Some Windows Not Cleanable?
I bought a late 19th c. brownstone apartment in 1997. I’m embarassed to say I’ve never had the windows professionally cleaned. Or unprofessionally cleaned, for that matter. (God knows when they were last cleaned. 1921? 1957?) anyway, I bit the bullet and hired someone. I live on the floor above the parlor floor. To make…
I bought a late 19th c. brownstone apartment in 1997. I’m embarassed to say I’ve never had the windows professionally cleaned. Or unprofessionally cleaned, for that matter. (God knows when they were last cleaned. 1921? 1957?)
anyway, I bit the bullet and hired someone. I live on the floor above the parlor floor. To make a long story short, he said that there was permanent discoloration to the windows from the sun and that he couldn’t clean them properly. He said I’d have to replace them. In many places they look like he never cleaned them, tho in other places they are gleaming.
Did I fall for a bs story or is this true?
Thanks,
Marlene
thank you for your effort. Very helpful info.
mhughu aka
marlene
Don’t know if this sounds like a ridiculous suggestion, but what about a paste of water and baking soda? Gentle abrasion, no?
Steve is right about sun and impurities. You’ll also see this effect when colors change in old stained glass. Another cause is oxidative interaction when old windows are covered by iron bars (even if the bars are a few inches distant). This link has a little info about cleaning historic glass, though not much: http://bit.ly/cVd9ae
I was told that acid rain and pollution could permanently damage some glass. We’ve certainly had some “uncleanables” (not including the sealed-unit insulated panels that went funky with interior moisture clouds…)
Are they double paned repacements? Some of the earlier double paned windows had seals that fail over time and condensation gets between the two layers and dries out leaving a film behind. For all intents and purposes, this makes them impossible to clean. If it’s on the outside of the glass, try a test by applying a fifty/fifty mixture of warm water and white vinegar on a spot and see if that helps.
My old windows have some pitting & staining but not overall discoloration. Can you apply bleach to an area to see if it does anything?
I have seen this before and suspect that some old glass may have impurities in it that react with the sun (overtime). I would not dismiss what he is saying.
I’ll be in to see my glass suplier this week and will run this by him. I am sure by then someone will come back here with a definite answer but if they don’t, I’ll let you know what I hear.
Steve