Just finished a storm window job where we were hired to clean the windows and the storm windows after a painter had taken them off to paint the house. We let the job sit for a good two weeks to make sure the paint had cured. We cleaned the inside using traditional squeegee method, then razor scraped off the paint and WFP’d the outside. When we cleaned the storms and went to place them on the windows, I noticed a sort of oily sheen or film on the glass. Like the pure water had caused the oil in in the paint to leach out. we then buffed with rags and some of it came out, but some of it came back. We then used traditional scrubber and squeegee, and it still came back. We used steel wool and it still came back.
Anybody had any experience with this? Was it because of the new paint? Or something else?
The storm windows are fine. What I’m talking about is the outside glass surfaces of the windows that the storm is attached too. The homes windows and trim was paints recently. The oily sheen is on the outside glass surface of the windows, not the storm windows. Sorry for any confusion.
Are you sure that what you’re seeing wasn’t already on the glass before you started the job? I’ve never seen paint cause anything like what you are describing.
Are the window sashes made of wood or some other material? have you tried a solvent on the glass, like lacquer thinner or oil flow? if you could post a picture maybe that would give us a better idea of what you’re talking about. as it is, this is sort of a head-scratcher.
Is there anyway what your seeing is a low e film from the factory on the glass? It may have changed after the painters used a cleaning agent to pressure wash house before painting.
Sashes are made of wood. Definitely old school windows with lots of panes. My only other option would be to use a solvent. Definitely could be a pre-existing condition. It was rainy when we started inside, but sun came out enough for us to finish outside. So couldn’t see it until everything had dried after WFPing. So don’t know for sure if it was pre-existing. I’ve never seen this before and I’ve done hundreds of these type of homes with amazing results. Also, homeowner out of town, so couldn’t ask questions.
No film or anything on the windows. No Low E. But I think you are right. This could be the residue of something the painter’s used to prep the house for painting.
It might also be something that could have been sprayed on that wasn’t done by the but painter but maybe the owner or another service company such as pest control. I’ve been at some houses where the situation you’re describing was the same one I’ve been in. Sometimes people spraying chemicals or work by windows where stuff flies in the air. My wfp and hand tools didn’t work until I tried dish soap. Wow! Of all things. I use gg4 and sorbo glide everytime. I added some original palmolive dish soap and the oily stuff came right off. Now I’m considering replacing my gg4 with palmolive or use the combo of all three. No reactions either when all three are used. Something to think about.
Looked a lot like that (Newton’s Rings), except with no color to it, just monochromatic. Looking dead-on into the glass you couldn’t see it, check it at an angle reflecting the sky, and there it was.
I’m always curious about Newton rings showing up in large ig duo paned glass. Is it because the ig windows are made at a different elevation than where they’re installed at? And they suck in? Concave in? I’ve never seen windows bow out? I’ve noticed some manufacturers have breather tubes. Is that to deal with changes in elevation? Hmm
