The Glass Committee of the IWCA has discovered that all window glass is chemically attacked by plain water. What we need is a simple product that can be quickly and VERY easily applied EVERY time we clean the windows. Especially if the windows are cleaned very often. I can’t tell you anything about the longevity of this product cuz it is brand new. But just look at how EZ it is to apply! This is an example of the chemistry that is available.
Henry
[email protected]
Definitely an easy application although it is an added step apart from cleaning the glass.
There are products, like Rainex, that have a clean and seal product where the sealant is added to the cleaner but I have always questioned their effectiveness. Because my understanding is that a sealant fills in the pours of the glass and covers the entire surface of the glass making it pourless (if this is an actual word either way I hope my point is clear). Because of this the first step to getting a good proper seal is to clean the glass of all contaminants so that the sealant adheres to the entire surface and creates a single sheet over the surface of the glass, filling in all the pours. I don see how you can clean and seal at the same time and get a proper seal where the sheet over the surface is not contaminated by any dirt, soap, and debris mixed in with the sheet of sealant.
To get the best seal, longest lasting and best protecting seal, is to separate the cleaning process from the sealing process to insure a solid sheet of sealant adhering to the entire surface of the glass.
The point I am making is that the sealing process, if done properly, will always be an added step from the cleaning process and will necessitate and add charge to the customer and or an added step for the technician.
All that said this sealing process, even as an added step, is one that seems quick and minimal effort as compared to other sealants that you have to buff out.
I would want to evaluate how effective the sealant is since it’s squeegeed off. My concern would be that it would not creat a solid sheet covering the entire surface but rather would leave small portions of the glass exposed where the surface of the glass was higher in proportion to the rest. In other words would the squeegee remove the sealant from the raised portions of glass leaving the sealant only in the pours of the glass and therefore not protecting the raised portions of glass. This still creates a “hydrophic” reaction but is it truly protecting the glass as well? I am not drawing any conclusions but just posing the question that I think needs to be asked regarding this type of application vs a but on application.
You are asking questions that I have asked myself. I do believe you are right when you say, “to get the best seal, longest lasting and best protecting seal, is to separate the cleaning process from the sealing process to insure a solid sheet of sealant adhering to the entire surface of the glass.”. This is especially true when the sealant that is being applied must chemically react with and bond to the glass such as the 3 Star Barrier from JRC. But there are other chemistries available that just leave a topical coating which is quite hydrophobic. How long each will last is another matter. But if they are being reapplied routinely then maybe it won’t matter. And it is possible to clean and seal at the same time without leaving any visible residue. Whether there are any microscopic deposits I cannot say. Also the greatest benefit comes from just establishing a water barrier. Penn State determined all that is necessary is a one molecule thick barrier. Pinholes are a technical term. And we can’t tell how many there are in any coating. The most practical way to figure out if the sealant will do what we need it to over a long enough time is to do the test.
Great questions! You know everything begins with a guess. Then test test test.
Henry
