scratched glass - acid etchingAcid Etching, also known as 'Dabbing', is a different form of scratch graffiti that has started to become more commonplace over the last few years.  It is marked on glass using glass etching products, all of which contain acid.

These products are easily purchased from craft stores.  In most cases, the etching acid (containing Hydrofluoric acid and other harmful substances) is transferred into empty bingo dabbers and used in the same manner as a maker pen.  Once applied, it does not show immediately, but burns into the glass over a short period of time.  The longer the acid remains on the glass, the deeper it corrodes the glass.

If your shop front is subjected to acid etching, DO NOT touch the glass with your bare hands. Using rubber gloves and lots of warm, soapy water, wash the affected areas thoroughly.

Repair Solutions: for large areas or multiple units

If you have a large area or multiple units to repair, our advice would be to call a professional glass polisher. As they say, time is money and this includes your time.

It would be misleading to try and give a general cost of repair on a website as each scratched glass situation is different, but for large areas of scratched glass or for multiple units, services of a qualified glass polisher offer genuine savings, often in excess of 80%, on the cost of replacing scratched windows and doors.

For areas greater than 50 sheets of A4 we would recommend you ask for a senior technician to visit your site to assess the works required and provide a written quote. 

The Cost Effective Option. On paper, professional glass polishers are not the cheapest glass polishers on the market, but the reality is that a Guild qualified glass polisher will repair a least twice the area than that advertised by most others othering scratched glass repair services. This makes our members extremely cost effective and our members are still the only glass polishers able to guarantee distortion free repairs.

 Repair Solutions: for small areas or single units

For smaller areas or for single unit repairs, employing a professional glass polisher may not be the most cost effective option.  You might find that a D.I.Y Scratched Glass Repair Kit would be a more cost effective option for you. 

A quick note about D.I.Y Kits. There are a number of kits on the internet that claim to remove scratches from glass. Please be careful. Kits with just a felt pad and polishing compound will not remove anything other than very, very fine hairline scratches. The same can be said for kits containing 'Jewlers Rouge', polishing powder, usually pink, which you mix with water.