Exterior Reflective Glass Restoration
What is Exterior Reflective Glass?
In the 1980’s the glass industry realized that a reflective surface on glass will reduce the amount of heat entering the building. This can make the building more efficient regarding heating and cooling costs. Thus was born exterior reflective glass (commercial glass with a pyrolytic coating). This is glass that has a thin layer of reflective metallic coating. However, this reflective layer is exposed to the environment. While creating a more energy efficient barrier to reflect heat, it led to other issues with the appearance of the building.
Exterior Reflective Glass vs. Dual Pane LowE Glass
After a few years, buildings with exterior reflective or single pane performance glass began to look different. Since the reflective surface was exposed to window cleaning solutions, pollution and other environmental factors, the reflective glass began to look stained, dirty, and yellow. If certain cleaners were used, the glass would turn black. But most of the time, the mirror finish began to look dirty, whether it was cleaned or not.
Reflective Coating Between Two Panes
Enter Low E coating and dual pane glass. To counteract the yellowing effects encountered with single pane reflective glass, the glass industry cleverly began putting similar coating in between two panes of glass, reducing exposure to the outside world. Problem solved, sort of.What About the Buildings with Exterior Reflective Glass?
In 2010 we noticed a building in Huntington Beach, CA that had this yellow looking exterior reflective glass. We searched for a solution to this problem thru various window cleaning products and window washer forums. The unanimous answer was always the same, “Exterior reflective glass yellowing cannot be removed without damaging the coating.” Having heard the same type of answers regarding fixing scratched glass years before, we were not deterred.
Restoring Exterior Reflective Glass
After doing some extensive research on the makeup of exterior reflective glass coating, we came up with a solution. The results were amazing! We were able to completely return the reflective glass back to the way it looked when new. We treated the exterior reflective coating and not the glass. That was the key. Once the reflective coating is restored, some sort of sealant needs to be regularly applied to keep the glass from turning yellow again. We also have discovered a product to seal the reflective glass quickly, and affordably.
Unscratch the Surface Saves Exterior Reflective Glass
When it comes to reflective glass restoration, nobody saves more types of glass than Unscratch the Surface. Since day one, they have created solutions to save all kinds of glass, even stained, yellow, exterior reflective glass. If your building, most likely from the 1980’s has become ugly in appearance, give them a call. They can make your tired looking exterior reflective glass look like new again. If your building looks old, it will be harder to rent retail space. With a fresh new look, your reflective glass will shine once again and attract new business. Give them a call and find out how affordable it is to give your building an upgrade. You might be surprised how cost effective it really is. Contact Unscratch the Surface today.
