Have any of you had this problem ?

For some reason this holiday season I have had WAaay more requests for removing Temporary / Holiday related signs. The price for this is usually included with painting the window...IOW...Te person who pains the windows is supposed to come back and take the sign off after whichever holiday, and they usually include this in the price, BUT...they almost NEVER
do !

The problem I have this year (moere so than ANY other year I can remember) is that these IDIOTS are using "Permenent" paint...IOW...NOT at all water soluable.

I have walked off 3 jobs so far this year, in effect losing these accounts, due to this problem. Better this than end up paying to replace windows.

I know all about keeping the glass wet / lubricated...changing the blades often, using a large dustpan to catch the paint so it doesnt fall all over the sidewalk, thus adding more time / clean-up to the job...etc.

The job I was on yesterday had the windows painted from the very bottoms to almost 3/4 to the top of the windows, each window being approx 3 ft wide / 6 ft tall...25 of them.

I did a "Test" spot a month ago and formed the conclusion that this was not a job I wanted to get into, as it seemed like the paint was not "Temporary" at all, but rather seemed more lke "House" paint. (I dont know ANYTHING about paints)

Now the guy (Resurant Manager) gets back to me and says he needs it done YESTERDAY ! Well...I voiced my concerns, along with the fact that I am not insured to do "Construcion Clean-Up", just commercial Shop-Fronts. His reply was that he talked to the lady who painted the windows and she assured him that the paint was in fact water soluable and that all I needed to do was wet them down and let it soak for a few minutes before taking a blade to it, (which is what your supposed to do anyway) so I agreed to at least give it a try.

Well...I started out with "De-Solve-It" Citrus Cleaner,let sit for some time, ran a sponge across...NOTHING !

Put Sudsy Amonia to it...NOTHING.

NO dissipation AT ALL.

The Sign-Painter is either an idiot, liar or both.

I shouldnt have even took a blade to it at this point, but I figured I'd at least do one window so the guy at least knew I tried.

Took me 1/2 hour to get the paint off one window, but I was taking my time, so as not to scratch anything up. Bottom line...The blade was doing ALL of the work...With THAT much paint, on THAT many windows, even using the BEST of precautions, the odds of scratching up some windows was very high. (in my opinion)

Keep in mind that these windows are right next to the tables that customers sit at and look out of all day, not windows off to the side somewhere that you might not notice scratches so much etc.

I just do not understand...If you are painting a "Temporay" sign, WHY in the world would you use anything that even remotely resembles "Permenent" paint ?

By the same token...I have (used to have) the opposite problem with customers that had supposed "Permanent" signs made with temorary paint...IOW...you couldnt run a sgueegee accross it or the paint would come off...LOL !

Anyway...

Anyone else have this problem ?

How did you deal with it ?

Thanks.

Chris Mc 3



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Chris-Shiner Window Co. Sacto Ca.