I did my first storefront windows today with my wfp setup.
Came out NASTY (the bad nasty…)
For the past few months i have reading everything about wfp tec, watching all the vidios my eyeballs can stand about wfp and every thread about wfp.
This storefront glass was the most hydrophobic i have ever come across in my short wfp carreer.
(i have done a few houses with the wfp with STUNNING results…)i was using a vikan wfp brush, with pencil jets.
I have a boars head that i LOVE but its just TOO heavy for me on the end of my pole (hmmm sounds kinda kinky… ANYHOOO)
Could not get the rinse sheet any wider than about 2 inches before it started "rivering"
So this made my water usage skyrocket. (was using a backpack)
Tried the bronze wool no work. And tried a dab of ecover but no luck.
And still left water droplets everywhere…
I ended up doing the bottoms trad. No biggie…
And So…
i am ordering a set of fan jets for the vikan bush. Already has the holes for them
The next time i try this account i will have my r/o unit set up and will hook up the their water supply so wont have to worry about water.
While the wfp process and results AMAZED me (and my clients) on my residential jobs, i see that the store fronts need a bit more technique.
How ever i was able to diagnose the problems i was having BECAUSE of the WCR threads and vids
Will update soon
THANKS ALL!!
What kind of a business? Car dealership? Hydrophobic glass can be frustrating, for sure!
I use the wfp on three of my “storefronts”. Two of them have a bunch of french panes, and the third one is the Base Camp Rapid Care at Mount Snow- it has some really awkward high windows in the entryway. Using wfp for these accounts has cut my time at least 50% on all of them 
I have a dentist office that for years I thought was ideal for WFP, mainly because of a handful of second floor windows. Now that I have a pure water setup, I’ve tried it three times at this job and it just isn’t worth using due to hydrophobic glass. It disappoints me every time I get out my squeegees and 15 foot extension pole at this job, but for the same reasons you mentioned, it doesn’t work at this one.
I also have a few storefronts that are hydrophobic so I don’t wfp them. However, I have been intending to take the time to use some cerium oxide and bronze wool to see if I can make the love the pure water.
Anyone know what the best way to turn hydrophobic glass into hydrophillic ?
Scrape the coating off with six inch razor.
Some here say scrubbing the glass with bronze wool will, but in my experience is does not often enough. Try applying Nano Ultra, there are plenty of threads on on this process to search through here.
I have never heard of this
Being that this is a storefront account, I question whether putting extra effort to get the glass hydrophilic for easy wfp’ing is even worth it. but if there’s already good money there and you think your earnings could increase significantly on these types of accounts, you might want to try the ‘Sheer Glass’ trick. Sheer Glass is a stain remover sold in WCR. The manufacturer claimed that applying his product on glass with a white scrub pad or steel wool would change the glass over. I Did a test video on it last year.
Tool Talk with Mark the Window Cleaner episode 62 Sheer Glass
While I was doing this sprint cell phone store ($150 every month) I too was thinking if this was worth it and kinda stick to trad cleaning (at least for the store fronts) use the wfp for the high windows.
If this was a huge reocurring account I might rethink this but it’s not.
I am still ordering the fan jets though.
How long will the Sheer Glass remain on the glass, before you need to apply it again?
I’ll find out in a couple of weeks as I will cleaning that same window again. (Approx 10 months from application) if the water still sheets, yeah! If not, boooo.
Hydrophobic glass will still dry spot free if you decrease your rinse depth. Just because it beads up on the glass doesn’t mean its not going to dry spot free. If the TDS is low it will still dry spot free whether it beads or sheets.
Mark, can you update us on how long Sheer Glass remains effective on the glass? Thanks.
I’ve had success just using a quick pass with a squeegee, maybe a towel across the top seal if there are trouble areas that tend to run. Still faster than traditional, unless there are too many grid levels
Eric Mettler
Mettler Maintenance Window Cleaning
Central Coast, California
www.mettlermaintenance.com
50% change back to hydrophobic. Since the original test I have changed my approach to rinsing so I don’t get bothered so much by hydrophobic glass. The more hydrophobic a pc of glass is the more you rinse like you are using a small squeegee. Give it a couple of good slow passes across the top to start followed by more side to side passes on the way down. In the long run, faster than taking the time out to try and switch glass over with other tools and chemicals.
Thanks for the update Mark
Mark, do you have a video of the way that you are changing your rinse pattern?
Hi Derryll, I don’t have video of myself but I got this tip from Perry Tait. I know he’s mentioned the ‘small squeegee’ analogy a few times when talking about rinsing glass but I just can’t locate a specific video right now. If I find it I will post it up in this thread. Other than that, it’ll be a while before I’m wfp’ing again to demonstrate due to weather.
Why would anyone use a wfp on a storefront? I have been using wfp poles for over 15 years, using a wfp on a storefront is a waste of time.
Most stroefronts can be done just as quick trad as it can wfp.
Scratcher is right - in my experience about 10% of the glass in my area is hydrophobic (Car showroom windows seem to be the worst here) - but it doesn’t make a difference, it still dries perfectly!
