| Self-cleaning glass has been talked about a lot, | | | | wonderful car they had bought, and how smart |
| with such a catchy name in his hit the headlines of | | | | they were for buying it.We have had customers |
| not only the trade journals, but also the mass | | | | was self-cleaning glass show was the windows in |
| media. Does self-cleaning glass mean that all the | | | | the home which they have remodeled and pointed |
| window cleaners and small businesses across this | | | | to the glass that they had bought for their |
| country are doomed? No, not yet. First of all, | | | | kitchens or living rooms or master bedrooms that |
| self-cleaning glass is not really self-cleaning at all, | | | | were self-cleaning. They still asked us to bid on |
| so many Industry call it low maintenance glass, | | | | the entire house and we still got the job and we |
| but either way the idea is intriguing and appeals to | | | | did not have to reduce the price but rather |
| consumers. In a recent article in Window and | | | | confirmed to the consumer that indeed they had |
| Door magazine, in March of 2003 the industry | | | | made an excellent choice. Because they had |
| was asked what they thought of self-cleaning | | | | self-cleaning glass is better, it is much better, and |
| glass many of those interviewed were among the | | | | we know it's true. Many customers who are |
| building industry, interior designers, architects, glass | | | | do-it-yourselfers may clean their glass themselves |
| manufacturers, new homebuilders, tenant | | | | in overtime realize that their self-cleaning glass, |
| improvements retrofitters and window cleaning | | | | does need occasional touchup. And therefore |
| service companies. Having been watching the | | | | would eventually call us to do the whole thing or |
| developments of self-cleaning windows for quite | | | | bid on the entire house they now that while so of |
| some time, we see a time when the big mirrored | | | | cleaning glass is absolutely awesome, it is not be |
| glass buildings will no longer need the same | | | | end all be all.Most people who have self-cleaning |
| frequency of services. What does this mean for | | | | glass are happy with their decision and see its |
| companies like; the Window Genie; the Window | | | | value and are pleased with its results. The biggest |
| Gang; the Window Butler; and the Window Wash | | | | problem industry sees was self-cleaning glass is |
| Guys.Should we be concerned that this new | | | | that it can be over-sold, over hyped by a |
| innovation will upset the market sector causing | | | | salesman and therefore can cause issues |
| and your reversible micro sector rotation, which | | | | between consumer watch groups, the worthless |
| will put out of business thousands of small time | | | | and overrated self aggrandized FTC. So the |
| entrepreneurs engaged in the cleaning of | | | | name, self-cleaning glass is really the issue not |
| windows? Well, not exactly, however in the future | | | | that its performance is substandard or that |
| we will see a change in the industry and that | | | | current innovations due to increased money flow |
| change will likely come through a combination of | | | | in increase sales are not pushing for more |
| self-cleaning windows and Nano-technology. But | | | | research and development to make it even |
| for now PPG industries, Pilkington and at least 50 | | | | better, because this clearly is happening and |
| other large glass manufacturers are riding the | | | | self-cleaning glass is twice as good as it was in |
| wave in this newest trend. However, as we | | | | 2000.Today self-cleaning glass with certain |
| watched the industry we have seen surveys that | | | | coatings is absolutely incredible. And it is getting |
| claim over 71 percent of consumers given the | | | | better all the time, but manufacturers are still |
| choice would be more likely to choose | | | | skeptical and are working to make it better, |
| self-cleaning windows over the regular windows | | | | meanwhile everyone is trying to figure out a way |
| even with the increased cost.A company in | | | | to bring the cost down, it did not be end up in all |
| Pittsburgh called SunClean self-cleaning glass | | | | these new homes, which were just build during |
| products introduced their version of self-cleaning | | | | this incredible run in new housing market, however |
| glass at the end of 2001, while their sales have | | | | you can expect to see its amongst the specs for |
| increased and have met company expectations, | | | | custom homes high-rise office buildings and most |
| we have seen the industry as a whole lag behind | | | | commercial buildings due to its maintenance |
| the original hype of the innovation. So it's 71 | | | | savings cost and ability to stay clean. One major |
| percent of consumers given the choice would be | | | | leader in glass manufacturing, Peachtree, has a |
| more likely to choose self-cleaning windows, within | | | | product called easy care and the pitch is; low |
| how come we have not seen the promised | | | | maintenance and not self-cleaning glass. After all |
| Boom? Well there are a couple reasons the first | | | | the glasses on to grow arms all of a sudden and |
| being that often consumers do not choose what | | | | grab a squeegee and clean it's self and the |
| can glass one other homes as the builders choose | | | | neighboring windows. They believe that low |
| 70 percent of what goes into their homes. In | | | | maintenance makes a good statement and is |
| custom homes and renovations to numbers are | | | | much better than zero maintenance or |
| quite promising. Oh what we've seen in new home | | | | self-cleaning. We use a hydrophobic Coating, which |
| construction is a move to lower-cost, to | | | | works under different principle but works very |
| standardize, and to move quickly. When new | | | | well.SunClean self-cleaning windows works on a |
| home shoppers go to new models and discuss | | | | different principle, there is a transparent coating |
| the purchase of a new home those sales offices | | | | of titanium dioxide which is applied during the |
| indicated that they had approximately 40 minutes | | | | manufacturing process but coating helps |
| with the clients and at that time they either made | | | | breakdown and loosen the dirt and any other |
| the sale, made of favorable impression for a | | | | organic material such as bird droppings when the |
| return visit or had lost the customer completely. | | | | water hits the glass in the droplets spread out |
| The option of self-cleaning glass comes with it a | | | | and rinses away the loosen dirt is combined also |
| host of questions for instance; what is it? With no | | | | falls down. This means it works perfectly with a |
| time to explain, they rarely got into the subject | | | | medium pressure, pressure washer unit. This |
| matter. Also with new customers buying on 1 to | | | | coating is completed in the application process and |
| 3 percent down they also indicated that most | | | | makes the coating an integral part of the |
| customers and consumers barely squeaked | | | | manufacturing process. Glass Inc. uses a thin layer |
| by.The increased costs of self-cleaning windows | | | | of silicon dioxide applied to the surface and |
| throughout a home could be as much as $2200.00 | | | | therefore it is best described as a glass on glass |
| in this increase could cost in the sale those | | | | coating. This of course provides an enhanced |
| manufacturers that dealt with selling remodeling | | | | resistance to dirt and other residue an the coating |
| and replacement type glass showed that steady | | | | lowers the glass contact angle allowing water to |
| increase in sales will probably continue into the | | | | disburse across the service and evaporate more |
| future. Does this mean the residential market for | | | | quickly. A temporary zinc oxide overcoat, |
| window cleaning could be substantially hampered | | | | removable with vinegar and water protects the |
| given these numbers. The answer is yes and no. | | | | coating from suction cup marks, labels and rollers |
| Yes, because consumers may feel that there is | | | | and here to the glass prior to installation. The neat |
| no need to clean the glass now, because it is | | | | thing about this process is that the glass also |
| supposed to be cleaned itself. No, because those | | | | retains the high energy efficiency characteristics |
| people who might buy self-cleaning glass are | | | | of the companies other glass and can also be |
| overly concerned with clean Windows, as it is a | | | | used in conjunction with laminated glass and |
| high priority in their life. A clean outlook, if you will? | | | | custom sizes and shapes for any window, of any |
| The fact is that self-cleaning glass is really lower | | | | shape were even a port hole of a ship. These |
| maintenance glass, and it is easier to clean, thus a | | | | new processes would work good on ocean going |
| window cleaning company; like ours for the ones | | | | ships and water front properties. - Pilkington Activ |
| mentioned above could actually make more | | | | self-cleaning glass uses the sun's own trove I |
| money per hour worked, thus become more | | | | would raise to gradually and continually breakdown |
| efficient and have more money to market and | | | | organic dirt by using a photocatalytic effect. At |
| get more business. Also with windows easier to | | | | the same time the glass reduces the surface |
| clean, the finished job will look better and | | | | tension of water causing it to she down the |
| therefore more referrals of people who both do | | | | surface and washed the dirt away rather than |
| and do not have self-cleaning glass themselves. | | | | bead up, this is called a hydrophilic effect. This is |
| We feel that it is a tossup as to the decreased | | | | done with the coating is applied during |
| sales due to people believing that the glasses to | | | | manufacturing process using a pyrolytic method. |
| clean itself completely into those who still beside | | | | It becomes a permanent part of the glass on its |
| the service.In the automotive industry when | | | | surface; the competition heats up for the best |
| Cadillac came out with a car dad went 100,000 | | | | self-cleaning glass on market, there may be some |
| miles between services, many automotive | | | | companies that are willing to allow the over hyped |
| aftermarket service companies such a Jiffy Lube, | | | | in order to sell more product, this could affect the |
| Penske automotive and Midas muffler believed | | | | sales of services from small window cleaning |
| that this could affect their business. It did not, | | | | companies, although we are confident and our |
| there were some people who it bought the | | | | ability to help the consumer understand exactly |
| Cadillacs who believed the salesman at the | | | | what they've bought and how it works. We do |
| dealership and assumed the car did not need oil | | | | not feel this will be significant for quite some time |
| changes per 100,000 miles. These consumers he | | | | become. And even when self-cleaning glass |
| did not understand what they were getting into | | | | actually does clean it's self which we expect |
| often drove the car for 25 to 30,000 miles | | | | another decade or two there will still be all those |
| without any problems and then went a dealership | | | | buildings which have the old glass, and a return on |
| when they heard a noise, no kidding. One | | | | investment for the increased price of lead say in |
| dealership told us of five such customers. Others | | | | large office building may be more than the |
| who bought the Cadillac because of its incredible | | | | owners wish to spend to upgrade, based on the |
| warranty and 100,000 miles between services did | | | | minor savings they might achieve in dismissing |
| so because they felt that a car that ran | | | | their window washing contractor. At the wash |
| extremely well played a major part in their | | | | guys it's we do not pretend to be invincible, we |
| decision to buy that automobile, so this is why | | | | understand that disruptive technology does affect |
| they bought it in the first place. And those | | | | low technology businesses just as much as it |
| customers who care about the reliability and | | | | affects high-tech businesses, we are therefore |
| maintenance of their vehicle who bought the cars, | | | | keeping our eyes on a self-cleaning glass |
| turned out to still be great customers to the | | | | revolution. We know that every innovation and |
| automotive service companies they normally | | | | any innovation effects something else. We also |
| patronized. As a matter fact they continued to go | | | | realize there is opportunity in chaos and therefore |
| to the service companies at the same intervals | | | | we say "Bring it On!". |
| and often used it as a way to Brag about what a | | | | |