly what surface you are working on.  The reason for this is so either you or I can purchased a brand new sample of this window.  Once we have it we can test any product on it to see if that product is safe.  It cannot and must not do any harm to the surface.

Then we need to source which product(s) we need to test and test them on the sample plate/window.  Once we have discovered which ones are safe you can go to the job site and do a hand test of a 4 by 4 inch surface.  This is very simple.  Just soap and squeegee the window.  Make sure it is free of all dirt.  Then by hand rub your product on the surface.  A 4 by 4 inch area.  You should have the approval of the owner/manager beforehand.  Soap and squeegee then examine the results.  Look for scratching in the bright sun.  Also check to see if any of the coating was removed.  There are different ways to do this.

Building a product involves finding the best superabrasive powder(s).  Then locating the right carrier fluid.  Which might be based on a powerful organic solvent.  This will depend on exactly what you are removing.  You might just be dealing with a mar damaged surface.  Or light scratches.  But you might be dealing with paint or cured concrete.  Depending on all of these factors and more we might need to "build a product".  Or not.  

Since we are working mostly on thin film metal coatings like titanium dioxide, a typical metal polish like Flitz could work.  Or even a brass polish like Top Brite.  Sourcing the right product might take some time.  But once found you will have it to use again.

Just remember NOT to ever use a razor on a coated surface no matter what it is.  Remember the factory applied coatings usually cannot be restored.  They cannot be stripped off and reapplied.  Whereas as field applied coatings usually can.

But this is why I should work along with you regarding anything that needs more than a good scrub and squeegee.  Just send me an email with any questions.

Henry Grover Jr.

henrygrover222@gmail.com

Coatings Can Make You Really Big Money

There are two basic types of coatings used on window glass; factory applied and field applied.  They both need maintenance.  Although only one can be reapplied if it is damaged.  That of course would be the field applied coating such as Nanovations NG1010.  Which is a field applied hydrophobic sealant.  There are many other field applied coatings or sealants.  They began as hydrophobic sealants.  But have become rather diversified over the last fifty years.  The factory applied coatings have also become rather diversified too.  There are antireflective, low emmisivity (low e), heat resistant, solar/electric, hydrophylic/low maintenance, mar resistant, and many others.  These can be found on any side of insulating double pained glazing.  Here is a link to a company in Japan that specializes in some rather fascinating field applied coatings.

Sketch Co.

We are going to have to be on the look out for coatings as we perform our work.  Much of the tech talk on our social media has focused on why some glass is very prone to scratches.  Which is a VERY important concern.  Because making a mistake here could create a lawsuit that could take your company away.  The IWCA several years ago spent a heap of money on figuring this out.  The scientific research was fascinating.  But the problem remains.  This problem is even more intense regarding glass coatings.  Because these absolutely cannot be scraped.  Ever!  So when they become laden with concrete sealant overspray, paint, concrete splatter, or something else; we must first be able to quickly recognize that there is a coating; and then know how to work with it.  To do that we must have products to work with. Which brings us to the study of superabrasives in the 100 micron range with a mohs hardness of 5 and less. 

To cap this we must be able to identify any coatings that are present (whether factory or field applied), and know how to maintain them, and with what.  We are maintainig a microscopically thin film measured in angstrom units, NOT a glass surface that can be ground off with a silicon carbide paper and polished with a high grade cerium oxide slurry at 3,000 rpms.  This takes window cleaning to a whole new level.  One I am sure that most of us will not want to move to.  But there are hidden opportunities here for all of us to consider.

If you do know how to maintain, restore, and preserve coatings;...you will stand above your competition.  You will be able to charge more for your labor.  Also you will have the knowledge to actually apply the field coatings correctly when possibly no other window cleaning company in your area does.  This will win you the contract and help you to keep it.  Tell me I am wrong about this.  It will give you a new income stream as well.  Everything I just said speaks opportunity!

Keep coming back as we move ahead.  Coatings are driving the float glass manufacturing industry.  And they will drive ours too.  So let us NOT ignore them.  Because they have the potential to make you gobs of money.

Henry

henrygrover222@gmail.com

Never Restore Glass Without Sealing

 Many restoration jobs have been performed without sealing as a final finish.  This causes the next deposit of hard water spots to weld to the windows.  It does not matter if the windows were cleared with an acid or a cerium oxide or some other superabrasive based product.

The opposite of this is also true.  If you do seal with NG1010 from Nanovations USA then the windows will be dramatically easier to clear or restore the next time around!  If the job belongs to you then you have control.  But if you are coming in blind then you have no idea what was done before.  You might even discover going through the job that certain windows are an absolute bear to clear, while others are not.  And there was no way to predict this.  The reasons could be varied.

The use of a glass etchant based product like hydrofluoric acid will make it most difficult to clear the windows the next time around.  Whereas not so much if a polishing compound like cerium oxide were used.  It could also be that only certain windows were sealed but not all.  Or it could be that a quality sealant was not used.  NG1010 has been tested by some very professional restoration experts.  It has shown the very best results.

Henry Grover Jr.

 

 

Using a Cerium Based Compound from a Syringe

These micrographs show how cerium particles tend to form "clumps" or agglomerates

Particle Distribution Curve

Notice how the tail reveals the amount of oversized particles

Five Micron Particles of Cerium Oxide

Pure white high quality cerium oxide

A cerium oxide agglomerate particle

Cerium oxide is the go to product for quickly polishing glass surfaces.  It can be used up tp 3,000 rpms and more to clear a square foot in thirty seconds or less.  When used correctly on a flat pad it will not leave swirls of "micro-scratches".  Providing the hard water spots do not have large mineral based particles.  Technique is still critical to the end result.  

The first step is using the best cerium.  Things like particle size, purity, agglomerates, particle distribution curve (PDC), quality consistency, and more must be considered. But once this has been sourced it must be determined exactly what medium the cerium powder should be used in.  Some people will just open a pail of dry cerium, wet the edge of a pad, and rip into the glass with the spinning pad turned on edge.  When this technique is used even the best product will create very bad micro-scratches that sometimes are visible only in the bright sun at just the right angle.  The polishing pad must be used totally flat.  Another technique that has been used involves mixing a slurry of cerium and water.  Let it set for a week.  Then mix and dip the pad.  Next polish your clean window to remove the hard water spots.  The problem with this method is lack of control over the splatter.  Especially if you end up very close to the plate you have just cleared.  Using a random oscillator at about 10,000 opms and a square flat felt pad completely eliminates the splatter.

Another answer involves using a cerium compound.  This is a thick well blended long lasting suspension of cerium.  The suspension is tested with a centrifuge.  I build my own scientific apparatus.  Compounds come in and are applied with a syringe.  Or it can be blended and kept in a small plastic open mouth jar.  From here it can be sucked up into a 20 gram syringe on the job.  To use I just clean the window.  Then I wet the window with clean soapy water.  Next I apply several drops of the cerium compound to the bottom of my polishing pad.  Next I apply directly to the wet window and polish.  This process allows you to control the amount of cerium used to reduce cost.  It also makes the use of the product very easy and far less messy.  Further you can calculate exactly how much time is necessary to clear a square foot.

What I personally like about compounding is you can add other super-abrasives to the cerium or silica or diamond or whatever.  Diamond has always intrigued me.  But I won't go into that here.  Just let me say one thing.  Blending diamond and cerium super-abrasives in the polishing industry is becoming a relatively common practice.  Because the results have proven to be rather favorable for different reasons.

Using a random oscillator and a hard felt pad to polish a test plate with a compound

No Mess!

Applying a thick compound from a drip bottle

If you are interested in learning more about any products I am working on just send me an email.  Or a text.

Henry 

6034989474

henrygrover222@gmail.com

Every Window Is A Potential Lawsuit And A Potential Money Maker

The ONLY routine window cleaning jobs are the ones we have already done and fully inspected.  We must have "eyes wide open" regarding every new job.  Even before we price it there are some very basic tests we must do.  The very first thing that must be examined is whether the windows are scratch sensitive.  If so we cannot use a razor.  If they have a low e coating  we will be cleaning, we cannot use a razor.  So called self cleaning surfaces cannot be scraped.  And any other type of factory applied coatings.  If they have a polyester solar film we will need to address this.  What if the windows are made from acrylic or polycarbonate.  Same concerns and more.  I could go on for many paragraphs.  

The point I am making here is we must be Glass Smart.  Otherwise we could be risking a lawsuit.  But if we do even a quick inspection, and discover anything at all, we will then have the opportunity to be a little more free in our quotes.  Especially if there is anything going on which is a high risk.  Such as glass that is extremely scratch sensitive.  I actually think the very first step before pricing any new job should be to take an hour and look at it very closely.  You might even want to price this separate.  Then if there are any potential problems that would be explained and become the reason for a waiver.  Maybe even what I call a Trivalent Waiver.  First, during, and last.  I did a post on this idea.  Many of you already have waivers.  

I will continue this topic from time to time.  Please look up at the top of this blog for the Glass Smart FB link and join in this discussion.

Henry

henrygrover222@gmail.com

Join the Glass Smart Facebook Page Now!

Facebook Page  Please click on this link and come on over!  Now that I am writing the IGSA Tests we need some comments.  I am learning that there are SO many of you out that that have learned so much and am anxious to have some very interesting SMART discussions with you.  This is indeed the best way to do it.

Henry

henrygrover222@gmail.com

Testing Hydrophobic Sealants for Resistance to Portland Cement

Simple Question.  Which sealants will stand up to the high pH of Portland Cement as it cures over the course of a week?  Cement is very alkaline!  It can easily rise to a pH of 13.  Over several days it can drop to 9.  7 is neutral.  Below that is acidic.  The higher the pH the stronger the concrete.  If it drops to 6 or less cured concrete will visibly break up.  Not good.  

Now here is the interesting piece.  As it cures it forms a rather strong bond to glass.  Because of the chemistry.  It is easy to push off within a couple days.  Wait too long and you will be in deep muck!

Also hard water drops will rise to a pH of at least 9 (very alkaline) as they evaporate.  Also as they evaporate the mineral salts will condense around the outer edge of each spot.  Which causes the greatest pH there too.  This means that the static stage two etch happens predominantly at the outer edge.  Which is especially the case for dark tinted glass.

So.  If we can identify which commercial sealant is most effective at resisting the highest pH of cement as it cures over at least a few days, than that should also prove to be the best sealant to use against hard water spots so they can be easily removed.  But what kind of test should we use?

Testing Sealants Against Concrete.  First if you would like to get deep into the chemistry of the hydration of cement check out this page.  Cement Hydration  This IGSA test is rather simple and quite eye opening.  

First go out and buy a brand new mirror plate.  If you have about four different sealants to test get a one by two foot mirror.  Next polish the entire plate with a cerium oxide slurry and a sponge or felt pad with a square random oscillator of about 10,000 opms.  That is oscillations per minute.  This next picture I took from the Glass Smart FB.

It should take about thirty seconds per square foot to create a completely hydrophylic/water loving surface.  Clean it off and check.  Pure water should sheet over every square inch.  Next divide it up into four 6 by 12 inch areas separated by some white "paint tape".  Now apply four different product samples of sealants.  Like The Invisible Shield, Nanovations NG1010, Aquapel, and another.  There are many of them out there.  I will NOT get into the chemistry of them.  Because it really doesn't matter.  What matters most is their performance.  Let each sealant have enough time to cure.  According to the instructions.  And make sure that you apply each one correctly according to the instructions.  When you are ready mix up some nice wet cement and put about three little plops on each of the sealants.  Give your experiment at least several days for the cement to cure.  Let it hydrate.  Next remove all of the little cow paddies.  Clean the entire mirror.  Then run pure water over the entire plate.  The area where the cement did not make contact should still bead water.  Also the areas that did make contact with the cement should also bead water.  If there are any areas that did make contact with the cement that have stopped beading water then you will know that those sealants have been chemically degraded by the high pH of the concrete/cement.  And concrete would eventually lock onto those surfaces.  It is also important to know where you applied which sealant products. To identify which sealants were not effective.  If any sealants did not stand up to cement after only several days they most likely will not be very effective at standing up to hard water spots.  The test I did many years ago was quite striking.  It was very easy to identify the best sealants.

I will continue to work with this test.  It is in my toolbox.

Please come over to the Glass Smart FB and join in the SMART discussions.

Glass Smart FB

Henry

henrygrover222@gmail.com

Organic Solvents, Acids, Alkalies, Superabrasive Powders, and Surfaces

There are so many different chemicals and abrasives out there.  I really believe it is impossible to identify every one.  There are also new ones created every day.  If we completely ignored all of the chems and superabrasives there would still be a nonending line up of different window coatings and types of glass and plastic fenestration materials.

The Glass Committee of the IWCA is approaching this truth. I do applaud them for this.  Also they are working at moving through this confusion.  Which is also quite commendable.  My position on this is that we need to take things one step at a time.  Chemistry and physics will help a great deal along the way.  But testing will really be the most effective way to learn which combinations will damage which surfaces, and in what ways, and under what conditions.  Testing will also teach us which deposits, paints, and stains can be safely removed with the safe chems and superabrasives.  BUT  The tests MUST be performed on brand new surfaces.  Further as diverse as the ASTM is I really think they will not have the tests we need to learn what we need to know.  So we have to attack this work collectively but in a very logical scientific way.  Using new window surfaces.  This will mean many trips to the dump with wasted glass.  It will also mean the use of some interesting diagnostic tools.  Like a digital hand held lighted microscope for taking pictures of scratches and point indent fractures (PIFs).  There is so much to learn!

I am looking to work with other window cleaners in New England this year more than last.  The focus will be on getting the products I have discovered and others maybe that you are already buying from the WCR;...out into the field.  To use them on houses and stores.  Especially the preservation and inspection products.  I am very excited about these.  I always love it when I can show a customer something they have never seen before and wait for that look in their eyes.  It always satisfies!

So send me an email and we can meet up.  Either over the phone, zoom, or in person.

Henry

henrygrover222@gmail.com

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Locating S4 Coated Glass

This thin film coating is based on tin oxide and silver oxide.  It is applied to the fourth surface of an IG unit and so is exposed to the inside of the building.  It is a second low e coating and is used many times in the north to increase the amount of  heat from the sun that is captured during the day.  It is difficult to locate since it isn't that visible.  But since we are always in direct contact with it when we are cleaning the most important thing to know is we should NEVER use a razor blade on it.  Also if there is paint on it we need to know what products to use that will not do any harm.  I am in the process of developing these products.  One of which is a superabrasive plastic powder that can be blended with organic solvent like the essential oils or others.  One of which is in my car right now waiting for testing.  If you would like to learn more about S4 coated IG Units please check out this article from Mathews Brothers Windows. 

 https://mathewsbrothers.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/2016_2_S4-alt-layout.pdf

Also check out this video I made on locating S4 coatings.  I call it Squeek or no Squeek.

The most important thing to remember is to Know where these coatings are.  Which should be done at the time of construction when the home or building is constructed.  If you do find them they need to be protected  by removable plastic film.  This will guard against most anything except a hammer.

Henry Grover Jr.

henrygrover222@gmail.com

A Very Close Look At Steel Wool

 We use it all the time.  To remove heavy dirt, light hard water spots, aluminum screen stain, paint specs, silicone caulk fingerprints, minwax, and wood stain from windows.  But have you ever seen a video of how it is made?

The fibers of 0000 steel wool are between 15 and 20 microns in thickness.  They are just as hard as glass.  About 7 on the mohs scale.  And have a three sided cross sectional shape.  So each has three cutting edges.  Hence the fibers of steel wool as razor sharp.  This is why it is so good at cleaning.  It is just like using a billion razors.  

But remember.  According to our study of the PIF even very fine scratches much start with an impact crack.  Therefore since the microscopic edges drag across the surface they cannot create a PIF.  Which means the wool must dislodge and drag particles from the glass surface to do this.  First the impact crack (PIF), then by dragging the dislodged particle, the scratch is created!  Crack, drag, scratch.

Steel wool oxidizes very easily.  Once I put some in my pocket with a cell phone that had exposed terminals.  I felt my leg get really hot.  Pulled out the wool which was on fire.  The water bucket was two feet away.  Fortunately.  This is why an acidic cleaning solution will make the wool rust and leave red streaks all around a white plastic window frame.  If this happens just change out your water with a few gallons of distilled from the store.  Just carry some with you for residential trad work.

Now.  Different fiber based clothes can be very interesting to use.  Like microfiber cloths made for glass.  Or other hard plastic fiber clothes that are softer than glass.  Like the melamine plastic pads that we call magic sponges.  They are white, very soft, but chew off all kinds of stuff.  Because they have been made with holes that are about 20 microns.  Same sized hole as the thickness of 0000 steel wool!  No particles.  They have a mohs hardness of about 5.5.  Very cool ehhh?

There is a lot of room here for discover.  The playing field belongs to you!

Henry

henrygrover222@gmail.com