Anyone used Vistec Ltd - self-clean window coating?

[Pete Zahut]

As subject line really. Vistec do a window coating that is the next-best-thing to true self-cleaning glass, ie, Pilkington Activ - or so they say. Any "real life" experiences from the folks here?

TIA

[Pete Zahut]

Doh, should have included the link

[Dave Liquorice]

Any different to Rain-X?

[The Wanderer]

Snake oil?

[Adam Aglionby]

Definately differnt from RainX which is more like a wax.

Tried this stuff, or something similar, good while back getting cleared by one of the sheds, remember the requirement to use a non alkaline window cleaner directly before application. Application south facing windows reasonably busy main road, result, actually pretty good, as it claims build up of grime in dry washes off in rain or by hose, seemed to be effective into a couple of years anyway.

Adam

[Steve Firth]

Rain-X is nothing like a wax, it's a silane coupling agent. The silane bonds to the windscreen leaving hydrophobic CH3 groups on show to the atmosphere. These repel water making it bead and run off in a similar way to the ffect of having a well-waxed finish.

But it's not a wax.

The chemical bond between the silane and glass is the reason that the glass needs to be chemically clean before applying the rain-X.

[Dave Liquorice]

Which is what made me think this Vistec coating may well be very similar= , the description certainly is. A kit of RainX cleaner and solution is probably a lot cheaper than this coated glass. You will need some elbow =

grease and time though.

I was always suspicious of the claims for RainX until they had the kit i= n CostCo for about =A38. What the hell I thought I hate smeary windscreens= so bought it and applied. Very impressed, it does wear where the wipers wip= e in a couple of years but the second clean/application is easier than the= first.

[Pete Zahut]

Thanks for the replies guys. The only reason I allowed the salesman in was that they reckon that you can now get a government grant for it. We live in a "standard" 1960's 3-bed semi-detached dormer (chalet) bungalow and the window coating would be £2,500GBP without a grant or £1,500GBP with a grant!!!!!

Needless to say, I didn't take up the offer - £1,500 pays for a lot of window cleaner man-hours :o)

[Jon]

My wife and I, had our windows treated a couple of years ago by Vistec. We live on the Fyl= de coast and suffered terrible problems with the salt and the sand deposits on our win= dows, particularly when there were high winds or heavy rainfall. A neighbour of ours= had already had this treatment put on their glass (ClearSheen of Shield I think its ca= lled) and they always looked gleaming, so we asked him how he got them so clean all the t= ime, and he gave us a card and brochure from Vistec. They were local so we thought we'd h= ave a look and see what they could offer, as we really didn=E2=80=99t want to be nosey a= nd quiz our neighbour on costs. Their chap came out (Les) and presented the product we were very impressed, he offere= d us a very good subsidy on the product due to bulk ordering of the chemicals I think he s= aid, and he asked for an honest recommendation letter once the work was complete. Whi= ch we did! To date we are over the moon with it and would certainly recommend them. Quality isn't= cheap and it was money very well spent, we received a 10yr written guarantee to back up= the easy-clean claims. We have had to hose the windows down about 4 or 5 times during dry spells and they have co= me up like new, and with our typical British weather it's like having our windows clea= ned every other day. =

Mr. J.Lee. Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire.

url:

[Tony Bryer]

Would this be Vistec Ltd. To quote the Companies House website

VISTEC LTD

2ND FLOOR 145-157 ST.JOHN STREET LONDON EC1V 4PY Company No. 05901213

Status: Active - Proposal to Strike off Date of Incorporation: 09/08/2006

Country of Origin: United Kingdom Company Type: Private Limited Company Nature of Business (SIC(03)):

7487 - Other business activities Accounting Reference Date: 31/08 Last Accounts Made Up To: (NO ACCOUNTS FILED) Next Accounts Due: 09/06/2008 OVERDUE Last Return Made Up To: 09/08/2007 Next Return Due: 06/09/2008 OVERDUE

[nathan colwell]

Hi sounds very expensive to me, there is a company in London called Ncpm247 who use hyd= rophobic nanoparticle pure water system that works in the same way. They charge arou= nd =C2=A3150 for a large house, the system is unique the them and lasts for three years= plus. They are window cleaners and use a producy they call Hydrostorme that when appl= ied to glass forms a hydrophobic barrier, and glass becomes very low maintenance. vi= sit them here at

[Steve Firth]

Let me guess... they're absolutely no relation to the ncpm247 mentioned in your email address are they?

[JimK]

mmm

and I quote:-

"Vistec self cleaning windows formular is inspired by Prince Charles and won top award on tomorrows world."

....strangely the Vistec webs(h)ite is down for maintenance (maybe to add "Mr Lee's" somewhat over-glowing recommendation??)

....thanks to Google's cache some old gems are still available....

JimK

[geoff]

Why are these spammers all so terminally stupid ?

[Owain]

Because if they had more brains they'd be working in McD's.

Owain

[simian66]

Surely the term "spam" would refer to links and comments with no relevance to the forum, made purely for increased traffic? The comments made are relevant to the discussion and the coment is not misleading, if someone has a website or company that has a product or service that is relevant to a particular discussion and wants to share it, this is not spam. I cant write much more, I have to get back to flipping burgers.

Kind regards

Terminally stupid

[michael adams]

Yeah right.

Like Big Ears can't afford to pay a window cleaner.

He probably makes his own shoes out of old car tyres, as well.

michael adams

..

[Steve Firth]

Heck just look at that, a change of email address in the From: line but it's still the cluelessly stupid spammer who is now arguing that his spam isn't spam. That's ummm tired old tactic #3 of spammers isn't it? Just after the initial spam and the habitual telling of lies.

Of course being terminally stupid, the spammer forgets that he started his spam by pretending to provide an unsolicited testimonial for his hown products, "there is a company in London" was how it started and "they are" and "they call" and "visit them" was how it continued. The rest of us, presumably, are supposed to be so stupid that we don't remember something posted just two days ago.

[JimK]

er yes....

The

erm but this is UK DIY (clue is in the description of the forum)?

your relevant "coments" are rather obviously an attempt (piss poor) at advertising your product/service by use of a fake recommendation by you posing as one of your customers - FFS! :>))))

That you then attempt to justify your hapless attempt at E-commerce by changing the name on your next post from the same email address amused me sufficiently to type this out in longhand for you (in anticipation of more gems forthcoming)

mmm I expect you're marginally better at that than you are in "murketing" or "bizness promoshun"

Cheers JimK

[Peter Parry]

Be fair, at least he didn't "Just come across this amazing new site" as most of them claim.

Its also seemingly a homeopathic glass treatment as "hydrophobic nanoparticle pure water" in order to be pure must contain nothing else. Perhaps his snakewater works by remembering a passing acquaintance it once had with a friendly nanoparticle?

The explanation is certainly amusing -

"think of purified water as water that is in an unnatural state of being, it would make sense that the water would be attracted to returning to its natural state of being. Purified water is "uncomfortable" being purified and it wants to return to the trace elements that are found in water." Homeopathic window cleaning !!