If you are looking to purchase a new home or building or replacement windows there are a number of inspection services you might want to consider. Here is a list
Scratches;...can be very fine or very heavy. It is best to inspect BEFORE the window cleaning so you will know what you are working with. Because scratches can be caused by the window cleaning technique depending on the condition of the glass service. Scratches can also be hidden beneath the dirt or stains. Scratches can be analyzed with a special microscope to help figure out what caused them.
Hard water or organic stains;...these are good to look for because you will want to find and identify so you can remove them and prevent them from returning. They can be hidden beneath the dirt so are much easier to discover after the windows have been cleaned. Which is the usual process.
Etched glass surfaces;...these also are usually hidden beneath the dirt. Or hidden beneath any type of stain. The only way to test for etched glass, which can show up in many different ways, is to have the window cleaned, and any stains effectively but safely removed with a polishing compound.
Coated Surfaces;...the can be of any kind and on any surface. In the case of IGUs that have two plates there are four surface. If the IGU has three plates there are six different surfaces. The coatings can be for solar control, hydrophobic, hydrophylic "easy clean", solar panel AR, etc. Do you have what you are supposed to have, and where it is supposed to be?
Defective Scratch Sensitive Surfaces;... can you safely remove paint overspray, concrete sealant, wood stain, or anything else? Or is there too high a risk of causing scratches. Which would demand a very expensive process to clear the window.
Negative Deflection IGUs;...I have seen this defect on brand new windows. Or windows twenty years old. When the seal has failed, and much of the argon or other gas has left, the two plates can get pushed in becoming concave. Which can cause the window to implode without warning. Especially if such a window gets a Point Impact Fracture. Or a chip. Or a bad scratch.
Delaminated Safety Glass;...Lami glass is made from two thin sheets of flat glass that are used as a sandwich with a clear film of PVB. Usually this fim delaminates at the edge of the window. It is very unsightly.
Failed IGUs;...When the airtight seals of an IGU fail water vapor seeps in between causing a film of water. Over time this water etches the inside surface of one or both of the glass plates leaving a white haze. Which is very difficult to see through. A failed seal is a failed window that will need to be replaced. Depending on how many windows like this are in the home or building the bill for replacement can easily run into the tens of thousands of dollars.
These are just eight different problems that can be revealed by a routine inspection. Such an inspection is best done before, during, and after a professional window cleaning by a member of NEGSA. If you have a storefront you should always have your glass maintained/cleaned by a member of NEGSA. For the purpose of preservation. Also from the very start. When the building is first put up. Every time the windows are cleaned they will be inspected.
Henry Grover Jr.
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