Marina del Rey Windows & Doors with Self-Cleaning Glass
Marina del Rey windows with a self-cleaning coating on the outer glass, tempered insulated units and corrosion-rated frames and hardware, under county review.
Salt film dries onto the outside of glass near the ocean, and a self-cleaning coating fired onto that outer face gives it less to hold on to. Rain or a hose rinse spreads across the coated surface of a Marina del Rey window in a thin sheet that lifts the film and carries it off, while daylight slowly breaks down organic grime on the pane. The glass still needs washing, only less often.
Where the coating earns its place
The coating is a thin layer of titanium dioxide applied at the glass plant, and it works only on the outer face, where sun and water reach it. Its value is highest on panes that are hard to reach, such as fixed glass above a door, upper windows and wide picture units. On a lower sash that is easy to clean, plain glass may serve as well. Inside the same insulated unit, a tempered pane and a low-e layer handle impact, heat and safety glazing. Any cleaner used on the coated face has to be mild, since abrasive pads scratch it.
Frames, hardware and county permits
Window and door replacement here is reviewed and inspected by Los Angeles County building staff, because Marina del Rey lies in unincorporated county territory. Whether the exterior change also needs a coastal permit or an exemption is a county call that turns on the scope, made before building permits issue. Frames are fiberglass or aluminum with a finish rated for corrosive air, rollers ride on sealed bearings, and hinge pins and lock keepers are stainless. Coating, glass, frame and hardware appear opening by opening on the quote.
Windows & Doors in Marina del Rey: common questions
That rule is about heat, and the coating is about upkeep, so they never conflict. A Marina del Rey parcel that appears on the state fire hazard map needs each new window built around a tempered pane in a sealed multipane unit, which our coated units already are. On an unmapped parcel the same pane still earns its place as safety glass beside doors.
Corrosion usually decides. An old aluminum frame pitted at the sill and corners has lost its finish, and an insert would hide that corrosion behind new trim, so the frame comes out with its rusted screws. An aluminum frame whose finish is intact and whose weeps still drain can take an insert carrying the coated glass, and the exterior is left alone.
Doors and sliders used every day lead, since corroded rollers and locks tend to fail first near the ocean. Large fixed panes that are hard to clean follow, because the coating saves the most work there. Windows that still lock and drain well are left for a separate, later round.
Windows & Doors in other cities
More work we do in Marina del Rey
Plan your project in Marina del Rey
Tell us about the house and the windows & doors work. We reply about a walk-through and a written scope.