Q & A Windows ’96

When Ed Quiroga isn’t playing the role of Judas in the Crystal Cathedral’s annual extravaganza “The Glory of Easter,” the 42-year-old Anaheim native dons 501s and a T-shirt for his day job: washing and maintaining the cathedral’s 13,000 panes of tempered safety glass. Home to the Rev. Robert Schuller’s televised “Hour of Power,” the cathedral, built in Garden Grove in 1980, demands that Quiroga wield tools a bit more potent than Windex and wads of paper towels .

How tall’s the cathedral?

One hundred twenty-eight feet and change.

How often do you wash the windows?

Once a year.

How big’s your crew?

Six guys total. We’ve got a 100-ton crane with a 264-foot boom. It can take a basket with five guys in it.

How long does it take to do all those windows?

Five days total, 10 to 12 hours a day.

How do you deal with streaks?

We spray deionized water with ammonia mixed in so it doesn’t water spot. We hose, scrub, rinse and it dries clean.

Suds?

No suds.

How big are the squeegees?

As short as 8 feet, as long as 16.

Has Rev. Schuller ever shouted “You missed a spot” from the pulpit? No, I don’t recall him going up in the washing crane either, but he’ll come by and check on things. He can be a sport.

Any unusual problems?

Crows on top of the Tower of Hope pick up rocks--it’s their natural m.o., they think they’re walnuts--and drop them on the church. I’d take a shot at them, but first of all I’d go to jail, and second I’d break the glass.

Is it hard to juggle the roles of Judas and head rigger? It can be a strain. Once when an angel got stuck during the finale, I had to run offstage, drop my robes and get her down.