Keeping your windows crystal clear and sparkling clean can be a challenge. Fortunately, there are windows that can actually clean themselves with just the sun and rain.
Learn how self-cleaning windows work here.
What Are Self-Cleaning Windows?
The outer layer of a self-cleaning glass is very thinly coated with titanium dioxide. This compound is white, powdery and most known for making paint, toothpaste and other products brightly white. You may think it’s absurd to coat windows with this compound since they make white paint ‘white.’ However, the coating placed on windows are extremely thin, only about 10 to 25 nanometers or 4 millimeters thick. It only reduces light transmittance by less than 5%.
At Renewal by Andersen® of Northwest Ohio, our replacement windows feature high-performance Low-E4® glass. This glass contains a titanium dioxide exterior coating. While this glass won’t totally clean everything up, it will help reduce the number of times you have to tidy up your windows.
How They Work
Titanium dioxide is a photocatalyst material, meaning it starts chemical reactions when exposed to a certain kind of light. Ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun generates electrons on the titanium coating of a self-cleaning window. These electrons convert water molecules in the air into hydroxyl radicals that produce chemical oxidation on the coating.
Normally, glass is hydrophobic or water-hating. Water that’s dropped onto the glass forms droplets and leave noticeable streaks as it falls down. The hydroxyl radicals from the photocatalysis transform the hydrophobic glass into hydrophilic or water-loving. It makes the water molecules spread and fall out evenly like a sheet. It’s similar to what happens when you run down a rubber squeegee on a window so the glass dries without streaks.
Choose Renewal by Andersen of Northwest Ohio for your window replacement project. Our low-maintenance, long-lasting replacement windows come in various styles, colors and finishes. Call us at (419) 931-6087, or fill out our online form for a free estimate. We work with homeowners in Findlay, OH.
