Authors: Warren Turner (EziCleen) & Nicole O’Gready (Peninsula Homes)
With stunning views to take in on the Northern Beaches, it is not surprising that glass is being utilised more and more in new homes today. It not only provides clients with clear, un-interrupted views but allows more natural light into the home and adds elegance to properties. For the last few years, Peninsula Homes has been treating glazed areas of our homes with a surface protection product from EziCleen. When talking “glazed” products, this can mean; windows, shower screens, balustrades, pool fences….the list is endless. The reason we use this product is simple. Glass, when it’s new, is beautiful, clear and sparkling, easy to see through, and is generally easy to clean (if it is cleaned regularly and kept dry) but it doesn’t stay that way for long!
Unfortunately for most of us, cleaning and scrubbing our glass surface on a regular basis is neither practical nor enjoyable. So it is inevitable that our windows, balustrades, shower screens etc. gradually become dirtier, dull and less clear over time. Contrary to its visible appearance, the surface of glass is not perfectly flat. It has what glass manufacturers call a ‘lattice’ or ‘honeycomb’ texture. When viewed under a microscope, glass shows up as a rough porous surface of valleys and crests. These valleys and crests fill up with organic and inorganic materials which react chemically with the glass and stick firmly to the surface. This causes the glass to stain and discolour which makes it difficult to see through and very difficult, sometimes impossible, to clean. This issue is often termed glass corrosion and can only be prevented if the glass is kept clean and dry at all times. In the case of coastal properties like on the Northern Beaches, the glass is subject to sea spray and salt air which can make the damage occur much faster and create a dull cloudy appearance to the glass.
