Scratches: Which scratches on windows are harmless, which ones are dangerous?

Post Source:
http://www.replacement-windows.com/windowbb/viewtopic.php?t=121

Tony,

Industry standards do allow for a certain number of light, hairline scratches on window glass. There are specifics for the number, intensity, and location on the glass.

A hairline scratch is usually completely harmless and is more a factor of appearance than performance or potential safety.

Although you didn't include a lot of specific information, I am going to guess that these are razor blade scratches that were made when the glass was being cleaned. Now, was this the factory cleaning? Or the installation cleaning? In other words, it is difficult to trace who might ultimately be responsible for the scratches.

Are they especially noticeable without really "looking for" them?

Are they near the edge of the glass or more towards the center of the lite?

Interior or exterior?

And are the diagonal? Curved? Straight?

Seems like a bunch of odd questions, but those answers could be all clues as to who and where and when the glass was scratched.

Guy and W4U and EZ, you are the installers, what is your thought when a consumer has a scratched glass complaint?

There are systems that will totally remove scratches from glass. Unfortunately, virtually all of these systems use cerium oxide or some other abrasive to remove the scratch. A good operator can do a very nice job of scratch removal, but when using an abrasive system this operator will leave an area of distrotion in the glass in the vicinity of the scratch...it is unavoidable.

There is one system on the market that does not use an abrasive and does not distort the glass. It is made by a company called glass-weld and is by far (in my experience) the best system available - period.

If you want to try that route, then I would check with windshield repair folks and ask them about scratch removal. But, if they suggest any other system other than the glass-weld, I would suggest that you may not be totally happy with the results...just my opinion.

I have had the opportunity to try a number of the glass scratch-removal systems and thus the very definite opinion.

Post Source: New Windows Have Scratches.
http://www.replacement-windows.com/windowbb/viewtopic.php?t=121

Posted: Mon Oct 25, 2004 10:46 am