DSS-R.01.01 — Silicone Smear / Tool-Mark Film

Silicone smear / tool-mark film is an appearance change on glass from uncured/partially cured silicone (or siloxane-rich by-products) deposited during sealant application and tooling at adjacent joints. It presents as optical veils, drag/corduroy tool lines, or finger/pad prints, often with preferential soil capture over time. 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: Treat uncured residues per site safety.

• Linear tool-mark bands parallel to the joint, or arcuate smears from finger/tool cleanup; pads/prints near corners and terminations.
• In specular view: oily/greasy sheen; under raking: soft, sheet-like veil with fine, parallel drag texture where tool passed.
• Often heavier at head/sill interfaces, frame returns, and mock-up bays; may accumulate dust/black streaking with age (“dirty halos”).

Surface-catch class (MSRT)

• Typically SC-0 (film only).
• SC-1 (slight) may occur in aged, soil-loaded smears where residue cross-links with contaminants; SC-2 uncommon.
• Perform one light, non-marring pass on a revealed test patch (substrate) only; polymer stylus if a functional coating is suspected on the worked face. MSRT supports classification only.

Visual signature

• Geometry tracks the joint: straight bands along sealant lines, corduroy/parallel striations in tool direction, finger arcs/ovals at starts/stops.
• No chip-flank sparkle (not mechanical scoring) and no discrete fused nodules/pits (not hot-particle peppering).

Viewing / lighting

• Evaluate clean & dry at 12 / 36 / 72 in, normal incidence and oblique sweep (~60°-120°); raking highlights sheen/drag differences. Record distances/angles in-frame.

Location / access

• Record pane ID and surface numbering (#1-#4; laminate-internal). If fixed parallax indicates a between-pane film (cavity), classify CAT-5 by location (out of in-place scope) and refer.

Mechanism cue (context)

• Evidence of recent sealant work, tooling sticks/finger tooling, masking tape lines, or silicone cleanup; residue strongest adjacent to wet joints.

Assign CAT by visibility impact and MSRT after a controlled reveal on a small, representative area. Depth values are indicative-field measurement not required.

• CAT-1 (Benign / non-relief): Optical veil/print only; SC-0 on clean substrate; visible mainly at angle/raking. Indicative relief: 0-10 μm (optical).
• CAT-2 (Light): Persistent thin film with slight SC-1 on aged/soil-loaded zones; limited impact at standard view. Indicative relief: ~10-40 μm.
• CAT-3 (Moderate): Broader tool-mark bands/dirty halos legible at standard distance with SC-1→SC-2 in worst patches. Indicative relief: ~40-120 μm.
• CAT-4 (Severe): Rare for silicone residue alone; if pronounced matte fields exist, consider mixed chemistry (alkali + siloxane + UV/soiling) and re-evaluate under applicable DSS. 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.

CAT is appearance-based; acceptance is separate under VIS-A at 12/36/72 in. Do not abrade to “force” film removal during classification.

• vs. Butyl/PIB/IG sealant smear (R.01.02): PIB/butyl smears are tackier, darker, and can string; silicone reads oily/iridescent with lighter, clear veils.
• vs. Silane/siloxane migration halo (Ch.06.01): Migration halos align with masonry treatment geometry/weep paths; silicone tool-marks track the joint on the glass face and show corduroy drag.
• vs. Hydrophobic coating mismatch (Ch.06.02): Mismatch shows sharp wetting-behavior edges across open fields; silicone smears sit adjacent to joints with tooling direction visible.
• vs. Mechanical swirls (M.02.01): Swirls display arcs/tracks with edge sparkle; silicone smears are sheet-like veils without chip-flank cues.
• vs. General detergent/soot films (R.04): Those films are broad/uniform and clear more readily at reveal; silicone smears persist in bands/prints near joints.

• Photo set (VIS): 12 / 36 / 72 in, normal + oblique; include raking macros resolving drag/corduroy and finger/tool prints; add context frames (fresh joints, masking, tools). Record distance/angle in-frame.
• MSRT result: One light, non-marring pass on a clean test patch within the smear; record SC-class (SC-0/SC-1/SC-2). Polymer stylus if a functional 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; classification ≠ acceptance. Coated-face appearance rules apply per VIS §6.2.e when the worked surface is a factory functional coating.

• R.01.01 Silicone Smear / Tool-Mark Film - Joint-adjacent veil/drag lines on surface #___; post-reveal test patch reads [SC-0/SC-1]; visible at [12/36/72 in] under VIS geometry. Morphology: oily sheen, corduroy tool marks, finger/pad prints; no chip-flank sparkle, no discrete pepper. Classification: CAT-[1/2/3/4] by visibility and SC-class; CAT-5 if between-pane, integrity cues, or coating-side loss on the surface to be worked. Forms + photo set attached; acceptance per VIS-A §6.