subject: Stained Windows: Restoration vs Replacement [print this page] Stained Windows: Restoration vs Replacement
Windows are arguably the most important architectural feature of a building. They play a significant role in design and appearance and have been found to contribute to the health, satisfaction and productivity levels of a building's occupants. The condition of vast expanses of glass surfaces in commercial buildings can make as much of an impression on visitors, tenants and passers-by as that of the landscaping, walkways and other architectural features.
Glass on some buildings can take up over half the exterior building surface. If those expanses appear dingy or stained, it could have a considerable effect on the overall appearance of the building. Regular cleaning of the windows helps keep your property as pristine looking as possible and can prevent stains caused by mineral deposits that leach from concrete walls, acid rain, airborne pollutants or the oxidation of metal window frames.
If a regular cleaning cycle does not prove to be ample protection, it may be necessary to restore the glass. When it rains, minerals from unprotected/unsealed precast can leach out and over the windows. When the water evaporates trace minerals leave a "stained" look on the window. Mineral deposits are often prevalent on the first floor where hard water is sprayed on to the glass daily while the irrigation system is in operation. The minerals become deeply ingrained in a short time. They cannot be removed with conventional cleaning methods and eventually create permanent damage. It's important to have a professional technician chemically remove the mineral deposit stains from the glass as well as treat the root cause of the staining. Applying a protective coating or sealer to the precast and readjusting misguided sprinkler heads can effectively solve the problem.
If mineral deposit stains are allowed to remain on glass surfaces for a long period of time chances of a successful restoration diminish, leaving replacement as the only option. The cost of a glass restoration project prior to this would prove to be a fraction compared to that of window replacement. A property owner can actually save thousands of dollars restoring, rather than replacing, glass surfaces.
Projects such as this are often put on hold for budgetary reasons, only leading to a more expensive fix in the long term. Glass restoration can be done in phases to suit a property owner's budget. Property managers may choose to restore the front, and most prominent view of a building first, with one year's budgeted funds. The work continues around to the sides and rear in subsequent years as the budget allows. Again, these steps are far more economical than the cost of a major glass replacement project, not to mention the costly misperception by tenants, and potential tenants, that the building is not being maintained.
SBS can take steps to ensure a facility's windows are making the kind of impression a property owner wants his property to make, in budget friendly phases. Please call on your local SBS business development rep to find out how you can remove those unattractive mineral deposit stains from your building's glass and keep them off.
