Stuff

Windows are porous. When windows are new and high quality, they feel smooth and shed water and dirt easier. As windows age and are exposed to the strong effects of high altitude sunlight they deteriate and become more porous and hold more water stain and dirt. There exist products, like 3 star barrier, that can restore the 'smoothness' of the glass.

Customers often ask me when is the best time of year to have their windows cleaned. Winter is difficult since the air temperature dips below freezing, but can be done on sunny days. Storms happen all year round. Some people think that the spring storms are worse, but I think summer and fall storms blow more dirt onto windows than spring storms. Weather happens all year round. Watch the weather and attempt to schedule your window cleanings after storms have passed and when you know there will be a stretch of clear skies. Storms that don't kick up dirt and plaster your windows often are harmless to your clean windows too.

Often times clients place their grill right under a window. This will cover your window in grease and I'll need to scrap the grease off with a razor blade. Consider moving your grill away from the house, which is a fire precaution too.

If you are going to have the exterior of your house painted or stained, talk to your painter about how the windows will be protected and cleaned up after the job. The windows are often overlooked in the painting/staining process; consider factoring in a window cleaning into the process.

In the spring when the sprinklers get turned back on, be sure to check where each sprinkler head is spraying to insure that your windows aren't getting hit. Windows that get hit constantly by sprinklers and then have those minerals get baked on by the high altitude sunshine will quickly deteriate and develop a layer of water stain. Water stain that stays on for months on end will be difficult, if not impossible to remove. 0000 steel wool, lime away, vinegar, and razor blades are some of the tools and products I use to removed water stain build up. There are other toxic chemicals that are much stronger and can have more significant results on water stain, but I avoid the use of chemicals for environmental and health reasons.

What do I do to stop birds from crashing, pecking windows?
Decrease the reflectivity of your windows:
1. Pull down your shades: white curtains or blinds can make it difficult for birds to see their reflections.
2. Put the screens in operable windows to make them less reflective.
3. Consider soaping your windows for a couple of weeks during the nesting season.
4. Break up the reflection by hanging something, placing decorative window films, or using 1-inch-wide tape or ribbon to create vertical stripes every four inches on the outside of your windows.
5. Move houseplants away from the glass and close curtains over windows and sliding glass doors whenever possible.
Create a physical barrier:
1. Build a net frame to act as a barricade by mounting fine-mesh netting (available at garden centers or hardware stores) in a rigid frame, using shelf brackets to hold the frame a couple of inches away from the window.
2. Install indoor-outdoor blinds on the outside of your windows.
3. Adhesive-backed cut-out silhouettes of hawks or falcons in flight to attach to the outer surfaces of reflective glass are sold in virtually all stores catering to naturalists and birders. In fact, any shape will work. The non-reflective cutout helps the birds focus on the glass and, knowing it's there, avoid it.
4. If you're a bird watcher and feed birds, consider moving your feeders further away from windows.
While these measures won't guarantee Cardinals and Robins will stop pecking and crashing into your windows, they may minimize the behavior. This behavior is at its peak during the nesting season. For the most part, this behavior should decrease as soon as the young leave the nest. (care of www.wild-bird-watching.com)

pan | o | ram | a - [noun] an unobstructed view...