Water – nothing can resist it. But what does that mean for your glass?

Ever noticed drops of dew hanging off the tips of grass in the morning? Or water droplets sticking to the glass after a shower? If so, you’ve witnessed adhesion; the tendency of water molecules to be attracted to other substances – so important for both plants and people.

But what does that mean for your glass?

The relationship between water and glass is multi-faceted and the results of their interactions depend on numerous parameters. Water, by nature, is attracted to other substances. The water molecule has charged poles in the same sense that a magnet does and sticks to other substances and surfaces in a similar way, attaching with it any minerals and dirt carried in the water.

Yet EnduroShield can resist it. Unlike traditional water repellents that use a weaker hydrogen bond, EnduroShield forms a strong covalent bond with the surface. Cross-linking takes place to modify the surface’s properties. The EnduroShield coating bonds to the microscopic hills and valleys of the glass as opposed to filling them in like many competitor products do. An advantage is that the glass is less slippery and easier to handle. Furthermore – silicone, seals, clamps, and suction lifting devices are able to adhere to the surface. Competitive coatings that fill in the surface can reduce the ability for adhesives to create or maintain a bond, and require taping and/or edge deletion prior to application. As EnduroShield does not require edge deletion it does not have this added labour cost to apply and remove these barriers.

The high round water beads on the glass perfectly demonstrates EnduroShield’s superior water repellency. EnduroShield repels almost all known contaminants contained in water that are likely to soil, stain, or etch a glass substrate. When factory applied, EnduroShield provides a true performance warranty, that it will remain water repellent with a bead angle greater than 70 degrees, which we accept as a minimum measurement for an easy to clean surface.

Some factory applied coatings claim they will last the distance, but only warrant that they will remain more water repellent than untreated glass. Untreated glass is measured at a low angle of approximately 15 degrees. These coatings therefore do not hold themselves to a minimum water repellency measurement, and often require unrealistic daily cleaning tasks to be performed or revitaliser products to be purchased in order to maintain the coating and the warranty. This is why not all products and warranties are the same.