Does anybody know anything about Fabricating Debris Scratches? If you do any amount of window cleaning, you should really read up and study on this issue. In short, Fabricating Debris are microscopic peices of glass that embed themselves to the glass as it is passed through the tempering kiln. To prevent this problem, cleaning the glass before it is passed through the kiln is nessecary. The kiln and it's rollers must also be kept clean. It is nearly impossible to detect low quality glass with fabricating debris with the naked eye. When an unsuspecting window cleaner comes along to clean the window, and uses a scraper or razor, these peices of glass become dislodged and scratch the glass. This can result in thousands of dollars of defective glass, and although the WC'er is usually faulted with scratching the glass, it is the manufactorer's fault for supplying low quality tempered glass. If I have to use my razor to remove anything, I have a waiver signed that releases me from responsiblity of the scratched glass due to Fab. Debris. I havn't read anything on this forum that talked about Fab. Debris, so I wanted to make sure there was a post about it. To learn more about this issue and how to protect yourselves from liabitily, read the information at the links listed below.

http://www.iwca.org/tempglass/default.htm

www.stopscratchedglass.com

__
Micah Kommers
We Wash Windows
Greenville, SC
micah@we-wash-windows.com
www.we-wash-windows.com
AUWC Member

I know all too well the problems this debris causes both, builders and window cleaners. I am currently on an 18,000...yes 18k ft2 with french windows everywhere. Many panes are already scratched and many are yet to come. There is mortar, paint, tape, etc. on tons of glass and without a razor blade, this multi million dollar home will look like crap. However, the builder has NO clue about fabrication debris...so, the glass was half-assed coverd. he knows what he is in for though as he is used to buying new glass. as a result of fab debris, I am about to get involved with sratch removal. so...let the manufaturers keep on being cheap with regard to cleaning the furnace, paying attention to cleaning the jets, rollers, training the furnace operator etc. so long as they keep looking the other way, guys like me are gonna bank but homeowners are going to suffer the expnese of ruined glass.

On construction clean-up jobs if there is any glass that is next to the ground where they will pour cement, I tell the general contractor the problems that might result when they pour cement on the glass and ask them to cover up the glass. If they balk or don't seem responsive I'll tape some plastic sheeting over myself. Same goes for any welding work to be done adjacent glass. If you can catch these areas ahead of time, everybody has a lot less grief down the road.

wow, Impressive....talk about going the extra mile. I am sure your contractors appreciate you. Good call.

Wallhuggers comments are right on! On a few of the artsy modern homes I've done, they have a steel railing on a staircase next to massive windows. Needless to say, those areas near the welds have spatter on the glass. The same goes for concrete patios with sliding glass doors. If you try to scrape either of them, IT WILL SCRATCH! I can feel the pain of the homeowner when I tell them that glass is ruined because either one will pit the glass so badly that scratch removal is usually not feasable.