A WINDOW THAT CLEANS ITSELF? New glass Uses Sun's Rays to Make Windows Self-Cleaning, Freeing Up Time

Do you do windows? Now, you don't have to.
This summer, Pilkington North America was the first glass manufacturer to introduce and produce a new glass product that just might make washing windows a thing of the past.

"Your time is very valuable, and with Pilkington Activ™ Self-Cleaning Glass, you can spend less of it cleaning windows and more time with family, playing golf and other activities," said Rick Karcher, president of Pilkington Building Products North America, Toledo, Ohio.

Pilkington Activ™ Self-Cleaning Glass is a new glass that uses the sun's UV rays to gradually and continuously break down and dissolve organic dirt through what's called a photocatalytic effect. After being installed, windows with Pilkington Activ™ Self-Cleaning Glass will need to be exposed to UV rays for several days to activate the photocatalytic properties. Once activated, the photocatalytic process will continue to work at night and even on cloudy days.
At the same time, it reduces the surface tension of water to cause it to sheet down the surface and wash away dirt to leave windows clean. This is called a hydrophilic effect.

Pilkington Activ™ Glass can be used in new and replacement windows and skylights in homes, apartments and condominiums. It can also be used in commercial and institutional buildings, such as offices, schools and universities, retail stores, etc.

Pilkington Activ™ Glass is the first and only glass currently available with self-cleaning properties. The microscopically thin chemical composition (titanium dioxide) that gives Pilkington Activ™ Glass its characteristics is applied to a surface of the base glass while it is in its molten state during the float glass manufacturing process. Therefore, the composition becomes an integral and permanent part of the glass – rather than applied as a spray after the glass is produced.

As of early December, more than two dozen window manufacturers and commercial glass fabricators in the U.S. and Canada offer Pilkington Activ™ Glass. (See end of story to see how you can locate the manufacturer/distributor near you.)
"It's not that you'll never have to clean your windows again, but the frequency and amount of time cleaning windows will decrease significantly," added Karcher. "And, you won't give up anything in terms of aesthetics. Windows with Pilkington Activ™ Self-Cleaning Glass will be nearly as clear as any other window."

Windows and skylights with Pilkington Activ™ Self-Cleaning Glass offer homeowners and building owners some key benefits:
> Saves time by significantly reducing the need to clean windows. If there is a dry spell, simply spray the windows with water. No detergent or window cleaner is needed. What dirt that hasn't been dissolved will be wiped away by the sheeting effect of the water. For homeowners, this frees up more time to spend with family members or devote your attention to more pressing needs around the house.

> Saves money by eliminating the need to buy window cleaning detergents, soaps, etc., or the need to hire a service company to clean your windows.
> Safety. Eliminates the need to climb ladders – usually carrying a bucket full of cleaning supplies – to the second and third floor windows, or even up on the roof to clean windows. For the majority of homes, most windows can be reached with water from a garden hose.
> Eliminates the run-off of potentially harmful detergents into the environment.
Pilkington Activ™ Self-Cleaning Glass is manufactured at the company's Ottawa, Ill., plant, located approximately 80 miles southwest of Chicago.
"Pilkington was the first glass manufacturer to come up with a product that can stand up to the elements over, say a 20-year period. The tests we've done on Pilkington Activ™ Self-Cleaning Glass suggest that it will last at least that long," Karcher said.
Though, as Karcher noted above, homeowners and building managers can expect Pilkington Activ™ Self-Cleaning Glass to last a long time, Pilkington guarantees it for10 years.

For more information about Pilkington Activ™ Self-Cleaning Glass, call 1-866-88 ACTIV (1-866-882-2848), or visit www.activglass.com, and click on North America.
Pilkington, with North American headquarters in Toledo, Ohio, U..S.A., is an international company and is a leading producer and supplier of float glass for architectural, residential, furniture, mirror and specialty applications.

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