Over the decades I have seen so many brand new windows that were anything but perfect. They have been "gased" in between the plates. Dirty/filmy in between. Thumbprints in between. Even scratched;...from the factory. Also one of the most significant defects is raised inclusions from the float bath where the glass plates were made. So even before the glass made it to the window manufacturing plant it was "scratch sensitive"! Window glass is notoriously scratched from a multitude of different contractors. Including window cleaners. It comes many times direct from the window manufacturing plant missing low e coatings. Or and ready to implode from negative deflection. This happens when the IGUs are made. Windows can also be etched from chemicals or suffer water damage by poor storage conditions. Contaminated with silicone caulk or cured concrete after installation. Covered with hard water spots from the garden hose. These things must be identified and dealt with. The bottom line is very simply that just about anything is possible.
As the General Contractor your first concern is to never end up having to cover for any of these problems! Either by identifying them when the windows are delived. Or by preventing them by working with reputable subcontractors who have been made aware of what can happen. For example all windows can be inspected the day they arrive for storage where they will wait for the day of installation. Order them enough in advance so that if there is a problem they can be sent back to the factory for exchange. Then every subcontractor that will be working around the windows after they have been installed must be educated as to what they cannot do. As an example painters sometimes will powerwash to prepare the exterior of the building for paint. The wrong chemicals can do a great deal of damage to the glass. It can stain and etch. Powerwash companies will clean stucco with pure water. But even this can cause hard water spots on the windows in only thirty minutes. Cleaning companies also might use a metal razor on windows to remove paint, but do not know the surface is glass sensitive. Because it is covered with raised inclusions from the float bath. So they end up scratching every square inch of every window.
Another intense concern is to be able to trace the problem back to who is responsible. This is critical if the Genral Contractor needs to go to court to absolve the matter. It might be necessary to do this first to see if the problem was caused by a subcontractor whose insurance company would in fact pay for the damage. Did you know that powerwash companies usually pay the highest for insurance? For just this reason. Most times a subcontractors insurance will pay for damages if they damage one thing while working on another. I remember a painter whose insurance paid for etched glass when they powerwashed/prepared the house with a solution of sodium carbonate and sodium metasilicate. So if you are a contractor facing a similar problem you first will need to identify where it came from. Then see if you can return the windows to the factory. Or if you can get compansation from which subcontractor was responsible for the damage. If their insurance company will pay, and the damage can be restored, it might be an easy fix.
So if you are a General Contractor reading this post I suggest you please give me a quick call. Even if you don't have any immediate concerns. I would appreciate the opportunity to work with you in some way so we can minimize any chance of damaged window glass together. No matter whether you live in Australia or a town one hour away.
Written by Henry Grover Jr.
6034989474
https://glassinspectionservices.blogspot.com/
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