Need Help What a FAIL. Glass door all scretched up. Anything to fix it?

[privacyfilms]

Isnt the soft side supposed to be inside? Did they install the glass wrong?

Glass installation companies do not care which the side the glass faces. When cleaning the glass listen for a scratchy sound but even then you should be careful.

Moving forward my recommendation is when you have to remove film using a blade and you hear the scratching sound, have the customer sign an agreement that protects you if the glass is scratched during the removal process. Additionally, when prepping glass for installation, use a scrubbing pad and avoid blades when possible.

 

[Pauly]

So many glass experts...

Use Grade - 0000 Steel Wool to clean glass instead of blades when possible. Isopropyl or methylated sprits (50/50 with water) what ever works for you, are good glass cleaners.

Most glass you guys will come in contact with will be your generic "Annealed" or "Float Glass". (both correct terms)
The glass has 2 sides, Tin & Air side. The molten glass Floats (hence the name float glass) on the a pool of Tin and it contaminates the glass. Both sides have different UV reflection. The tin side has a higher UV reflectance. Also you do not print/paint on the tin side. Tin side is generally the back, But if not specified on purchase it could be any side. Also depends which side the measurements have been done.

You may also come with "Toughened" glass (correct term) which is heat treated for extra strength.
The glass surface, contrary to the name is actually softer than Float Glass, and blades can easily scratch it, regardless if tin or air side.

The OP could have came in contact with toughened glass and butchered it. Very easy to do like i've said. Or Poorly manufactured "air" side.

FYI: I work with glass every day, We handle it daily and print on it daily.

 

[equippaint]

Looking around it seems that tempered and annealed are of the same hardness. The issue with tempered is contamination getting on the surface during tempering which is technically a manufacturing defect. When you scrape it, these glass particles release and scratch the surface. At least thats what I gathered. It seems to be a fairly large problem in the construction industry. Maybe an out should be put into your contracts if you need to scrape glass.
Heres a quote from: Fabricating Debris | WindowCleaner.com
"There are a couple of common misconceptions about tempered glass. First, tempered glass is not softer than annealed glass; both have the same hardness. Second, tempered glass has the same surface quality or smoothness as annealed glass. It is not rougher. However, some tempered glass has a poor-quality surface due to fabricating debris, which can cause it to scratch when cleaned. If you are using the same equipment and same procedures when cleaning tempered glass and annealed glass, yet you are only scratching tempered glass, it’s likely due to the poor surface quality of the tempered glass, not your cleaning techniques."
Another saying the same thing: Care of Toughened Glass

 

[JCinNY]

So it doesn't seem that anyone knows that tempered glass has good side and a bad side (for using a razor blade). It all depends on the glass manufacturer and their kiln. When the glass goes through the tempering process it goes back into the kiln to get baked again and then a quick high pressure cooling, and in this cooling process if the kiln isn't completely clean dust particles settle on the top side of the glass and get baked into the surface of the glass.. in turn you would have 1 smooth side (the bottom) and 1 "rough" side (the top). While the bottom side is smooth, using a razor blade on it will do no harm but on the rough side it will leave the scratches every time. We see it every day, being a specialized 3m authorized solar and security film dealer; applying materials to glass is what we do.

Now in saying this, not all glass manufacturers' tempered glass will have this issue. We have one manufacturer here (not going to name name's) and it is every single piece of tempered glass has the rough side and can't have a razor put on it but we've had glass from other manufacturers and have never had an issue with either side.

It will also depend on the type of glass as well; there is 3 types. Straight annealed (breaks into large shards), heat-strengthened (breaks into larger shards but has a greater chance of staying together), and tempered (breaks into small cubes). Annealed will never scratch with using a razor blade, heat-strengthened and tempered are dependent on the manufacturer.

As far as which type of razor blade to use, some people here have said that stainless steel blade won't scratch - that is false. It is dependent on the blade itself. We use the triumph blades and we use the carbon blades because they have a smaller chance to scratch glass than the stainless triumph blades.

And by looking at the photo, those definitely look like scratches from the razor blade. I would always use some sort of slip solution on the glass with the blade as it will help to reduce the risk of cause scratches. Sorry to break it to you but those are definitely scratches from the razor blade.

Chaz

It's there a way tell the difference between the good and bad side, will it be obviously noticeable now that we know to check?

 

[Pauly]

Looking around it seems that tempered and annealed are of the same hardness. The issue with tempered is contamination getting on the surface during tempering which is technically a manufacturing defect. When you scrape it, these glass particles release and scratch the surface. At least thats what I gathered. It seems to be a fairly large problem in the construction industry. Maybe an out should be put into your contracts if you need to scrape glass.
Heres a quote from: Fabricating Debris | WindowCleaner.com
"There are a couple of common misconceptions about tempered glass. First, tempered glass is not softer than annealed glass; both have the same hardness. Second, tempered glass has the same surface quality or smoothness as annealed glass. It is not rougher. However, some tempered glass has a poor-quality surface due to fabricating debris, which can cause it to scratch when cleaned. If you are using the same equipment and same procedures when cleaning tempered glass and annealed glass, yet you are only scratching tempered glass, it’s likely due to the poor surface quality of the tempered glass, not your cleaning techniques."
Another saying the same thing: Care of Toughened Glass

Funny, this is actually true. We and a lot of other glaziers use the word "softer" loosely. It's easier to say softer than explain the properties of toughened glass. Some wont actually believe you or even take note of what you said. It's the only way to get our clients not scratching glass when cleaning.

It's there a way tell the difference between the good and bad side, will it be obviously noticeable now that know to check?

UV Light. Tin side will reflect uv more than air side.

 

[Sign.ed]

Never thought of some kinda tinting film on there, but rather than scratch that much and not be completely noticeable right off the bat..... wouldn't it actually peel here and there ??

Also, isn't tinting yay installed on the interior of window too?

I think someone (painters [assuming from overspray]) saw then scraping and decided rather then the painters eat the new window they blame the vinyl guy.


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[signage]

if and when cleaning a window with razor scraper make sure the blade is Stainless Steel and not carbon. Carbon blades will scratch glass!

Also alway keep it wet

 

[decalman]

Scratches can be repaired. I repair windshields as a sidekick. Windshield wipers leave scratch marks. They can be polished out with a variety of products.
YouTube it, and see. I'd take out my buffer and experiment.

 

[SBTKent]

I had a local hotel hire me to install something at their front ( automatic) door.
it was their logo printed and cut out in real big. When I wanted to install the graphics I cleaned the glasses but there were overspray and other stuff that didn't wanted to come off so I took my 4" wide scraper and scraped off every square inch of the glass. Installed the graphics which covers the window not even %50 percent. A lot of glass were still exposed and some people from the management came out and we looked at graphics from far away and up close. Everything seemed totally fine. Next day the other half of the management calls me that they loved my work so far but I scratched the crap out of the window. I went there to meet and talk to them i looked at the glass and there were scratches literally EVERYWHERE! I was speechless! Look at the pictures. The glass looks horrible but I do not understand what the hell happened. When I was scraping off the overspray i did not see any scratches. I cleaned the whole window after with alcohol I did NOT see any scratches. Half of the management looked at the graphics that day. No one spotted any scratched and today; BOOM, horrible scratches. How the hell did they pop up out of nowhere the next day? Is there anything to make it look better??
I told them we could put perf on it covering the whole window but they do not want to do that. I was thinking maybe put on some clear vinyl. Perhaps anti graffiti gloss vinyl? But I am afraid it will be still visible.
I have never had a problem like this for over 10 years
I don't even want to think about the cost of it if its an impact window ((
Perhaps there are any magical anti scratch liquids out there? Does anyone has a magic wand? something? View attachment 134021

If you search You Tube for "Scratched Windshield Repair", you will see videos where auto glass dealers use a glass polishing powder called cesium oxide, or cerium oxide. It is used to remove deep scratches from windshields. I have ordered the powder online, and used it successfully on my own windshield. It is not very expensive. I would suggest you try this solution, or contact a glass dealer in your area and see if they can perform the service for you, or make another suggestion.

 

[CSOCSO]

Thanks for the suggestion. Just called a local guy who is 5 minutes from the place and we will meet tomorrow to look at the window together. I told them what happened. i told them there are probably like 50-100 scratches on the window he said it would be around 400 dollars which is a LOT cheaper than replacing the window. Cheaper than my deductible for the insurance. i have done some work for them so they owe me a couple thousand anyway so I'm not losing a tremendous amount.

If you search You Tube for "Scratched Windshield Repair", you will see videos where auto glass dealers use a glass polishing powder called cesium oxide, or cerium oxide. It is used to remove deep scratches from windshields. I have ordered the powder online, and used it successfully on my own windshield. It is not very expensive. I would suggest you try this solution, or contact a glass dealer in your area and see if they can perform the service for you, or make another suggestion.

 

[Gino]

Make sure you get in writing..... what he's proposing to do and the final results will be to your satisfactory. Otherwise, a patch job which still does not look good to the customer will not cut it.

 

[Johnny Best]

So after he takes the scratches out you have to reletter the glaas door again? Just clean it this time and stay away from the razor blades. With that glass being soft where it had that many scratches I hope he can get them out. Expensive learning.