I was given a huge task of removing mineral stains that came from windows above on a high-rise condo…luckily they had a balcony There were six panes, 3’x7’.
This wasn’t just a ring or a line of staining. It was a mess.
I did a trial spot by hand using MDR and a rag and didn’t make a dent in 5 minutes.
This needed to get mechanized. So I bought 1 palm sander and a pack of the blue Scotch-Bright pads (non-scratching, great for glass). Viola, a window restored in less than 5 minutes! Just wet the glass, wet the pad, apply the cleaner to the pad, and buzz over 3-4 times, rinse and repeat if needed. Depending on the stain I’ve had to use either MDR or Ettore’s Spot Remover.
I quote $15-$20 per window restoration.
I told a window cleaning buddy of mine and he was petrified at the idea. I showed him in person and still the same reaction. I’ve done a dozen windows without incident!
Good for you Garrett, way to get innovative. However, I agree with Micah…and also, how much mess did you make with that?
You may be able to get the same result using OneRestore without any kind of buffing, or use CC550. You would be done in 4 to 5 minutes, no messes and charge 40 to 80 per pane…or more.
Chemical restoration is one step behind buffing it out with a glass renew system, and thats one step away from replacing the glass.
I price mine based on that line of reasoning, not how long it takes me.
Glad it worked out for you though, it feels good to come up with a solution to a problem don’t it!
There’s really no mess at all! Maybe 5 splashes/spots on a nearby pane and that can be controlled. Pricing is always funny and always in the “salesmanship” behind it. But there’s a home I’m doing next week where they want 11 windows done! It was hard enough for them to swallow $165, no less $440 if that’s what you’re quoting. Good for you if you can sell it!
I sell it as what it is, a restoration…along with the recommendations on how to keep it from happening again.
I also see it this way:
If they don’t like the price they could do it themselves. In fact, if they choke on the price, and they do sometimes, I ask them if they would like me to help walk them through it when they do it…and let them know what they will need.
There are not many people who know how to restore glass, and do it well and know the dangers/risks involved with it. That is what they are paying for…your expertise and experience, your insurances and assurances/guarantees. You are there to solve a problem, and if you solve that problem well then you have saved them more money down the line.
MDR = Mineral Deposit Remover from Titan Labs. There a quite a few different stain removers out there. We carry OneRestore and BioClean in the van and Slayer powder in my tool bag.
Whatever you use isn’t as important as making sure you explain to the customer the point Tory made - it’s restoration not cleaning. As such it merits more money to do the work.
I agree with you totally. Use the white non-abbrassive pads you can buy from any wondow cleaning catalog. When combined with bioclean they will not scratch and most of the time it works great, not to mention the minty smell :). Also, though a bit harsh, CLR has helped me a time or 2…
There were six panes, 3’x7’.
