Glass Protection Services for Hotels: What Facility Managers Should Know

When you work in hospitality, the environment demands constant monitoring and maintenance. This includes lobby glazing, shower cubicles and atrium canopies. These surfaces represent about half of the glass that faces the public and they make the first impression on your guests. By choosing a glass coating ecosystem like ClearShield, facility managers can slash maintenance costs by 50%. This is proven by installations in the Grand Hotel Tijuana, Jury’s Inn Hotel Heathrow and other premium establishments worldwide.

Why Glass Deteriorates Faster in Hospitality Environments

Hotels see different occupants every day. For example, hotel lobbies accumulate many fingerprints along with the oils and dirt from the palms of guests who touch the glass in their lobbies. Hotel atriums also trap moist air. This leads to condensation on the surface of unprotected glass, which weakens the silicate network.

Moreover, most hotels are located in city centers or near seashores. This exposes them to traffic pollutants or high humidity. The chemical reaction between these factors and the glass components breaks the surface down over time. This turns the glass cloudy and unusable. 

If no steps are taken, your glass panels might need replacing very soon, like every 3 to 5 years instead of 10 or more. To be more cost-effective and think long-term, we would suggest you invest in glass protective surface treatments like ClearShield which can turn glass into a chemically inert surface. 

What Are Glass Protection Services?

Let us explain this concept with the help of a metaphor. You are familiar with screen protectors for phones, correct? Imagine that glass protection is similar to a shield. It can either sit on top of the glass or bond with it to permanently smoothen microscopic pits within (like ClearShield). Applied to a clean sheet of glass either during processing, at the construction site or during renovation (to old glass already on a building), glass protection services help in preventing grime build-up and glass deterioration. 

Types of Glass Protection Solutions Used in Hotels

Prominently, there are two types of protection solutions commonly used in hotels for glass protection: 

1. Nano Coatings: Under a microscope, glass has a honeycomb lattice. Nano coatings act like cement covering a cracked footpath. They go on top of the glass as a thin shield to make the surface smooth and hydrophobic. Because this is a layer sitting on top of the glass, it can peel or fade over time and requires regular reapplication every few years.

2. ClearShield Polymeric Resin Coating: ClearShield is a superior solution because it does not just sit on top of the glass. It follows the natural contours of the glass and forms a permanent covalent bond. This unique cross-linking property creates ClearShield Eco-Glass whose surface is non-stick and chemically inert. Since it integrates with the glass, there is no top layer that can wear off over time.

Disclaimer: While ClearShield is a possible permanent solution to glass protection, it does require regular maintenance in the form of weekly cleanings like any other product. If not properly maintained, we can only offer a warranty of 10 years. For example, at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok, our ClearShield Eco-Glass™ is working perfectly even if it was installed about 18 years ago. 

When Should Hotels Consider Glass Restoration Before Protection?

Let’s go back to the screen protector metaphor. If you just bought a new phone and made your first visit to the service center to install a screen protector, you will notice that they will just remove the thin plastic covering on the phone and directly install the case without any cleaning. However, if you’re replacing an existing screen protector, they will first remove the current slab, clean it with a microfiber cloth and appropriate solutions before carefully depositing the new screen protector. The same logic applies to glass in hotels and other facilities. Your existing glass might have tiny cracks, foggy spots and years-old hard water stains that won’t let your new coat stick properly. If you skip the restoration, your shield won’t work as promised. Thus, we highly recommend an end-to-end solution like our ClearShield Ecosystem, where we handle everything from glass renovation on-site to installation and regular maintenance tests to ensure your glass is being protected as promised. 

The Ideal Glass Protection Process for Hotels

Glass protection usually starts with renovating the existing glass on-site, and that begins with:

1. Assessment: Professionals use their equipment to test how damaged the surface is from pollutants, calcium carbonate deposits (hard water stains) and moisture in the air. They also check how shiny the glass is at different angles and whether water beads up or rolls down the surface. This helps them identify which parts are dirtier, especially for hotels or facilities more exposed to rain or near the coast.

2. Cleaning: Unfortunately, cleaning with a microfiber cloth won’t cut it when we are renovating a glass on-site. Professionals use special chemicals to remove limescale deposits and grime build-up. It is recommended you take their help since they will clean the glass gently without any damage to its surface. 

3. Activation: After cleaning, they wipe the surface with pure isopropyl alcohol to leave it spotless and prepare the surface for coating.

4. Application: The professionals then apply the specialized glass protection coating and depending on the solution chosen, you might have to wait for 24 to 48 hours before it fully hardens and bonds with the glass. 

5. Validation: Good glass protection services go out of their way to check in and  cross-verify that the glass surface, post-protection, repels water and dust and that there are no defects in the coating applied. 

Benefits for Facility Managers

Choosing a glass protection service provides several key advantages.

• Reduces frequency of cleaning and equipment usage by 50%

• Cleaner-looking glass promotes a better image of the hotel establishment and boosts ratings due to a positive impression on the guests. 

• Cost-effective, on-site renovation and protection solutions like our ClearShield Eco-Glass are almost permanent in their effects. 

Conclusion

Glass protection turns hotel headaches of keeping glass clean every day into easier weekly cleaning protocols. Dirty windows and showers will no longer be your biggest problem as a facility manager if you choose a good glass protection service. You can also sleep better with fewer cleaning costs and happier guests. 

We highly recommend you check out our ClearShield Eco-Glass on one set of glass panes and see the results for yourself. We are confident that you’ll implement it for your entire hotel next.