Category Archives: Tips & Resources

Valerie and Rob sharing their 28 years of experience in the window cleaning business.

What is a Broken Window Seal?

The window cleaner has finished the job and the glass still looks foggy, hazy, has drip marks or even water still on the glass. Terrible work? More likely a broken seal. Most all homes have thermopane windows. Thermopanes have two pieces of glass sandwiched together by a spacer that is usually 1/2” to ¾” thick. This spacer adheres the two pieces together and contains small beads of desiccant. The desiccants job is to prevent the buildup of moisture in between the panes of glass. When the seal “breaks” moisture is allowed to enter the space between the glass and starts to become a visual issue.

Different degrees of failure are easy to spot. A window with a light fog around the edges has just begun to go, but could equally stay the same or get worse. Bad examples can be full blown rain storms in between the panes! If the humidity levels can’t be kept at some sort of equilibrium between the interior and exterior of the home, condensation will form in the thermopane. This is why on a cold wet day things might look worse. The symptoms might not even be apparent on a sunny 70 degree day.

I observe these conditions in about 98% of the homes I do, so you are not alone. I have also noticed that most all window manufacturers have this problem. I strongly suspect that it has to do with our altitude. Windows that are built and sealed together at a much lower altitude have a lot of atmospheric pressure changes to deal with when heading ‘up the hill’. Some are built with small capillary tubes to deal with this. If they are not properly crimped when installed, it is an easy point for air intrusion.

Some windows seem to be more prone to failure than others. Large panes of glass that have site built frames are usually the worst. Add lots of sunlight or exposure to wind and the risk expands significantly. Odd shaped widows are also problematic. However, sliding glass doors seem to be immune to the broken seal. The one thing that will kill a window faster than anything is tint. Window films will not allow heat to pass through the glass. It is like taping a lid on a boiling pot of water, something has to give.

So what are your options?  The problem is visual more than anything. Unless there is a huge amount of water in between, the damage is not bad. It may be ugly to look out but really shouldn’t cause much, if any, harm.  Glass has an insulating value between R-2 and R-6 so no great losses in that area. A few companies offer in place repairs which usually involve drilling a few holes in the glass to “let off some steam”. I’ve seen some improvements with this method. If you have real bad mineral deposits or drips, skip this route. Really all that can be done to fix the problem is replacing the glass. More often than not, just the glass can be replaced. Not having the frame or the whole window assembly can bring the price of replacement back down to earth. The choice is yours, but it is really just visual.

Pine Pollen and Window Cleaning

This time of year in the mountains, you take a deep breath and the scent of warm pine fills your nose. Springtime in the mountains is a rejuvenating season of new growth and greening. However, mountain residents are familiar with the yellow cloud of dust, PINE POLLEN. Buildup from the pollen gets on everything including your windows!

At Peak Window Cleaning, we have 25 years of experience living with pine pollen. We get all kinds of questions about the pollen, so we are going to answer the most common, like what it is and when does it fly.

Example of male cones that produce the pollen.

What is the yellow dust? In a nutshell, the yellow dust is apart the fertilization process for Conifers. These ancient trees are Gymnosperms and rather than a typical flower, they have cones. So birds and insects are little help to pollinate. The trees depend on the wind. The trees release a large amount of the yellow dust to increase the chance of pollination.

When does the pine pollen season start? Warm temperatures are the trigger for the process. So in Evergreen, Colorado one can expect when temperatures start to reach above 70°F during the day, which is about mid-June, the pollen will start to fly. The trees will release the most pollen on warm, dry, sunny, and windy days.

Example of male and female pine cones.

When does it end? The length of time the pine pollen flies varieties each year. In the mountain communities, the pine pollen typically flies for about two to three weeks. The dust is usually done by the first few weeks of July.

What makes some years worse than others? It actually depends on the previous season. For example, a very dry year followed by a year of good rain fall, the trees will release a very large amount. In a dry year the trees lay more dormant because of the lack of moisture, as if it knows it has a less likely chance to achieve pollination.

Now that we have answered some of the most common questions about the yellow dust, we hope you will be able to plan for the pine pollen.

How to Hire a Great Window Cleaner

Window cleaning season is gearing up but who do you choose for the all important task of cleaning your windows?

Maybe the first thing that comes to mind is “what do you mean all important, it’s just window cleaning”. Well yes and no. The windows in your house are one of the most expensive items to replace, often adding up to tens of thousands of dollars depending on how many you have. It’s definitely an investment that you want to protect and as such, hiring a professional window cleaner to protect that investment is of utmost importance. To protect that investment, the company and people you hire to do the job must have knowledge and experience. Not only must they know how to be an excellent window cleaner and make your glass sparkle and shine like they are new, but they must know how to treat different types of glass, how to safely climb different types of ladders and how not to damage your things inside or outside. That’s a lot to know! And that comes with knowledge and experience!

Every few years in our community, we get a new batch of window cleaners. Somebody who decides, “that looks easy, I think I’ll try that”. And then every few years, those same window cleaners mysteriously disappear just as suddenly as they appeared. What happened? Was it that they did so much damage that they are bankrupt? Or was it that they didn’t know their job well enough and fell off of a ladder and got injured? Or just got sick of the cold? Who knows? But it’s your responsibility to hire the company and people who care about you and your house and are professional. Just think of the liability if someone falls off of a ladder at your house and didn’t have adequate insurance.

Our clients are important to us and your window cleaner choice should be important to you as well. If you hire an inexperienced window cleaner, it can truly cost you thousands of dollars. Did you know that if a window cleaner scratches the glass in your house, insurance does not cover it? It’s the very definition of a professional. If you are a professional, you know how to treat the glass because it’s part of your profession. Insurance covers “accidents” and scratching glass is not an accident! It means that you don’t have enough professional knowledge. And yes that has happened in our community!

So let’s keep that from happening. Here are some tips on hiring a professional window cleaner:

  1. Insurance. Any professional window cleaner will have insurance. There are several different types of insurance but the one that is non-negotiable is Liability Insurance. Make sure they have liability insurance and ask to see a copy of it to check dates and minimums. Again, liability insurance does not cover professionalism such as scratched windows, damage and marks from not using ladder bumpers, putting ladders on something soft that is not stable, etc. It only covers accidents! We include a copy of our insurance with every estimate so you know in advance and don’t even have to ask.
  1. Years of Experience. Would you rather have someone at your house cleaning your windows that has 1, 5, 10, or 20 years of experience? Does it matter? Yes! If they have one year of experience and are trying to run their own business, do you think they are knowledgeable about different types of glass and window styles? Blinds? How to safely set up a ladder? Types of water? Types of cleaning products? Customer service? How to handle problems that may come up? Or do you think they may try to hide any damage or just not mention it? How professional are they?
  1. Years in Business. How many years has the company been in business? Do they care about their reputation and putting customers first? Or are they a new company just getting their feet wet and just trying it out to maybe be gone in a year or two when things don’t work out? It is important to find a residential window cleaner well established in your local area.  Look for a window cleaner that has been in business for at least 5 years and limits his service area within a 25 miles radius from where you live.  You want a window cleaner that has been and plans to be in business for a long time.
  1. Pricing. Fixed pricing sounds good to a lot of people but it also encourages the window cleaner to cut corners and not do a quality job to make up for lost time. It would be very unprofessional to charge the same amount for 20 panes of glass as for 100 panes of glass. It also begs the question, why? Why would someone charge the same amount for everything? Do they not see their work as a quality service and their time as valuable? Maybe they are just trying to undercut the competition and will raise their price astronomically next time. Or maybe they just don’t do a quality job to begin with. Maybe they are using a pole on every window and not wiping the edges. Definitely something to ask about. The same goes for the window cleaner who is undercharging per pane compared to the industry standard. Why is their pricing so low? Do they not have insurance? Are they cutting corners?

We make every effort to look at every job and give you a fair price before starting. Looking at the job ensures that there are no pricing “surprises”. Oftentimes we give a price range on circumstances such as extremely dirty windows that haven’t been cleaned in years that will need extra work to get them clean or technical ladder work. If you’re having your windows cleaned for the first time, there are sometimes unforeseen circumstances such as a gooey substances that doesn’t come off with standard methods, or interior ladder work on a curved staircase that may take more time and precision to be safe. Window cleaners that don’t recognize the unforeseen circumstances are often tempted to cut corners just to get the job done quickly because the price was already set and they know they won’t make enough money to make the job worth the effort. At Peak Window Cleaning, we will always notify you of any difficulties we encounter and of any extra costs it may incur. That way we ensure that you receive a high quality window cleaning at a fair price without cutting any corners! You should know that the going rate in most areas is about $3-5/per pane of glass per side on average but of course that also depends upon ease of access, average size of each panel and how dirty they are. If you get a quote that is not in that range, ask lots of questions. You’ll be happier in the long run!  

  1. What’s Included in the Service? Are you just getting the glass scrubbed and squeegeed or do they take care to make sure that fingerprints, dog kisses, bug marks and other debris is actually removed from the glass before squeegeeing? Are they using a pole and not even looking at the glass at a close distance? Are they cleaning both inside and outside to ensure that you get them as crystal clear as possible? Do they wipe the edges? If not, you can expect drips coming from the edges. Do they wipe the sills? Do they clean the screens? How are they cleaned? Are they just wiped off or do they scrub them or use a professional screen cleaner? It doesn’t make any sense to put a dusty dirty screen back on a clean window. The window will only have that dust and dirt back on it in no time. You want to be clear on what you are paying for and what you will receive as part of the service. The difference between full service and just rinsing off the glass.
  1. Specializing in Residential Window Cleaning. A window cleaner that specializes in residential window cleaning is best.  Commercial window cleaning is quite a bit different in quality and those businesses generally have a high turnover of employees and may not be experienced in dealing with home furnishings and with being careful with their ladders and buckets of water inside your home.  Even outside the home a window cleaner must take extra care to not damage plants or let your pets out of the yard.
  1. Professional Presence. Have you heard of the company before? Have you seen them around town? Are they local or are they driving 40-50 miles to come to you? Why? What do your neighbors and friends say? A lot can be gleaned from their website. Is it professionally done? Do they look professional when they arrive at your house? Is their main source of advertising social media? Anyone can post anything on social media, it doesn’t mean they are a professional. Are they associated with any professional organizations? What is their rating with the BBB? Have they had any complaints?
  1. Guarantees. Do they guarantee their work? A guarantee demonstrates that this contractor takes pride in their work, is confident with their ability to provide excellent customer service and will stand by their work. If you call back with a question or an issue, how will they respond? A guarantee means that you will be attended to and not forgotten after the job is complete.

Asking some or all of these questions will ensure that you receive the service and quality you are looking for. Whether you’re planning to stay in your home for a while or you’re selling your present home and want your home to look its best, hopefully this guide has been helpful to you.

The most important thing to remember is that there are a lot of really good window cleaners out there who are professional, fair and know what they’re doing, but there are also a few who may not be so good. It’s not hard to tell the difference if you know what to look for. Being an informed homeowner and asking these questions will help you make the right decision and save you from a lot of hassles and expenses in the long run.

Good luck and happy window cleaning!