Over the last 25 years I have been called in to consult on buildings by window cleaners, janitorial companies, construction companies, real estate companies, lawyers, property maintenance management companies, and even insurance companies. This has made me more money in a day than I have made cleaning windows. But in only a fraction of the time. I have always believed that many other window cleaners could do the same thing. And I would like to help you become a consultant too.
I learned much of what I know by using brand new glass samples. For example what of the different types of etch that are caused by different acids? What acids do not cause etched glass? To come up with the answers I literally wasted window glass and took it to the dump. Then when I seen different conditions in the field I knew immediately what I was looking at. Sometimes I would see certain conditions out there that I surmised were caused by acids, but didn't know. So I went back home and used the sample products and chemicals that I had there to duplicate what I seen in the field. Once I succeeded I had the answers that I needed. A case in point was a building down in PA.
The building had two different conditions. It had a kind of clear orange peal effect. Also a clear banding that followed straight up and down. The building had been sealed with a liquid siloxane concrete waterproofing sealant. Which ran down over the dark glass. It also was covered with hard water spots from concrete efflorescence. The kicker was the sealant ran down the glass and so it was removed simultaneously with the hard water spots with a hydrofluoric acid based "restoration" product. As it turned out the acid had eaten into the glass showing the pattern of the banding from the siloxane sealant and the spots which showed up as a clear orange peal. There was no clouding but both the moderator and builder matrix of the dark glass had undergone complete dissolution. So I went back to my little makeshift grassroots lab. And was able to easily duplicate both of these conditions using both the restoration product that was used on the building in PA, and a pure water based solution of 1 and a half percent hydrofluoric acid. I was first called in to look at this building by the restoration company that was looking to come up with some way to "fix it". There was no fix. Then I was called in by the company that did the damage, the insurance company they had, and the lawyer that the building owners were using. I actually demonstrated how easy it was to cause the damage using this acid. Each time I was called in I was paid.
There were many other consulting jobs that I was called into over the years. Which I will talk about on this blog. I think if anything you will find them interesting. At the same time it will lead you into how IGSA will be making courses available to help train our members to become consultants too. Hope you find it enjoyable.
Written by Henry Grover Jr.
GlassSmart@ProtonMail.com
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