So, we just got an environmental upgrade to the windows in our house. Replacing 60 year old single pane windows with high tech double pane. I watched the workers removing the old windows. They would score the windows with glass cutters and then tap, tap, tap at the score lines to break the glass along the lines, then they would make a small hole (smash) in the glass so that they could remove large pieces of glass. I assume that this is for our (the resident home owners’) benefit. Controlled break and removal versus a big smash, tinkle, tinkle, sweep and vacuum, although the number of times a glass chunk got dropped into the house instead of out, and the number of glass shards I’ve found with my eyes or my feet…

Anyhoo, my idea is this: cover the glass with an adhesive film. Wide tape or something more specialized. Maybe like the shrink wrap extra insulation film that 3M used to (still does?) make but that adheres directly to the glass. Or special quick dry paint/coating. Then smash it. Instead of a half hour of score, tap, tap; five minutes of careful tape application and one second with a crowbar or other tool. Hmm, if you do the heat/shrink wrap at that point it might wrap itself about all the glass sandwiched between 2 layers and then you wouldn’t get loose bits (small shards and dust) at the edges of the film when you remove it from the window frame.

So, quicker and hopefully cleaner and safer window deinstallation. What do you think?