pole workPressure Wash

post construction

A huge part of the window cleaning industry is after construction. This is considered post construction, or construction clean-up (CCU). In this module we'll dig into how to get things off of windows, why glass scratches, and techniques for protecting yourself. Sub-contractors on projects are just like you, they want to get their job done and that's what they're focused on. Unfortunately for a window cleaner this means a mess on the window which could be paint, stucco, glue, tape, and many other residues. The contractor who hired you expects you to make things perfect for their customers. They want the the glass, frames, sills, screens, and everything else to be flawless even though no tradesman took care of it for the last six plus months. While this portion of window cleaning is frustrating it's really beneficial to take care of contractors. If you do you'll have work when they have work. Their client can also end up becoming a regular customer.

Start by communicating. When you have that many trades on a job it's not uncommon for windows to be broken, scratched or ruined. Walk the job before getting started and see if you notice anything. Always bring it to someones attention before you attempt the job. If you start touching things that are damaged (on any job) you're usually the one to blame. Since the windows are so dirty there is so much that can get missed. Once the windows are cleaned, someone usually does a walk through and starts noticing everything. Once they find one flaw they start looking for more. This turns into "I didn't notice that before you cleaned the window". After ten years of service I've never actually walked a construction job without finding at least one scratch, defect, or broken glass. There is usually always something so find it. Even if it's petty, it shows the contractor you make an effort beforehand to made sure your company did everything they could to ensure quality of work.

If glass is severely scratched and they want it replaced most insurances won't cover the bill because it's considered workmanship. This means you could be left with the bill, the whole thing. It's incredibly obvious when a window cleaner scratches glass vs a scratch here or there. Pay close attention in this section so you're not left with unnecessary liability.


Hazards To Consider

  • Moving trucks, tractors, and other equipment are common at construction sites. Make sure that you and your crew are aware and safe from these hazards and are visible to drivers at all times.
  • A lot of new construction might not be landscaped yet, and after rain, fresh landscaping can become very soft and muddy. It is important to be aware of these soft spots especially when setting up equipment like ladders that can slip and cause damage to the property, or injury to you. Mud will also create a slip hazard on your ladder rungs.
  • OSHA requires that all exposed Rebar be covered. Unfortunately this is not always the case. Make sure to be aware of these hazards and avoid them. Don't set ladders up near them, and discuss with the contractor about covering them appropriately. Use precautions for any exposed sharp materials that may be present.
  • There may be other workers present on the construction site and it is important to always be aware of each other.
  • With the amount of movement and activity on these projects, broken glass and other debris may be common. Make a point of locating these hazards before getting started for your safety and liability.
  • With other tradesman and movement of building materials present, items that are not fully installed could be at risk of falling. Wear a hard hat where required and be aware of your surroundings.
  • It is common for contractors to have temporary power supplies not up to local building code. These electrical sources could cause additional hazards to workers around them. Be aware of these dangers and notify others around you. If you are unsure if a project is safe, contact the contractor to ensure safety.

Note: This module is repetitive on purpose. The lesson is simple but very important to understand the liability within post construction clean up.

safety meeting

Safety meetings are an integral part of a safe working environment, download this meeting to recognize, learn, and identify key points in this module.

damage

Damage is a part of all properties. As a cleaner it's common to end up revealing imperfections or damage after you're done. Never assume a property owner knows about damage you are noticing. Take pictures and send them via text or email to time stamp them before you start work. Most people don't pay attention until after things are cleaned, then they look over everything. This could be bent screens, scratched glass, broken glass, etc. Protect yourself and your company. See below for damage you may encounter on any job but more common on a job after construction.

  • Broken Glass

    Do not touch broken glass. The second you touch it, you become involved. Leave that pane alone and don't wash either side of it, since both sides get replaced. Let the contractor or supervisor know immediately. Not only is it a liability issue, but a safety concern as well. Glass is incredibly sharp and can severely cut you.

  • Scratched Glass

    Do not touch scratched glass. The second you touch it, you become involved and liable. Let the contractor or supervisor know by taking a picture for a time stamp, and verbally. Make sure a scratch waiver for release of liability has been signed before proceeding. Never finish a job assuming someone else is aware of the scratches before you cleaned the windows. Stop immediately when you notice scratched glass.
    See some exampled of scratched glass below

  • Some scratches can be incredibly difficult to see, and can be hidden under dirt and other construction debris. Even if you are looking for them, they can be hard to find. Be aware of what is one the glass and what condition the windows are in before you touch them to protect the integrity of your work and liability.

  • Broken Roof Tiles

    Roof tiles are commonly broken on construction projects due to the number of trades on the job. Be aware and make sure to protect your liability before accessing the roof. It's also common to see bent gutters from ladders pressed up against them. You can take pictures and send them to your manager, property owner or contractor to make sure they know it wasn't you.

  • Bent Screens

    Screens are often bent, even on new construction. It's very common for window installers to leave the screens in the garage or a storage area. This means they're subject to a lot of different trades and movement. It's also common for construction sites to have laborers install them without experience and end up causing damage. Protect your liability by not touching screens with damage.

  • Welding Marks

    Welding marks or grinding marks can look like a reddish/brown paint splatter on the glass. Welding marks will not come off the glass and the glass will need to be replaced. If you come across something that looks like welding or grinding marks look around for metal awnings, handrails, or another metal feature to confirm your finding. These marks will ruin your rubber and blade (do not blade them) so clean it lightly or wipe it and let the owner or contractor know. Even scrubbing these marks can get debris lodged into your washer and cause scratches. Whatever you use to wipe the window, make sure it doesn't have any metal debris lodged into it that would carry it to another window. The easiest way to clean this damaged glass is a water fed pole. Liability is minimal for window cleaners because the damage is obvious but you should still communicate the situation to avoid call backs.

Tempered Glass

  • Tempered Glass

    Tempered glass is heat treated glass that is stronger, and if it breaks, it breaks into chunks instead of sharp shards. The glass is heated and then cooled rapidly. The exterior glass cools faster than the interior which creates compression on the exterior and tension on the interior. The pushing and pulling keeps the glass harder and causes the chunks.
    This glass is becoming more and more popular as it's on car windows, shower doors, and becoming building code for new construction in a lot of areas. Almost all newer glass is tempered. It's especially common on commercial projects.

  • Why does this matter?

    When tempered glass is heated, it becomes soft. If glass dust particles from the production area land on it when it's soft, they become etched into the glass once it cools. This is known as a fabrication debris and it's a big problem for window cleaners. When these fabrication debris are pushed along the glass they will severely scratch it. The most common way to push these debris across the glass is your razor blade. However, some debris can be so severe that you can scratch them with steel wool or even aggressively scrubbing with a towel. Next time you clean your car window inside and out, take a look at it in the sun. Usually you can see specs all over it or almost sparkles, that is fabrication debris.

  • Tempering Furnace


    Loading Section
    The annealed glass is laid on the the loading rollers to be rolled into the heating furnace. These rollers collect dust and particle debris from the factory and they can stick to the glass.
    Heating Furnace
    The Glass is then rolled into the heating furnace which makes the glass soft, allowing the debris to attach to the surface of the glass.
    Cooling Section
    The lass it then pushed to the cooling section which rapidly cools the glass and causing any debris to become lodged into the glass surface.
    Unloading Section
    The glass is now unloaded, inspected, and pushed on to the next phase of production.

  • The inspection doesn't usually notice these small debris and the glass moves forward to becoming a window. Once the glass goes onto a construction site, it is subject to all the tradespeople and endless amounts of construction debris getting thrown all over it. In an ideal situation the tempered furnace would be cleaner and contractors would tape off all windows allowing window cleaners to clean the glass much easier. Unfortunately that is rarely the reality. As a window cleaner, you're usually one of the last tradespeople on the project, and left to deal with the messes. Most contractors aren't familiar with this tempering process and understanding the liabilities windows cleaners face working with it.

  • Fabrication Debris


    Also known as fab debris, are small debris of dust and glass particles that get lodged into the glass during the heating and cool of tempering glass. Usually you can't see these particles on glass because they're so fine. In the right lighting sometimes you can see the small debris in the glass. Sometimes these can be so severe that they can scratch the glass when getting dislodged with wools or even wiping with a towel. If a window cleaner were to use a razor blade on this glass it would cause severe scratches. The blade would push these small particles across the glass. Usually you can hear the glass popping/grinding while blading in this scenario. You should never continue blading glass like this. It would be a major amount of liability, horrible finished product, ruined reputation, and incredibly expensive to get fixed, especially custom architectural pieces. Insurances will most likely not cover scratched glass because it's considered poor workmanship.

  • Spotting Tempered Glass


    Most tempered glass comes with a sign in one of the corners that states the glass is such. Unfortunately, builders can order glass without labels, which leaves the types of glass a mystery. This is why it is important for you to understand your tools, and how to use them to avoid any damage to the glass. Do not rely on the tempered glass label to make your decision. However, these labels are helpful when present. Assume all newer glass is tempered.

    TERMS

    Tempered - Type of glass

    Glass Co. - Name of Manufacturer

    ANSI - American National Standard Institute - Approved with date as standards change over time.

    16 CFR 1202 - Code of Federal Regulations - CFR approved with an impact rating of II

    SGCC - Safety Glazing Certification Council - Organization that certifies and trains glazers up to safety standards.

  • Razor Blade Scratches

    Razor blade scratches are consistent and can be deep or light. Either way these scratches can become completely hidden when the glass is dirty or just in different lighting. These scratches are from a window cleaner using a razor blade on tempered glass and pushing fabrication debris along the glass. When a blade runs across this you can hear a gritty, grinding, or popping sound. You can see how difficult it is to get a picture of these scratches but in the right lighting, they are severe and have completely ruined this door. Even if these are obvious and severe, never assume the owner already knows about them. Resuming work with this kind of damage could create a liability nightmare for you and your company. The owner of this glass thought these were wipe marks and had no idea these were deep scratches. Since the scratches are so consistent and in the same direction, you can assume it's from a razor blade.

  • Blading

    When you pull out your razor blade the first thing you should look for is any fabrication debris or a "tempered" sign, sometimes in the corner of the window. Your razor blade won't scratch glass, but it will push things across glass that will scratch it. This could be fabrication debris, concrete, stucco, grout, mortar, mud plaster or anything else that could be pushed or grind across the glass. These scratches are severe and have gotten window cleaners into major lawsuits. Most companies sign release of liability contracts with the property owner which is highly recommended. Make sure you know your company policy and follow it before you ever pull our your razor blade.


    When using razor blade scrapers:

    • Always keep a cover on them when not in use
    • Always try to keep your hands dry and clean of soapy water.
    • Never shake the scraper to get excess water off.
    • Be sure to maintain a firm grip on the scraper
    • Never hold too tightly, or with just your finger tips.
    • Do not stop and talk with an uncovered scraper in your hand
    • Do not walk to climb on a ladder with an uncovered scraper.
    • Do not hand an uncovered scraper to another person.
    • Do not leave an uncovered scraper unattended.

  • Replacing Your Blade

    Keeping your tools in good working condition is imperative to quality work and avoiding damage. Your blade can be flipped from side to side.

  • Bad Edge

  • Good Edge

    In the above image, the blade can be flipped to use the good edge. Once both edges have been used, it's time to dispose of the blade and replace it.

  • Bad Blade

  • Your blade is also a supply and it can be flipped after first use. As you've learned earlier the importance of care for using your razor blade. The maintenance is just as important. Over time your blade will chip or bend. If you're blading glass and the end is pushing water but the middle isn't then you have a bend in it. If you're blading glass and you get random lines when pushing water you've got chips in it. Remember if you ever hear a popping sound, you're scratching glass and need to stop immediately. If you have chips or a bend in it then it's time to flip it. If you've already flipped it, then it's time to replace it.

    Changing Your Blade
    Wear Safety Gloves

    1. Remove the razor cover, pushing it away from you.
    2. Holding the scraper in your right hand, use the cover to push the locking tab
    3. After pushing the locking tab, the scraper's slide is exposed to the right side of the scraper.
    4. Putting the scraper in your left hand, use your right hand to remove the scraper slide by grasping the slide firmly between your thumb and index finger, and pulling the slide out.
    5. Carefully remove the blade from the slide by holding the sides.
    6. On the back of most razor boxes is a disposal slot for used razors, carefully slide the used razor into this slot and use your fingernail to push the last part of the razor in.
    7. Take a fresh blade from the box by pushing the blade out with your thumb in the direction the arrows point.
    8. Firmly pinch the blade and pull it free from the box.
    9. The razor blade has three holes in it, and the scraper slide will have three corresponding tabs to lock the razor into place on the slide.
    10. With the thumb and index finger of your right hand, push and then slide together.
    11. While holding the scraper handle in your left hand, slide the blade back into the slot with the locking tab going in first.
    12. Be sure the blade slides all the way to the end and that the locking tab is fully exposed on the left side of the scraper.
    13. Push the scraper cover back on and you're all done.

  • Are You Ready to Blade?

    If you feel the window is safe to razor blade, meaning it seems like ther eare no fabrication debris or any other debris that might cause scratching, then follow these tips:

    • Be aware of your blade at all times. It is sharp, dirty, and can cause severe injury.
    • Always wet the glass with your scrubber. NEVER blade dry glass.
    • Put your blade to the glass at a 45° angle.
    • Test in a low corner/edge of the glass, never on the main view of the pane.
    • If you hear any gritty, popping, or grinding sound, stop immediately.
    • If no sound, proceed.
    • Wipe your blade clean every ever pass.
    • When blading, always move your blade in a forward motion, never pull back down on the glass with the razor.
      With changes in glass, razor blades are more often used for adhesive removal instead of running a blade accross the entire pane of glass. Try to avoid unnecessary use of a scraper, and only ever at gentle surface level. If you are unsure, always opt out of using a razor blade.

      If you can't razor blade because of fabrication debris on glass and there is paint, glue, caulking, tape/residue, glazing compound, or silicone on the window then polish it out with wet wool or a polishing pad. The debris previously listed do not have rock or gritty debris in them that will scratch by nature, but could still have something lodged in them. Using steel wool is a nice, continuous polish, not a push as hard a possible and grind it out. You can still scratch glass being aggressive or by pushing around fabrication or construction debris. Make sure your steel wool doesn't have debris in it or it could leave swirl scratches while you're polishing. Your washer, towels, or anything else that touches the glass should be checked as well because they can scratch glass if there are debris lodged in them.

Polishing

  • Safe Glass Polish Material

    This is used to polish the glass and remove spots or heavier stains. The wool can be used wet or dry, however steel wool will rust fairly quickly after it gets wet. Flakes from steel wool can also cause rust marks in areas with high humidity so brush your sills off after steel wool is used. Do not use wool on tint, plastic, polycarbonate or plexiglass. This will cause severe scratches to the surface. Use wool as a polish on glass and do not aggressively push it into the glass. Always test in a corner to make sure it's safe to use. All wool should be rated to 0000. Any heavier rating could cause severe scratches. Since it's best to use wool wet during the construction cleaning process, it's usually preferred to use synthetic wool because it lasts longer without breaking down and doesn't rust.

    Polyester scrub pad options are also a great choice for polishing and removing tough debris from glass. The XERO Walnut pad contains finely chopped walnut shells for a more aggressive (but still gentle) scrub than the XERO White Scrub Pad. It is common to pair these with an abrasive holder like the IPC Eagle Techno Pad Handle.

  • Polishing

    Polishing has become the more preferred way of cleaning post construction glass or windows with heavy debris on them. Tempered glass debris has changed liability and damage control for window cleaners across the globe. Unless the fabrication debris are significant or there is a heavy grit debris on the glass, it's a lot less common and more difficult to scratch glass while polishing. Before you polish, inspect the glass and remove any large chunks of debris. You don't want any kind of grit to get lodged into your polisher. Keep your two middle fingers on the wool and the other fingers on the glass so you can feel what's on it. This process is much easier when the glass is wet with soap but it's still a time consuming process. Sometimes adding a cleaning chemical might be necessary but read the safety data sheet to assure you're familiar with the process and wearing the approved PPE.>

  • Hard Water

    Hard water on glass is common in construction, especially on stucco homes because the house is hosed down during the stucco process. Hard water has minerals in it (more on minerals and hard water in the WFP module) that leaves a mineral residue on the glass. If the windows are in the sun and have a significant amount of heat, the minerals can actually get etched into the glass. There are a ton of hard water removers out there that work. However there are thousands of different minerals that a local area might have highly concentrated in their water. This means certain removers work better in different areas, because they might break down a certain mineral better. Find a hard water remover that works well for you and read the SDS to assure proper handling. Put the remover onto the window and polish it with a wool. If you notice a difference then continue to repeat the process until it's gone. If it's not making a difference then the spots might be etched in and a restoration company would have to professionally polish down the glass. Sometimes a dry steel wool will give you a good indication of whether it's worth your time to work on the hard water spots. You can use this same process on a residential or non CCU, however make sure the job is bid for the extra time spent and the customer is educated on the matter.

  • Working On Mineral Stains:


    1. Clean the window normally. If the stains are new (a few hours) a simple scrub will pull them up.
    2. Gently polish mineral stains with dry wool to see if the stains are coming out.
    3. Polish the stains with wet wool, then clean to see if the stains are lifting off the glass.
    4. Polish the minerals stains with a hard water remover then clean to see if the stains are coming out.

    If there is no progress after this progression, then the hard water stains are most likely beyond the surface and etched into the glass. This is when the project turns from a cleaning issue into the restoration issue.

    Note: Remember polishing is a consistent light motion, not an aggressive scrub. You can still scratch or break glass putting aggressive pressure on it.

  • Common Encounters


    Stickers & Tape


    Stickers or window coatings are really common on a CCU. You can use your blade to remove an edge and the pull the rest off. Keeping your blade at a 45 degree angle from glass but slightly tilted one way will help cut the sticker off. Pull the sticker off slowly, if you go too fast it could end up leaving the sticker residue and making your job a lot harder. If there are sticker residues on the glass then consider blading (if safe), or using a chemical like goof off that breaks down the sticker residue to remove it. The longer the sticker sits on the glass and the more heat it gets the more difficult it will be to remove. Sometimes stickers can actually etch into glass if they're left on too long.

    Tint

    Tint isn't common on a CCU but it can be removed if needed similar to a sticker. Pull off slowly so the front tint is pulling off the back. If you go too fast it will leave a sticky residue that needs to be bladed off or removed with a product. If the tint has been on for a long time and gets a lot of sun, unfortunately the front will probably separate from the back. Make sure you use your blade to really cut all the way through it to minimize the front and back separation. If the tint isn't being removed then DO NOT use a razor blade or steel wool on it. Steel wool will severely scratch swirls into it and a razor blade will cut into it. If a window seems darker than normal it could be tinted. Look for small tint bubbles, where air got trapped between tint and the glass, or look at the edge of the pane and try to find a seam where the tint was cut. If you're not sure if it's tinted then ask the customer. If the entire job is tinted, leave your razor blade and wool at the work vehicle to avoid accidents from habit.

  • Low Emissivity or Low-E:

    Refers to glass that has a microscopic transparent coating that reflects the suns infrared energy or heat, installed internally. Low-E glass should never affect the way you clean a window since it's inside the window. On new construction these will usually have a sign that says do not razor blade. This is because of liability as well as the windows are usually tempered, which can severally scratch. This has created a misconception in the industry that Low-E glass scratches, when in fact the coating is inside and the scratches are caused by other factors such as tempered glass or construction debris. Either way, try to avoid razor blades and complete the Post Construction module before proceeding.

    Solar Heat- This heat is produced by the sun that is reflected by the low-e coating inside the window.
    Visible Light-This is light from the outside that is still able to penetrate through the glass.
    Radiant Heat-This is heat produced internally usually from a heating source, which is deflected from leaving the interior of the building.

    This technology claims to be an advancement on a more efficient way to control the temperature in a building by controlling heat flow.

  • Frames

    Frames are an additional issue when working on a CCU. A lot of frames aren't taped up and sometimes when they are, they leave a tape residue. When you first wet a window in a CCU, go over the entire frame, get it wet, and then wipe it down. This will get a good portion of debris that are water based and the dirt off. Always test your method in a small corner of the frame, then slowly go bigger if it works.


    Vinyl Frames
    You can lightly use wet wool or scrub pad to lightly penetrate vinyl window frames to remove construction debris. Use the same caution when it comes to scratching surfaces with "gritty" debris. You can also use a construction debris remover, read the SDS.

    Wood Frames
    You can lightly use wet wool to lightly penetrate wooden window frames. Do not aggressively scrub. If the frames has severe debris it probably needs to be sanded and refinished at the contractors or owners discretion. You can also use a construction debris remover, read the SDS and make sure the wood doesn't have a finish that the product will damage further

    Metal Frames
    For metal frames you can use a construction debris remover, but read the SDS. Coated metal seems to scratch easy when scrubbed so use a towel and test part of the frame. You want to avoid pulling the metal coating or paint while getting off the debris. Remember that if the frame is painted and you use something to remove over spray, it could end up removing the paint as well

    Painted Frames
    Only lightly wipe painted frames. Painted frames commonly chip or don't stick unless they're wood frames. Using chemicals will most likely remove the paint as well and cause more problems than moving on.

    Conclusion:
    Communicate with the owner or contractor. Remember you're both on the same page to clean up the frames. Someone else made a mess and you're left trying to clean it up and make it look new, sometimes that's not possible. Dealing with frames can be incredibly time consuming and they can still look bad. Make sure the job is bid appropriately and the contractor or owner knows what to expect for quality and pricing.

  • Replacing Supplies

    Equipment replacement is key on these projects. Doing things like flipping or replacing rubber, blades, towels, wool, and polishing pads will ensure quality of work, minimize damage risk, and help you work faster. Working on post construction projects will result in your supplies breaking down quicker. For efficiency, some projects it make sense to break everything down, then refresh all your supplies and clean everything. If there are two or more crew members it might make sense for one crew member to break down construction debris and the other to clean behind. This usually isn't efficient if a ladder is needed. Plan head and do an inspection so you can get the project done efficiently and up to standard.

  • Products

    Chemicals and products removers are incredible sources for removing debris. Keep in mind that if there is stucco on a window or frame, there's stucco on the siding or somewhere nearby. You're opening up doors for liability using removers near the area that product it supposed to be. Always use caution, read the SDS, protect your body, and protect your work space. Ensure you have food control over where that product is going.

    Common Construction Chemicals

    • Dawn Dish Detergent
    • Cement Off
    • Sörbo Hardwater Remover

If you feel you have a full understanding of this module, proceed to the test. Once you complete the test, you will be redirected back to the main module page.

Take test
Modules