Pilkington Activ, hailed by the manufacturer as ‘The World’s
first self cleaning glass’, offers the ultimate answer to
cleaning windows, especially those difficult to reach high
risers. But are there any real benefits to public sector
specifiers?

When Pilkington first launched what has been the Holy Grail of
glassmakers - glass that helps to keep itself clean - scepticism
was often the initial response from customers, especially around
April. The second reaction, once convinced that this was indeed
a serious proposition, is for a keen fascination with the
concept, with market research also showing that window cleaning
is in the top three of the nation’s most hated chores.

The key element of Pilkington
Activ self-cleaning glass is a microscopically thin,
transparent coating of titanium oxide. Knowledge of the
properties of this compound in relationship to glass has been
widely available for as long as 20 years. However, it is the
on-line application of the coating that has been patented by
Pilkington technologists.

Developed in the UK by Pilkington plc at the company’s
Research & Development Centre in Lancashire and launched
following extensive field and laboratory testing, Pilkington
Activ will continuously clean the external surfaces of windows
by harnessing the two natural elements of ultra violet light and
rain. The dual action of Pilkington Activ uses a special,
permanent hard coating that continuously reacts with ultra
violet light from daylight to break down organic deposits of
dirt, with a secondary action that causes rain to flow down the
glass in an even sheet to wash the deposits away.

Pilkington Activ was launched in the UK in September 2000,
initially to private home improvement sector. Uptake has
been steady, despite the British double glazing market being
notoriously conservative, increasing numbers of companies are
realising the benefits of offering their customers an intriguing
product, and which offers the ultimate low maintenance home
improvement.

A number of social landlords have also seen the advantages, in
terms of the reduced maintenance benefits of the product,
and as a means of satisfying ever more stringent Health & Safety
regulations, and potential legal claims. A sheltered housing
development for the elderly in Normanby, Cleveland, for example,
was installed with Pilkington Activ principally as a
maintenance solution when the existing timber windows were
replaced last year. The three large blocks of three storey
maisonettes previously required a costly window-cleaning
programme, as the elderly residents were largely unable to carry
out the cleaning themselves. The original plan for the
refurbishment was to fit tilt-and-turn style windows, but it was
decided that even with these the residents would not be able to
carry out their own cleaning. Pilkington Activ was chosen to
resolve the problem, installed in conventional-style frames that
were also considerably cheaper to replace.

The Places for People Group (PfP) specified Pilkington Activ for
other reasons at Briary Court in Clayton Brook, Preston, a group
of flats owned and maintained by the organisation. During a
window replacement programme, urgent attention was also
required for a conservatory that provided a lounge for
the residents. However, such was the design of the structure
that it posed a particularly difficult and hazardous cleaning
problem, as much of the glass area was completely inaccessible
by conventional means. The glass had always presented a problem
for cleaning, in terms of cost and potential hazard and PfP
decided to use the opportunity to resolve the problem for good
by installing self-cleaning glass.

As whole of life cost calculations are now increasingly the
norm, then so Pilkington Activ is creating a demand in the
public sector. In fact it is largely the interest from RSIs that
has caused Pilkington to look far more closely at the sector,
and the company is now fully focused on the specific needs of
local authorities and housing associations.

In addition to residential accommodation, Pilkington has now
developed commercial solutions for curtain walling
projects and similar applications. Pilkington Activ is now
fully tested in combination with solar control glass, Pilkington
Suncool, in various colours and offering a range of performance
options. Possible applications are now considerably extended to
more typical commercial buildings, offering greater potential
for reduction of maintenance cost and risk, whilst also simply
keeping buildings looking cleaner, for longer.