Handing over clean glass after building work
New glass that is not cleaned promptly after building work is the most expensive glass there is. Cement haze etches into the pane, and past a certain point cleaning is no longer the option — replacement is.
from
€6.50per m² of glass
Indicative price excluding VAT for normal building soiling. Etched-in cement haze is far more labour-intensive and is quoted separately after a test patch.
A renovation puts everything imaginable on the glass: cement haze from bricklaying and pointing, plaster splashes, paint mist, sealant, and the glue from factory stickers that have sat there for months. Each of those wants a different treatment. What they have in common is that all of them come off more easily the less time they have had.
Cement haze is the dangerous one. It is a fine lime slurry that lodges in the surface of the glass and slowly frosts it. Fresh, it dissolves with an acidic cleaner; after six months of sun and rain it has etched in, and even polishing cannot always save it. Which is exactly why contractors and developers bring us in *before* handover rather than after: at that point it is still a cleaning line item, not a warranty argument.
On a handover we work with sharp blades at the right angle, and with products that are safe on coated glass and on modern double glazing. On coated and self-cleaning glazing a blade is precisely what you must not use, so it goes slower and with a different product — you hear about that beforehand if it applies to your building.
How it goes
From request to finished work
- 1
Inspecting the glass
Is it coated or self-cleaning? Are there scratches already? We record that before anyone touches it.
- 2
The heavy stuff first
Plaster, sealant and sticker glue come off first, so they cannot end up dragged under the squeegee.
- 3
Dissolving the haze
An acidic cleaner is given time to lift the lime slurry, then neutralised and rinsed.
- 4
Hand-over
Frames and rebates done, glass streak-free, and a work sheet the contractor can sign off.
Frequently asked questions
Questions about glass after building work
How long can I leave it before cleaning?
As short a time as possible, and certainly within a few weeks of the bricklaying and plastering. Cement haze that has been through a season of sun and rain has etched into the surface; from that point the outcome is uncertain and sometimes replacement is the only answer. That is hundreds of euros per pane.
Who is liable if the glass was already scratched?
That is why we photograph what we find before we start. Scratches from a trowel, scaffolding or a sander are often there before we arrive, and without that record it always ends up as one party’s word against another’s. With the record it is a fact.
Do you work with contractors?
Yes, and it is most of this work. We schedule on the day that fits the build programme, supply a work sheet per plot number and invoice the contractor or the property manager directly, whichever was agreed. Across several plots on one project we price the lot together.
Glass after building work in these towns
Often requested together
What does glass after building work cost for your building?
Cement haze, plaster splashes, paint and sticker glue off new glass — before you take the keys.