Archive for the Category ◊ Self cleaning glass ◊

The Summer 2010 Edition of Balcony Views has just been published and posted out to over 15,000 architects, builders and property developers in the UK, with rave reviews already coming in.

Balcony views magazine

Plenty of very interesting information in the magazine of galss balconies, curved doors and self cleaning glasses.

A further 10,000 copies are due to be distributed over the next few months at trade shows and to all new enquiries recieved by Balcony Systems.

We have started work on our next edition which is scheduled for publication in February 2011.

For further details, to request a copy, to download the media pack or a copy of the magazine go to www.BalconyViews.co.uk

Balcony Views s published by Balcony Systems together with an array of partners supplying high quality products to the building industry.

We have again lifted the industry standards with our latest evolution of self cleaning glass coating.

We have announced that ALL of our standard juliet balconies that we keep in stock,  28 different models, will from now be supplied with our unique self cleaning glass coating at NO extra cost.

This coating is a unique hydrophobic totally clear coating that makes the glass super smooth, scratch resistant and adds brilliance. The coating is applied to BOTH sides of the glass and so helps the cleaning inside as well as out!

Environment friendly

This coating is truly eco-friendly. In a manner of speaking, water and rain does the cleaning for you, so it’s more hygienic and with fewer bacteria there’s less need for harsh chemical cleaners – which is kind to the environment and to the customers pocket.

While the coating dramatically reduce the cleaning requirements of treated surfaces, just like high quality Teflon^® - coated cooking pans – some cleaning and maintenance is required to ensure on-going performance.

Self cleaning glass now for free

We have identified this as a very important requirement by our clients and have decided that on the standard Juliets we will give this added benefit for free. This special self clean glass coating is also available for all of our other products, namely glass railings, glass balustrades, curved glass doors and curved sliding doors.

Read more technical information on the self cleaning glass coating.

Balcony systems are about to launch and announce the use of self cleaning coated glass as standard on their Juliet balconies.

The glass has already been manufactured for the stock and is on route to the warehouse. We expect to have this ready for delivery mid July.

The glasses to be supplied are specially coated with a nano coating on both sided of the glass making them hydrophobic.

More information on the slef cleaning glass solution by Balcony can be found here on the self cleaning glass area of the website: http://www.balconette.co.uk/self-cleaning-glass/

Balcony Systems do not intend to raise the price of the balconies and thus this development will increase the Juliet balconies value for money and make them self cleaning Juliet balconies.

Depending on the chemical composition and method of application, some self cleaning glass coatings may be more harmful to the environment than others.

The self clening glass coating Balcony systems uses is a patented nano-coating and is based on an environmentally safe scientific process. The chemicals used in the patented process have been in use for over 55 years in the aviation industry, for different applications, and are not found in the “Clean Air Act” or the “Clean Water Act”. There are also no PELS (permissible exposure limits) set by OSHA.  They have implemented, with  extreme eco-friendly philosophy, the highest standards in the handling of chemicals so that any scientific process used is safe to the environment.

Thus, in the manufacture process and application process of the self clean coating an ultra efficient yet simple neutralization system has been implemented that renders the chemicals and their by-products completely safe and inert. We strive not only to protect the environment but to preserve it from any contamination or pollution.

In addition to this the coating itself will reduce the need for harful chemical in cleaning of the glass in future and in this manner will have a positive impact on the enviroment.

Is it important whether or not a coating is classified as “nano” and does it affect the quality itself?

Nanoscale technologies are the development and use of devices that have a size of only a few nanometers. The prefix nano means ten to the minus ninth power (10 ‾‾ ⁹), or one billionth of a meter, a simple metric measurement.

However, what’s relevant is not the thickness of the coating itself (1-100 nanometers or some other “micro” measurement) but rather:

Nanotechnology and self cleaning glass »

What one should know about the difference between the pyrolytic “self-cleaning” glass and any other easy-to-clean or hydrophobic glass:

The pyrolytic Self-cleaning glass consists of a hydrophilic coating with photocatalytic properties fused into the glass at high temperatures during the manufacturing process.

The limitations of pyrolytic Self-cleaning glass »

Does the contact angle define quality and durability of the coating for self cleaning glass?

This is probably the single most relevant question one can ask about any hydrophobic easy-to-clean coating and perhaps the MOST HIDDEN fact by most coating suppliers as it truly uncovers the truth behind the quality of the product. Yet, most coating suppliers will typically evade this critical issue with all sorts of misleading statements and false claims:

The difference between mediocre, good and excellent hydrophobic coatings »

How to measure the water-repellency or “hydrophobicity”

The measurement that defines how water-repellent a surface is after being treated with a hydrophobic coating is called “contact angle”, also called ‘wetting angle’, which is the angle formed by the material’s surface and the tangent of the interface between the fluid (i.e.: water) and the environment at the point of contact (the glass surface for example).

Visit this Wikipedia webpage or further “contact angle” information

This is the first in a series of posts on the subject of self cleaning glass surfaces or easy to clean glass coatings.

ABSTRACT

There are many companies around the world providing glass surface treatments today. Many of them simply sell a private labeled brand (someone else’s product) and only a few own their intellectual property, meaning that there are only a few companies that have truly done enough research and development to come up with their own product with distinct and valid claims, along with a solid track record, to support what they promote.

Hydrophobic surface self cleaning glass »

The subject of self cleaning glass is a very interesting topic, one that is very much a potent sales issue in particular in the private glazing sector. It is also a confusing subject in the market with many different products and companies. Balcony’s Managing Director, Effi Wolff,  has just written a new article for their April issue of Balcony Views magzine - www.balconyviews.co.uk.

The dream and the truth:

The facts about zero cleaning glass »