So one of my boys put some CC550 on a large custom picture window and it burnt or fogged the glass almost instantly. I trust that he did not leave it on too long because he has used the stuff plenty of times. Anyway, I bought some ABR Glass De-Etcher and went out yesterday with hopes of fixing the problem and the stuff did not work. I used 0-2500 rpm drill and the buffing pad they sent and did as instructed. Has anyone had glass that they could not remove the burn/fog from?
That glass will most likely need to be replaced. There was a reaction between the chemical and the tin side of the glass itself.
Tin itch haze? Is that the term? Why is it random, and why does certain glass react that way?
I have had this problem too. If after 20 mins of working with it and you don’t see any results it’s a lost cause. I once spent two hours fixing a slinding glass door. finished everthing looked great. got a call two days later and it was back. So you never know until you do it but there are those windows that can’t be fixed.
Tin Etch Haze.
When glass is produced they float it across a bed of molten tin. Only one side of the glass makes contact with that tin. When it is installed into a window you don’t know which side is facing out. So if the acid makes contact with the tin side, its burnt. If it contacts the glass side without tin, its fine.
So how does one know before applying any CC550 to the wrong side? Is there a test one can do before making a big mistake like this situation.
I haven’t tried CC550 or similar products for this reason alone.
An ultraviolet light will show it.
Is that a screw up on the glass manufacturer, or like always they take no responsibilty?
Its really a gamble, As Shawn said ultra violet will show it… but its super hard to see on sunny days. Most windows have the tin on the inside, but you will come across a random one that has it on the outside. You never know
What do you look for with the ultraviolet light?
What would you recommend other than CC550 for hard water stains or chemical stains? We have used CC550 for probably 20 years and I have noticed this problem but until recently never heard of tin itch haze. Now I don’t see any value in using CC550 because it is a gamble every time you use it.
The glass will appear hazy with the ultraviolet black light. It is a little tricky in daylight hours. It can be done though with a blanket over you and area of glass or possibly an umbrella.
I have heard good things about safe restore.
The glass could also appear to have a grayish hue.
When shining the ultraviolet light on the glass, you look at the reflection of the light. If the light appears to have a grayish hue, that’s the tin side, and you do NOT want to use CC550 or even SafeRestore, in my opinion.
If the light reflected is clear, then you’re dealing with the air side, so you should be safe.
You’ll need a powerful UV light, more then likely a corded model.
And so it happened…
Was doing a hard water gig the other day (pretty bad residential) the house is stucco, and is practically stained orange from all of the hardwater. The windows had obviously been neglected for some time, and they all had a “rainbow effect” as my helper called it. Everything went good with Safe Restore, but then I had one that just wouldn’t come clean. So i pulled out some CC550 - tested a corner - looked good, and then proceeded to do half the window… WHOOPS! Fogged up instantly - SH*T!!! I did what I could to salvage it but no go. Then again, the windows came a long way from where they were. Some of them had moisture build up between the panes, some were broken. Maybe they won’t notice…
BTW - Safe Restore worked great for the alum frames too!
I did the same thing on a house some time ago, and the sad thing is I was doing it just to make the window look “better”, wasn’t charging for it, but they didn’t have a problem with it since the house was 2 years old and 80% of the windows had some sort of seal failure and were starting to show moisture inside.
Gotta have to buy one of those lights
Sounds unprofessional.
You would have to understand the situation…but yes, it does “sound” unprofessional.
Wow. Those are some pretty horrible stories! So far it hasnt happened to me yet. I have had some pretty large jobs using just CC550 and also safe restore.
Its odd, but there are some things that one will do better than the other.
You would thing safe restore would actually restore the glass, as it commercial glass, you know, when you get those concrete run off drips all over the mirrored glass or when the mirrored glass is just all messed up? CC55o works like a charm!! On some hard water stains tho, only the SRestore worked and the 550 didnt even dent it. I have a UV light, but never used it. Always tested a small area first, but from the stories I just read about, I WILL be using it.
I always thought that it shows up instantly. Man, have I been lucky! Good info.
