Why should I pay extra money for Self-Cleaning Glass?

A common concern when planning and installing a new glass balustrade or Juliet balcony is the worry of cleanliness and maintenance. Will the glass quickly attract water-borne mineral deposits and residue from rainwater; will other dust and dirt need to be constantly cleaned off with bucket and cloth or require a professional to be employed to wash hard-to-access glass surfaces?

Can Glass clean itself?

There is a remedy that works well with the glass for all products and that is the innovative solution of self-cleaning glass.

The term self-cleaning can be misleading, as all types of self-cleaning glass will actually require cleaning and maintenance. But as this is what these types of glasses are being referred to in the marketplace we are following the lead and will refer to them as “self- cleaning”.

The theory behind this new technology, to make existing glass into self-cleaning glass, is that contrary to popular opinion, glass is actually rather rough. Looked at under a microscope, it is jagged, pitted and definitely not smooth. It’s logical that the smoother something is, the less likely it is to have things sticking to it. If you could coat glass with a hard transparent fluid that would harden and bind directly to the glass and last for years, then water, dirt, bacteria, etc. would have very little to hold it to the glass and tend to slip away (particularly if the glass is standing upright, like in your shower)! So, people call this kind of treated glass, self-cleaning glass!

We have perfected a custom protectant called BalcoNano® with careful design of a nanotech formula with environmentally friendly credentials that fills and adheres to the pits and troughs of glass and silica surfaces.

Protecting my glass and the environment?

One of the prime benefits of the BalcoNano® coating is not only that the formula is environmentally friendly but once applied, the glass surfaces can be cleaned using just water with no need for harsh chemicals utilising alcohol or soap derivatives. Kind to the glass and outdoor spaces too, BalcoNano® is ideal for the natural balance of your garden.

How Is BalcoNano® Glass Coating Applied?

In our factory, where we make glass for Juliet balconies, balustrades and curved doors and windows, we give a self-cleaning glass option which we apply in an airtight room as a vapour. This is highly efficient and works for higher quantities of glass.

The DIY method for customer application is to thoroughly clean the surface, and then apply the coating. We conveniently sell double sachets with both a cleaner and the glass coating.

Should I choose Factory Treated Glass or apply the coating myself?

The main considerations here would be your comfort and costs.

We advise wearing protective gloves to mix and apply the BalcoNano® cleaner and coating. It is not too difficult a task and can be accomplished fairly quickly. Please see our video here.

If you are buying our factory-coated glass for your balconies and balustrades, cost equates to approximately £25 a square metre (that is £25 for both the sides) for our Hybrid Balustrades and Juliets and £49 per sq m for Frameless SG12 systems.  If you choose the DIY route, it comes to approximately £5/square metre (each side). However, the lifetime maintenance costs saved by using BalcoNano® glass coating is significant.

Depending on how well it has been applied and how well maintained, it should last from 3-10 years. When it is no longer keeping your glass as clean looking as you want, then you can simply strip it off and start again and create a new transparent coating that will last another 3-10 years.