Winning a lawsuit begins before you touch the first window. It begins with educating your customer. Enter the Trivalent Waiver.
https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8868173061314045585/4250491787771447625
Have one written up and then have each part (3 in total) signed and dated by the customer as you move through the job. Customers need to understand that anything can happen when techniques or different chemicals must be used to remove substances that conventional cleaning methods cannot. It is also very real that scratches left by previous cleanings can easily be revealed by removing dirt and stains.
Next if you can possibly avoid a razor this is always the best practice. If however you must use one you should use a penny and a cheap doctors stethascope to listen for factory debris fused to the glass surface. Not going to get into the science of what this is. We all know it. And have to deal with it. Just need to know every time when it is there. The sound will tell you much. Although not everything. To learn more you should clean the window first with the traditional method. Soap and squeegee. Then lightly drag a penny across the dry surface and listen. I have heard many different sounds over the years. Including complete silence. VERY educational. It sure beats a microscope for simplicity!
Next. If you have to re-soap and scrape do this according to a unique pattern. Mixing patterns when scraping is a very effective way to learn if you caused the scratches or not. Another idea involves scraping the window in a different pattern than the scratches in question. Using the same scraper that was used by your employees. If no scratches result you win. If scratches appear and in this new pattern then you lose.
I have also when called into a consulting job actually tried to create the same scratches with the same tool that the window cleaner used. But in a different direction to the pattern of the scratches that were in question. I actually saved one companies business this way.
Another tool is a handheld lighted microscope that links by bluetooth to a smart phone. I am collecting a series of different micrographs of scratches caused by different things on my own test plate. Also from the field. Also have written a couple posts in this blog and included the micrographs further down. If we can show that the scratches were caused by an aluminum ladder for example and NOT a razor blade, then we have won the lawsuit. The microscope can be a very powerful analytical and legal tool. Here is a direct link to that post.
https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8868173061314045585/2262744864471757633
I will be continuing to collect micrographs of different types of scratches that I create on scratch sensitive new glass and coated surfaces. These will be available for use in court. More on this later.
The most important thing is to make sure you will not create scratches with your method if you chose to use a razor blade. If a blade is needed think again. There might be another way to remove the paint, silicone caulk, wood stain, or whatever. But even before you use this method make sure you know what type of surface you are working on. Glass, metal coating, or plastic. Then make sure it is or isn't scratch sensitive glass. This is something I can help you with. Even five thousand miles away.
I have consulted on may buildings over the last 30 years. With the technology we have today using smart phones, computers, and tablets, there really is no limit. I want to build a small video studio soon for webinars. Zoom will be available as a one on one tool. But webinars will let me grow the number of people I can work with at one time. Of course my YouTube Channel will always be available. Already I have many older videos on this. About 30 videos. You can go there and sign up using this link.
Henry Grover Jr.
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