Getting Clear About Windows
By Gina Dostler
This is the season for everything to sparkle.
Sparkling outdoor Christmas lights displayed all over the neighborhoods. Sparkling chandeliers gracing the dining room for the holiday feast. Sparkling Champagne to drink and toast in celebration of a successful shopping day. Sparkling eyes shining from little Sally’s face as she stares out through the window panes in search for Santa and his reindeer. And finally sparkling smiles when Christmas arrives and every kid and grownups alike, open their presents under the sparkling Christmas tree lights.
Oh, yes, the holiday brings guest, friends and family cascading into the home, some setting up temporary status in the guest bedroom, others stopping by just for the holiday party. With all the rush and challenge of organizing anything in the month of December and needing every hand on deck to prepare for Santa’s visit, it’s best to leave a lot of the hard to get to details such as window washing and exterior Christmas lights to someone other than the recruited husband or elder child.
I ran across a company called Tradewind Window Cleaning and had a warm chat with Darren Krich about cleaning and repairing windows, high pressure washing, and a holiday presentation of sparkling Christmas lights fanning the rooftops and tracing up the trees.
Q: You have been in the window cleaning and glass restoration industry for more than 18 years and just recently moved to Southern California from Hawaii to continue with the business. What is your formula for a successful company?
A: We are a very reliable and honest window cleaning business that provides consistent service with a good reputation. With every job, we take care in preparing the house for cleaning and take the correct amount of time to do the job right, no sloppy smudges or dirty furniture left behind. And that goes for our holiday lighting installations. It’s the attention to detail and pride in what we do that has built up a satisfied clientele.
Q: Why use a window cleaning service? I’ve got a ladder, Brawny towels and my good old standby, Windex.
A: Besides being a time consuming and dangerous chore for home owners, without the proper equipment, and yes, that doesn’t include Windex, streaks and smears are hard to avoid. Some ladders aren’t tall enough to get up to the high places. When cleaning interior windows, care needs to be taken so soap doesn’t get on the furniture, floor or rugs. Dropcloths need to be used to prevent the dirty water from dripping onto things. And having to tackle exterior windows with hard water stains and maneuvering through a landscaped yard can be more than a challenge one wants to endure. Utilizing a window cleaning service guarantees your atrium, French doors, mirrors, shower doors, glass chandeliers, skylights and exterior lighting are all sparkling for your guests this holiday.
Q: What should I be aware of when deciding about getting my windows cleaned?
A: There are a couple of things you need to know. A lot of people have allergies or are sensitive to certain types of soaps and solvents that are used to clean windows. I always have several types of mild soaps that are environmentally safe and don’t leave a harsh chemical scent in the air inside the home. For cleaning the outside of the home, any reputable cleaning company will have a waterfed system with a deionizer that hooks to the home water supply to filter out the heavy minerals that cause hard water stains on the windows. Usually windows close to sprinklers or swimming pools get splashed and with a quick dry from the sun, water stains appear. After cleaning, we advise applying a repellent on those troublesome windows to avoid the water spots in the future.
Q: What about paint that has been splashed on windows?
A: That is a great question. Post construction window cleaning is very important. Drywall mud and dust, stucco drippings, caulk, paint, insect remains, dirt, grease and stickers along with many other debris found covering windows, frames and tracks are part of construction mayhem and must be removed and cleaned in the proper manner so the glass stays pristine. Different types of glass require different methods of cleaning. You can’t take a razor blade to every window. Some are very sensitive to scratches and require delicate techniques to remove the debris. Acrylic automatically will get scratches and if you have a glass fence or wind wall, nothing can mar the beautiful view than annoying scratches in the panels. Abrasives should not be used and everything should be dried with a squeegee.
Q: Can scratches be removed from a window or must they be replaced?
A: We can machine the scratches out, even hairline cracks, restoring the window back to new. The same technique can be applied to car windows as well.
Q: When do you use pressure washing when cleaning?
A: Using low or high water pressure gets the whole exterior of your house clean. Roof tiles can build up mildew that causes a black stain to appear. Driveways and sidewalks are porous and grease can seep into the concrete. And hard to clean places like rain gutters are easily washed with pressure. By utilizing different connections to the hose, we can control the amount of pressure applied to the stain or dirt so no damage will occur to the home. We highly recommend pressure washing the exterior of your home before any cleaning service.
Q: Why do some windows start to look foggy?
A: These are windows that have a double window, leaving a buffer of space between the two panes. Sometimes the seal in the frame is broken and moisture seeps in causing that foggy, grainy look. But many times after so many years, the absorbent quality in the frame wears out and therefore the window needs to be replaced which is a costly venture. We are currently working on a new technology that will save thousands of dollars by repairing the double paned windows instead of replacing them.
Q: You mentioned getting the home sparkling for the holiday. How about getting it all sparkling with lights as well?
A: Absolutely! What better way to spotlight your newly cleaned exterior than with beautiful Christmas lighting decorations installed around your home and yard. Have mulit-colored LEDs strung around your house, or maybe clear ones outlining your front door, encircling your trees, or forming icicles in front of the windows. I like candy canes lining the walkway for fun holiday cheer. Anything is possible with those little energy efficient lights and we work with any design. Mele Kalikimaka!
CONTACT INFORMATION
Darren Krich
Tradewind Window Cleaning
(949) 373-6446
www.TradewindWindowCleaning.com
