Failed Low-e coating removal? - Residential

This might be the wrong site to ask this but here goes.

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I have a couple of failed double pain windows in my house. The seals failed and the low-e coating has oxidized so that the inside layer of the window is no longer transparent (it looks gold, not fogged). I want to pull the insulated glass units out and reseal them.

Can the oxidized low-e coating be removed to restore the window to a nice clean piece of glass, or is the oxidized layer permanent?

Thanks for any insight.

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First, let's determine if it is exposed hard coat Low Emissivity or not. Some manufacturers, commercial and residential, are offering a "triple Low-E" coating, that has both inside surfaces of the IG unit and either the exterior (Side 1) or interior (Side 4) with a Low-E coating. Side 1 coatings would be in warm weather zones, side 4 coatings would be in cold weather zones. (Placement of "normal" single side 2 or 3 Low-E coating is also determined by where you live)

OK - confused yet? Don't be. If you are dealing with an exposed Low-E coating, it can be cleaned, even post-construction non-routine cleaning. The thing to remember is NO METAL IMPLEMENTS (razors, steel or bronze wool) ever . The "don't use a squeegee' directions are written by folks that do not understand how a squeegee operates, and should be ignored. How do you tell? usually exposed Low-E has a very "draggy" feel to it - whether you are using a squeegee or t-bar - or even a damp microfiber towel - the surface with exposed Low-E will have a noticeable drag affect.

Step 1 - GET A DAMAGE WAIVER SIGNED OR WALK THE HELL AWAY. NO MONEY, NO JOB IS WORTH EXPOSING YOUR COMPANY TO POTENTIAL PROBLEMS. There is a great waiver at IWCA.org, also Mike Draper @ Window Cleaner Safety has a great one. If you do not have a waiver that you use regularly, you are walking a legal tightrope. Have fun with that.

Step 2. Things SAFE for exposed Low-E coatings; White pads and red pads. Chemicals USUALLY safe for exposed Low-E - TEST FIRST - Oil-Flo, Barkeeper's friend, Cera-Brite cooktop cleaner, Bon-Ami, Unger Rub-Out, abc Hard Water Stain remover, acetone.

Step 3. Pricing for non-routine cleaning of exposed Low-E coatings needs to be at a minimum three times normal rate for non-routine cleaning, as the labor and chem costs can get very high. If they aren't willing to pay it, and you are CERTAIN it is exposed Low-E, not just an IG unit with a "Low-E" round sticker on it, walk away. You WILL lose your ass not charging a premium's premium for cleaning this stuff.

When metal is used on exposed Low-E coatings, gray marks appear. This is usually not damage to the coating and can be mitigated. The gray marks are actually metal molecules that have rubbed of onto the coating - the Low-E coating is actually harder than the metal. Any of the pads and scouring agents mentioned above (NOT THE LIQUID CHEMS) can be used to remove the metal marks from Low-E.

Any other questions on this or all glass related issues, feel free to contact me direct.