Hey guys, I have a client that has some massive windows at his house that need a bit of silicone removed. He spent $17,000 on these windows so he’s not about to see any 0000 grade steel wool, razors or anything touch the glass. We’ve used steel wool to remove all sorts of tough things from windows with no issue (on non tinted side of course)
From what I’m finding others are using brushes, razors and all sorts of stuff to remove it that this guy ain’t gonna let close to his window.
I bet it’s that German glass. I used steel wool, but no razors. I like the magic eraser idea… does it work better than 0000 steel wool and orange solvent?
Safe and proven methods… Steel Wool, Razors… Everything the guy won’t let you use. If it was me I’d tell him I was the professional and we don’t damage the glass, plus I am insured if anything happens to the glass, if he doesn’t like my methods - feel free to call someone else.
I like them to a point, if it’s finer or light silicone they work great. One of my first jobs I used them and I was fighting huge gobs of silicone because I was scared stiff of scratching the windows with wool or razors. Then my arms hurt so bad from the scrubbing I got over the fear or razors and wool REAL FAST
If it’s fresh silicone, I’ve never had success with a one step method. There’s always a thin layer of silicone left that doesn’t show up until the light hits it just right and three weeks later you’re back at the job recleaning every pane and more cause the silicone was in your washer sleeve and now has transferred to every window.
Contractors solvents only thin it out and liquefies it and then it smears everywhere. Then you wash the glass, the solvent dissolves in your wash water but the silicone remains.
Magic erasers are awesome on cured silicone, but if it’s not cured then it absorbs the majority of it and leaves behind a layer that is impossible thin but reflects any off angle sunlight. It’s so thin that a razor won’t pick it up.
Same thing goes for the steel wool method. It’s just a little less effective than magic erasers.
If the silicone is still not cured, I took off the majority with magic erase. Then using cornstarch or talcum powder sprinkled down the window seems to absorb the silicone. Then a little more magic eraser to remove the silicone/talc slurry and a final wash. But be prepared to have to repeat this cycle several times per pane. And charge accordingly.
But maybe it’s just the stuff the window manufacturers use in my area. From the way you guys talk it’s not a big deal. Last year I took on a bunch of CCU to get through winter and on every house, from 2 BR starter homes to multimillion customs and several different window manufacturers, all were covered in silicone from the factory glaziers. Some windows had sat out all summer and six months later, some of the goo was still in liquid form. It trolled my normal CCU time. Some days I was working for $10-15/hr.
But maybe it wasn’t silicone I was running into. Maybe it was just the stuff bad dreams are made of.
I do a LOT of CCU and see a LOT of silicone on almost every window, inside and out; very sloppy contractors. I got over the fear of using razors and steel wool very quick. I have done about 150 new CCU this year and not one pane scratched from using razors (Unger Ninja) and 0000 steel wool. Magic erasers are alright and I always keep one on my belt because it is good at getting small amounts of silicone and paint splatter off of windows, but a razor is the only thing that will get the globs of it off.
The one downside is almost every one of their bathroom windows are tempered and have VERY BAD fabrication debris and you don’t want to run a razor or steel wool across that. I have a video of that I need to upload on the FD section.
Steel wool alone will get paint off and will do nothing to FD, steel wool is the main alternative to using a scrapper on glass that has FD. Every new pane of commercial glass here is tempered and contains FD I use steel wool and do not dislodge the FD, only down side is it takes 5-10 x longer, so you charge for it.
It feels so gritty I have always steered away from using it on FD. I went the magic eraser route on those windows which takes forever to clean it. Truthfully I doubt my builders even care. The back sliding glass doors always have unreal amounts of concrete on the glass. It kills me they let that happen.
Absolutely, but sometimes it’s all about putting the customers mind at ease vs. the reality that scrapers and steel wool don’t damage windows - lack of attention, knowledge and skill by the window cleaner does.
