If you have a glass deck, knowing how to keep it clean and fresh can be overwhelming. This article explains why glass decks are made from safety glass and the coatings used to protect safety glass while it is being shipped and installed. It also describes the materials and techniques the professional installer uses to clean the glass on a glass deck roof and provides specific instructions on how to do it yourself.
When a glass deck is delivered and installed in your home, it will come with tempered glass or safety glass as standard. When something falls on tempered glass, it breaks into tiny granular particles that, while sharp, pose no serious threat to man or beast. Plate or float glass when broken breaks into a million little sharp pieces.
If float glass is installed on a glass verandah, there is a risk that at some point in its life one of the glass panes will break, producing a shower of dangerous sharp splinters. These would rain down on people or animals below and cause injury. Broken float glass also produces a carpet of small and sometimes almost invisible sharp objects that can remain hidden for a long time. Due to the risks of float glass, tempered or safety glass is always used in glass terraces, glass roofs and skylights.
Tempered glass is usually shipped with some type of protective layer wrapped around it. This prevents it from breaking if something hits the glass. It also means that the men loading and unloading the glass have a protective barrier that surrounds the glass to prevent minor bumps and scrapes from damaging it.
The protective layer will be a sheet of plastic or bubble wrap, sometimes with foam blocks to keep the individual panes of glass apart. The glass itself will almost always have a slightly sticky coating for the plastic sheet to adhere to the surface and ensure that it does not come off during handling, exposing the glass surface to potential damage.
It is this coating that the glass deck installer must remove before finally installing the glass. The way they do this is by using a solution of isopropyl alcohol (75%) or methylated spirits. Each side of each pane of glass to be installed is cleaned with a cloth or paper towel by moving the cloth back and forth in a horizontal direction first, then vertically. This means that every part of the glass is covered. Stains that might be visible if cleaning were done in one direction are also removed.
When your glass deck is finally installed, it should look very shiny. To keep it looking sparkling clean, the best thing you can do is have your window cleaner clean the surfaces with a stick cleaning system. Regular cleaning will prevent the buildup of dirt and debris that can make the structure look unsightly. You can do it yourself with a cloth, preferably linen gauze, and warm soapy water. The best detergent for cleaning windows is Fairy Liquid. Simply wash the windows with the cloth and remove any excess liquid with another cloth or sponge before finishing with a mesh working vertically and horizontally over each pane of glass until it looks really shiny.
How do you get to the part of the glass terrace that is closest to the wall of the house? It should be possible to do this using a drag board that you can fit across the glass bars. Glazing bars must be designed to support the weight of a man. Leaning on the glass bars in this way should allow you to reach and clean the most inaccessible parts of the glass gallery. You should always check with the installer who supplied the deck to ensure it is strong enough to withstand the type of loads involved in cleaning.
Alternatively, greenhouse cleaning steps are available to rent. These are wonderful devices. The foot of the steps rests on the ground and the upper part of the first section rests on the gutter of the glass gallery. The second part of the steps falls on the roof and supports the person who cleans the glass. The entire device is prevented from slipping by a cable that is attached to the sunroom itself. This means that this job can be done with just one hand.
If your glass deck is very large, it is best to hire a professional cleaning company to do the job. That way, your safety won’t be compromised and you’ll keep the structure looking great for years to come.
