Glass Doctor Partners with Ronald McDonald House Charities

Glass Doctor is proud to announce that it is supporting Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC) and their efforts to help families with children in hospitals across the United States and Canada.

The partnership is part of an initiative by five service brand concepts in The Dwyer Group® (Aire Serv®, Mr. Appliance®, Mr. Electric® and Mr. Rooter®) to provide a helping hand to Ronald McDonald House locations and the families that rely on them for support during stressful times.

Ronald McDonald House Charities is a non-profit corporation separate from the McDonald’s Corporation that creates, funds and supports programs that directly improve the health and well being of children. RMHC provides houses that are a “home away from home” for families with children being cared for at the most prestigious children’s hospitals in the world.

"Glass Doctor is a natural fit for RMHC because Glass Doctor franchises can provide in-kind services like window repair and replacement to Ronald McDonald houses in their areas," said David Kozlowski of Glass Doctor of Southeastern Wisconsin.

Glass Doctor franchises will also help support RMHC through fundraising efforts, volunteer activities and advocacy.

Auto Glass Certification Training Earns Stamp of Approval

Glass Doctor is one of a kind. It is now the first retail glass company to offer the Auto Glass Replacement Safety Standards (AGRSS) registered training program.

Glass Doctor University (GDU) prepares new Glass Doctor franchises to be registered for AGRSS, as well as certified for adhesives application by DOW and SIKA. Now, this is available to all auto glass shop owners.

To be able to provide this training program, Glass Doctor had to meet four AGRSS training form qualifications. These include retention systems, mechanical training, glass replacement, installation standards and procedures and AGR safety issues.

“We are proud to be one of the first glass retailers to have a registered program, it establishes our credibility, and commitment to AGRSS standards,” said Vice President of Franchise Relations and Training Dan Mock.

GDU provides a four day training program in Waco, Texas conducted by the nation’s top industry leaders. GDU Technical Manager Frank Levesque (pictured), an industry veteran with 40 years of experience, is the lead instructor. He’ll be joined by Denny Noreikas and Dale Malcolm of DOW, along with Blake Brandt and Carl Tompkins of SIKA.

For more information about these classes, or to register for the next class call Glass Doctor corporate headquarters at (800) 490–7051.

Glass Doctor of Abbotsford, BC Ready to Serve Southern Vancouver

The Glass Doctor of Abbotsford franchise owned by Peter Christen and Darren Cox is now open and ready to “fix your panes!” in the southern Vancouver area. Glass Doctor of Abbotsford offers mobile residential, automotive, and commercial glass services. Located at 2770 Garden St., Unit #102, the showroom and shop are open 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday through Friday and 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday. Emergency service is available after regular business hours.

“We’re pleased to be a part of Glass Doctor, we know it will help us expand our business,” Christen said. “We want to introduce the Glass Doctor customer service system to Abbotsford, as well as offer Milgard Windows, which have a lifetime guarantee.”

How to Safely Remove Ice from Windshields

Glass Doctor has a better way to safely remove ice from windshields and auto glass. Gradually heat the glass from the inside while scraping and brushing ice from the outside.

1. Check to make sure no ice or snow is obstructing the vehicle’s tailpipe. If it is covered, the ice or snow must be removed to prevent the possibility of carbon monoxide poisoning inside the vehicle.
2. If the car door is frozen shut with ice, pour cold water to gradually melt the ice and use a plastic ice scraper to carefully chip a crack in the ice around the door seal and the lock. Do not try to “unseal” the door by using a hair dryer, cigarette lighter, ice pick, screwdriver, propane torch or portable heater.
3. Start the vehicle and use the defroster setting to warm the glass. Wait at least five minutes for the car to start to warm up.
4. Use a plastic ice scraper and a soft plastic bristle brush or broom to clear the ice. A squeegee also helps.

There are de-icing products on the market that may shorten the time it takes to melt the ice, but they have mixed results. The most important thing is to plan some extra time to remove the ice before traveling. Glass Doctor can fix the glass if it breaks, but can’t fix people if they get hurt.

Ice Removal Myth #1 - Boiling Water

Myth: Pour hot water on the windshield and/or auto glass to melt the ice. Make sure to cover the ice completely.

Reality: It's not just the ice that's frozen, the glass is frozen as well. When an extreme temperature change happens, the glass shatters. The same thing can happen if you start your car, wait a couple minutes for it to warm up, and then turn the defroster on high heat full blast. The interior side of the glass is frozen too. This is especially true if there is already a chip in the windshield glass. That chip will run into a crack fast.

For all you science geeks, you probably know that glass is a unique state of matter, it is called a "liquid solid." That means even though it looks solid, it still has some properties of a liquid, especially expanding and contracting with the air temperature. Glass also has no insulating properties - it lets heat and cold pass right through. That's why your home can get condensation, because a single-pane window will have the same outside temperature on the inside. That cold temperature of the glass can take water vapor out of the indoor air and turn it into condensation on the glass. Double-pane insulated windows prevent condensation and save energy costs.

So you got a 2-for-1 deal today - you learned why windshields crack due to temperature changes and why single-pane windows produce condensation. As a full-service glass shop, Glass Doctor can help fix both of those panes.

Tulsa Police target unsecured loads | KJRH.com

John Vestring of Glass Doctor of Tulsa, OK was featured in this TV news story about windshield damage caused by gravel from unsecured loads. Glass Doctor can repair many windshield chips before they turn into cracks. Most windshield chip repairs are free to the customer when filed with insurance. However, if the chip turns into a crack, the windshield must be replaced. That usually costs $200 - $400, which is less than most deductible limits people carry on their auto insurance. So watch out for those gravel trucks and get chips repaired quickly.

Tulsa Police target unsecured loads KJRH.com

Posted using ShareThis

New Texas Law Requires Safety Compliance Sticker on Tinted Car Windows

A new law went into effect in Texas that requires a label to be posted on all aftermarket glass certifying that it complies with the law that limits the thickness of car window tint to greater than 25 percent light transmission.

Glass Doctor of Amarillo was featured in a story on KFDA NewsChannel 10 to talk about how glass shops can help customers comply with the new law.

New Law Requires Safety Compliance Sticker on Tinted Windows - KFDA - NewsChannel 10 / Amarillo, TX: newschannel10.com