Do you care about fabricating debris?
I’d like to know how All County Window Cleaning cleans 10’s of thousands of windows a year and only scratches about 3 windows due to fabricating debris.
I guesstimate we have cleaned well over [B][I]one hundred thousand[/I][/B] residential windows this year. We scathed maybe 10 or so…
Thats 10 or so we know about… There is probably more than that. I know we will probably get blasted for this. But we train people to listen for it and stop scraping immediately.
Not nearly as much as I used to. I do a handful of CCU’s every year so its not that big of an issue to me like it used to be. My guys are trained in what FD is and what to do if they come across the issue.
We don’t go to town on glass with scrapers like some do on here. Its just not needed. A handy steel wool pad works just fine 95% of the time. We mostly spot scrape paint and artillary fungus when we see it.
My guys know to scrape vertical and lift the blade on each downward stroke to minimize scratches when we do have to scrape.
Honestly, NO. I’m concerned with it when we clean new homes, but I couldn’t care less about the debates or what peoples stance on the issues are. As a company we educate ourselves with the information that is available to us and try to educate our employess and customers as best we can. Like ACWC, we teach our employess to stop scraping if they hear anything on the glass and to be very careful when cleaning certain brands of windows.
The more I read the more I like 6x6 DH windows with triple track storms. I’m doing a house on the ocean next week with all big picture windows and casement windows. It makes me a little nervous. I’ll wool and spot scrape it.
Which, of course, has nothing to do with fabricating debris, but other potentially trapped debris (for example mortar, stucco, cement, etc.) which might cause a scratch.
I can’t say I don’t care about it, but I don’t really worry about it like I used to. I used to think I was going to scratch a million dollars worth of windows and then be put in prison and my children sold into slavery to pay for it all.
I don’t care so much anymore partly because when we have scratched some (yes even without a waiver) we just told the contractor/homeowner that it was inferior glass and we weren’t liable. They didn’t like it but didn’t do anything about it. Keep in mind though that we stop immediately if scratching occurs, so it’s never more than one window.
One builder even replaced the scratched glass herself at a cost of $800 and still calls us for every home she builds. She just knows there are risks and it’s not our fault.
Scratches are not always immediately visible dependent upon such factors as lighting.
Why not provide her with a copy/example of a waiver she could use with her suppliers, declaring that she will not accept or pay for defective glass?
I’ve heard that but never had it happen. We have never been surprised that suddenly there are a bunch of scratches the next day, dumb luck I guess
Most builders around here won’t do that, I don’t know why, but I gave up on that supplier waiver. I just give them the Fab debris info in a packet and make it clear to them that scratching’s possible and we are not liable for it. What they do from there is up to them.
after seeing a beautiful new home completely bombarded with scratches, i wouldnt say im worried about fabricating debris but am definitely more aware and very interested in being educated about it. i will be putting a plan in place for next year to protect myself and educate every customer…
I bet Tony votes ‘no’ 
Tony voted YES.
I do care and educate every wcer I meet as well as every customer and builder. It only takes one litigious client where you forgot a waiver to end your business because someone else isn’t doing their job right.
Since FD scratches are often invisible except in the right light and you can’t see and hear every FD laden window you can quickly end up w/ a lot of clients claiming it’s your fault.
If you haven’t had anyone blame you yet - good for you. But don’t take chances get the waiver signed.
As for scraping every window being unnecessary - I can’t speak for what you encounter on the glass where you are but around here it’s necessary. Many folks have a badly done CCU on their homes and we often come in to do the next cleaning a year or more later. Silicone, artillery shotgun fungus and other stubborn debris caked onto the window. I’m not taking the extra time to use steel wool (I use bronze for hard water because of rust issues w/ steel) because some fabricator can’t be bothered to do his scheduled tempering furnace maintenance. I get the waiver signed and get the glass clean in a timely fashion.
I care a lot.
I want to make sure that my business is not held liable for defective glass.
I want my customers to have quality glass.
And because I know fabricating debris probably isn’t going to go away quickly, I want to make sure that the industry has an association to help window cleaners in anyway possible regarding fabricating debris.
How will you do that, Micah?
I joined the IWCA. I voted for Chris as a BOD because I know what his stand on FD is.
Maybe I’ll participate more in the IWCA if I’m needed and if time permits.
I can’t say that I’ve scratched any. None that I’ll admit to anyways.
Larry,
I agree to a point. I thought I saw something or read something somewhere that lifting the blade on each pass and scraping in a vertical motion (not up and down up and down) could “minimize” some of the damage. I also will add that if I come across a window that is heavily oversprayed with something, I will test scrape and listen /do a visual on that area and other areas as it is being cleaned. If a window is loaded with FD, I test it and report my findings to the owner of the glass.
Proper scraping technique is to lift the blade at the end of every stroke. That way you won’t trap sand or other grit under the blade. It will not minimize scratches from FD.
If there is fabricating debris present, the direction of scraping – vertical or horizontal – will have no effect regarding the emergence of scratches.
