Nick McKees37
McKee's 37 Product Support
- Jan 6, 2011
- 7,265
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Summer is almost here and in Florida, that means lots of rain. Although Florida is known as the "sunshine state", we generally get rained on at least once a day from the month of April through September. The rain takes its toll on more than just our yards, which can usually go two months without being cut during the winter time. During the winter months, I might go a month - maybe two - between car washes. During the summer, it becomes a priority every Sunday. That is, if I can beat the rain.
We never overlook which wax, sealant or coating we use to protect and beautify our paint, but the glass on our vehicle is often treated as the red-headed stepchild. Why? Because it's glass! Polished and sealed glass doesn't enhance the appearance of our cars, shiny paint does! But just like it's important to have some tread on your tires during the rainy season in Florida, polishing and sealing your glass makes driving in the rain safer. Safety and car care? Who would've thought? Griot's Garage, that's who.
Glass Sealant, the newest product from Griot's Garage, was designed to seal glass and provide improved visibility in wet weather. Glass Sealant is a dedicated glass sealant that locks out moisture by creating a hydrophobic surface so virtually nothing can stick to your vehicle's glass - including rain.
Before applying Glass Sealant you want to ensure that you're glass is squeaky clean. Clay if needed using a clay bar designed for glass, such as Diamondite Glasswork Cleansing Clay. If the surface is free of any bonded contaminants, you can go straight to cleaning, which is what I did, using Diamondite Perfect Vision Glass Cleaner along with a Cobra Waffle Weave Glass Towel.
To really make sure the surface was 100% clean and free of any previously applied rain repellents, I used Griot's Garage Paint Prep after cleaning. Paint Prep safely removes any previously applied waxes, sealants or rain repellents. Your glass should be surgically clean before applying any type of glass sealant or rain repellent. You don't apply your treasured Pinnacle Souveran to dirty paint, do you? I didn't think so.
Note: After using Paint Prep I cleaned the glass once again to ensure no residue was left behind.
Another helpful bit of information when working on glass: Make sure that sun is behind a cloud! You never want to clean or seal glass that is hot to the touch.
To apply Glass Sealant I used a Lake Country CCS Gold Jewelling Applicator. These super soft applicators are thick and easy to hold, making them ideal for any tasks that require hands on application.
To put Glass Sealant to ultimate test, I put down a tape line so only half of my windshield would be treated. This way I can test the durability and effectivness of product.
After putting down a tape line I applied a liberal amount of Glass Sealant to the applicator and started working it in.
Can you see why the Lake Country CCS Gold Jewelling Applicator was the obvious choice for this particular job? Although super soft, it's dense enough to provide superior control when working by hand. Plus, it's manufactured by Lake Country so you know it's going to last.
Here you can get an idea of how thick I applied Glass Sealant. I didn't apply it thin, but I didn't goop it on either. Griot's Garage recommends applying two coats to ensure even coverage, which is exactly what I did.
After about five minutes of being applied, Glass Sealant had dried to a light haze and was ready to be removed. What surprised me the most about this product was how effortlessly it wiped off the glass.
This morning, about 14 hours after being applied, this is what the windshield looked like with the morning dew. You can clearly see a difference between the treated and untreated half of the windshield.
Overall I was surprised at how easy to use Griot's Garage Glass Sealant proved to be. Stay tuned as I'll be providing updates on the durability over the course of the next month with pictures and possibly a video.
Griot's Garage Glass Sealant
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