DSS-Ch.02.01 — Cement / Mortar Slurry Etch (high pH)

Cement/mortar slurry etch is alkaline (high-pH) attack on the exposed glass surface from wet cement, mortar, grout, or concrete slurry. It presents as flow-organized films, splash/fleck constellations, and, after drying, may leave alkali/silicate reaction haze or chalky crusts; prolonged dwell can produce subsurface micro-texture (etch). Classification is appearance-only per VIS (method-agnostic). Inspect after Non-Invasive Reveal under VIS lighting/geometry; record surface numbering and worked-surface status on Forms: Handle fresh residues per site safety.

• Vertical sheets/runs beneath concrete or masonry work; edge pooling at gaskets/sills; speckled splash near mixing/cleanup zones.
• After reveal: opaque or opalescent haze, sometimes with powdery/chalky residue at run edges; grainy micro-texture in raking light where etch formed.
• May coexist with efflorescence on adjacent masonry or with sand fines embedded at the surface.

Surface-catch class (MSRT)

• SC-0 when a residual film only remains (no relief) and clears with reveal.
• SC-1 (slight) to SC-2 (clear) where alkaline etch produced micro-texture; single light, non-marring pass only; polymer stylus if a coating is suspected. MSRT supports classification only.

Visual signature

• Flow-organized geometry (sheets/legs/pools) with soft to granular boundaries; interiors can show milky haze.
• Under raking: grainy, modeled micro-texture (not linear scoring); no discrete fused nodules (separates from hot-particle damage).

Viewing / lighting

• Evaluate clean & dry at 12 / 36 / 72 in, normal incidence and oblique sweep (~60°-120°) with raking light to resolve grain and edge buildup; document distances/angles in-frame.

Location / access

• Record pane ID and surface numbering (#1-#4; laminate-internal). If fixed parallax shows a between-pane condition, classify CAT-5 by location and refer.

Mechanism cue (context)

• Nearby concrete pours, masonry pointing/grouting, cutting or slurry cleanup, or rain-driven runoff from fresh cementitious work.

Assign CAT by appearance + MSRT + morphology (three-part cueing). Depth ranges are indicative-measurement not required.

• CAT-1 (Benign / non-relief): Film only, clears at reveal; SC-0; visible mainly in raking at close/standard. Indicative relief: 0-10 μm.
• CAT-2 (Light): Subtle etched field with SC-1; grainy micro-texture apparent in raking; limited impact at standard view. Indicative relief: 10-40 μm.
• CAT-3 (Moderate): SC-2 across flow bands; grainy frost legible at standard distance; edge build-ups well defined. Indicative relief: 40-120 μm.
• CAT-4 (Severe): Pronounced matte/frosted sheets/legs; possible crust islands or aggregate fines impressions; distinct at standard & wide-field. Indicative relief: 120-300 μm+.
• CAT-5 (by condition/location): Between-pane/inaccessible by parallax, integrity indicators (active cracks, pane movement), or confirmed functional-coating loss on the surface to be worked → CAT-5 (out of in-place scope).

CAT is appearance-based; acceptance is separate under VIS-A at 12/36/72 in. Do not “probe” with MSRT.

• vs. HCl brick-wash fallout (Ch.01.02): HCl runs show cleaner frost with sharper run edges and often rusted metals nearby; alkaline slurry leaves chalky/grainy residue and milky haze.
• vs. Organic-acid footprints (Ch.01.03): Biogenic patches are localized, organic shapes with pool centers; slurry forms sheeting/splash patterns aligned with work zones.
• vs. Mechanical scoring (M.01): Scoring is linear with chip-flank sparkle; alkaline etch shows non-directional grain with flow geometry.
• vs. Residue films (R-family): Detergent/mud films remove at reveal and remain SC-0; etched areas persist with SC-class > 0.
• vs. Coating anomalies (Co-family): Coating rub/patchiness gives sheen/color shift but no etched relief; on a worked coated surface, any anomaly is not permitted at acceptance (VIS §6.2.e).

• Photo set (VIS): 12 / 36 / 72 in, normal + oblique; include raking macros resolving grain and run edges; add context frames showing cement/masonry source and runoff path. Record distance/angle in-frame.
• MSRT result: One light, non-marring pass on a representative field/run edge; record SC class (SC-0/1/2). Prefer polymer stylus if a coating is suspected.
• Forms: Pane ID; product family & surface numbering; worked surface Y/N; functional coating present on worked surface? (Y/N/Unknown); reveal status; lighting/time; geometry checklist; photos attached.
• Acceptance split: Post-restoration acceptance per VIS-A §6 at 12/36/72 in; classification ≠ acceptance. Coated-face appearance rules apply per VIS §6.2.e.

• Ch.02.01 Cement/Mortar Slurry Etch (high pH) - Flow-organized etched field with [SC-1/SC-2] on surface #___, visible at [12/36/72 in] under VIS geometry after Non-Invasive Reveal. Morphology: sheets/runs/splash with grainy micro-texture; no chip-flank sparkle. Classification: CAT-[2/3/4] by relief/visibility; CAT-5 if between-pane, integrity cues, or coating-side loss on the surface to be worked. Forms + photo set completed; acceptance per VIS-A §6 (separate).