Painters over the last few years have been caught out by scratched glass on new and existing residential and commercial work. As we are often the last trade onsite, we are blamed for the scratches and damage to the glass and window frames. In many cases this damage was not the fault of the painter. Sadly, we have seen painting contractors pick up considerable costs in repairing and replacing damaged glass. This can be especially costly when double glazed windows are involved.
It is imperative before any painting work starts where glazing is present, regardless of age of the building, a thorough visual inspection should be made of all the window glass and associated frames and document any scratches to the glass or damage to the frames. This documentation should take the form of photographs and written advice to the home owner or project manager.
Never carry out painting around window glass or aluminium joinery unless the entire surface has been protected by plastic sheet. In the instances where paint has been splashed onto glass or aluminium surfaces do not use a scraper/ razor blade or solvents to remove the paint. Seek advice from the window manufacturer. Also, be careful with prepainting wash chemicals as these can etch the glass and damage the powder coating of the aluminium joinery. If you haven’t taken these precautions it is almost impossible to prove the scratches were there prior to the painting work commencing. It will be helpful to provide the following advice to the home owner after completion of the work:
- Regular washing of your aluminium windows, and extra care when it is a corrosive environment, means you will meet the warranty terms associated with the surface finish.
- Ensure your builder/ painter keeps the joinery in the same condition as it was delivered and protects it at every stage, because most surface finish issues occur during construction from damage by other contractors.
- In normal conditions, we recommend washing aluminium windows every three months.
- If windblown residues settle on aluminium – such as cement dust in a new subdivision, sea salt near the coast, or agrichemicals – you will need to wash your windows more frequently.
- Never use a scraper or abrasive materials or solvents on powder coated finishes or glass. These have the potential to cause significant damage to toughened glass.
- Some commercial house cleaning products can damage aluminium. If a commercial house cleaner won’t provide you with a written assurance that their cleaning products are safe for aluminium, don’t use their services.
- Sunscreen can leave permanent marks on aluminium. Use gloves when handling, and, if affected, wash the sunscreen off immediately with warm, soapy water.
- Clean off paint splashes before they dry
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