Ask any professional window cleaner about newly installed windows and they will tell you all kinds of horror stories. Things like scratches on every window, negative deflective IG units, etched glass, hard water stains from concrete efflorescence, delaminated edges, inside gassing of units, missing low e films, etc. The list just goes on. Not every window cleaner is able to identify these defects. Which is why you need to hire a professional consultant.
The unfortunate thing is that window cleaners many times will actually cause these defects. Take scratched glass as an example. Float glass many times will come straight from the factory covered with microscopic defects. Especially tempered glass. If this is not discovered and a metal razor is used or some other scraper, scratches will result. If windows are installed with this type of surface defect anyone can created millions of micro scratches without even knowing it. Especially on cloudy days. But when the bright sun comes out the next day such scratches will become way too visible.
The type of damage done or discovered can easily go into the millions. The trained eye however can literally save you a tremendous amount of grief! Do you know that a single temp/lami railing plate only 3 by 4 feet can cost 1700 to replace. Scratched, etched, cracked, delaminated, or something else will require replacement.
Windows can go for many years with defects. The owners simply just don't care. But new owners can be ruthless. If the glass is new you will not get it past them. Unfortunately much of the damage done or defects cannot be detected until the windows are properly cleaned. But the window cleaning is ALWAYS left until the very end of the job. Which is the very worst thing to do for brand new construction. Replacement might be easy. But getting the replacement window in from the manufacturer and getting it installed, before the deadline for site completion is quite another matter.
If you look at these two pictures of scratches on glass below you will notice they are very different. The top one was done with a blunt metal object. The lower one was done with a rock. Characterizing scratches with a microscope helps to identify the cause of each. Inspection technology is a detailed science that uses very special tools. Sometimes not so special. But it always requires an educated mind that comes from experience and experiments. This is what Glass Smart has to offer.
Glass Smart also owns NEGSA the New England Glass Smart Association of window cleaning professionals who know how to clean windows without doing damage to the windows. They do not use acids for stain removal that etch. Also they do not use abrasive based products that scratch. Likewise NEGSA members are very familiar with locating defective scratch sensitive surfaces, so will never use metal razors where they should not be used.
If you have a new building going up, you should hire a member of NEGSA. Every time! Just give me a call and we can get someone in to help you out. Further if I need to come to the job for a quick inspection before the cleaning this can be arranged. The best time to inspect is actually when the windows arrive on site or are put in storage.
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