Maintaining Your Aluminum Windows and Doors

On many of the condominium restoration projects I come across, many windows and doors must be replaced due to neglecting normal maintenance. This maintenance is fairly inexpensive and can extend the life of your doors and windows by many years. The most important issue once you have purchased any new product is to take care of it. Scott Toler, President of Aluminum Design Products, Inc. advises, “If proper maintenance is performed, aluminum products can last you a life time; one does not purchase a new car and not service it (at least without the expectation of it to fail).”

Once you have your new doors, at least two times a year, follow this easy procedure. These steps can also be used to maintain aluminum shutters.

Maintaining Frames:

• Use a mixture of mild dish soap and water to clean your window and door frames
• Always remember to test your cleaning solution on a small inconspicuous spot first
• Use clear water to rinse the frames completely
• Wipe dry with a soft cloth
• Vacuum and clean tracks
• Make sure weep holes are not blocked
• Be sure to check the weather-stripping and other hardware.

Never do the Following on Frames. It Could Void Your Warranty:

• Never use a razor blade, putty knife, or abrasive pad to clean frames
• Never use petroleum based, abrasive, or caustic cleaners. This can cause damage to the finish of the frame
• Never use oil-based lubricants or damage the weep hole covers
• Do not attach anything to the window or glass unless it is approved by the manufacturer.

Cleaning Glass:

• Wash out the sill tracks with fresh water.
• Wash aluminum products with mild soap and a cotton rag.
• Rinse the exterior: glass, aluminum, locks, and wheels.
• Make sure that the sill track drains, i.e., once water goes into the system, you can see it leaving.
• Use silicone spray on the locks and wheels. This keeps them working like new and slows the salt from destroying them.
• Use a petroleum jelly on the gaskets. This slows the sun from drying them out.
• Use a “RainX” type of product on the glass. This does not let the water drops show and helps keep the salt from sticking.

Cleaning Screens:

• First remove screens
• Wash screens on a flat surface
• Use mild soap and water with a soft bush
• Rise with clear water
• Wipe dry and reinstall

Never do the Following on Glass or Screens: Any of the Following Could Void Your Warranty:

• Never wash in direct sunlight
• Never use petroleum based, abrasive, or caustic chemicals on your glass or screens. It could damage the finish or the glass
• Never use a razor blade, putty knife or abrasive pad to clean glass
• Never use high-pressure spray nozzle when rinsing your windows after washing

In addition to the steps listed above, you should also check all the moving parts to all shutters, windows and doors. There are several companies that offer service contracts or you can hire them for periodic service calls to maintain the moving parts. However, there are several things that a handy owner can do themselves. In South Florida we all live in a stale air environment, which is very harsh on our windows, doors, and shutters. Monthly, all tracks should be vacuumed, and a small brush should be used to loosen up debris that will cause damage to the tracks and wheels. Tracks and wheels should be lubricated regularly. Sliding glass doors and screens can be adjusted for height to make sure that they fit properly.

The last part is every bit as important as the actual maintenance paragraph above: keep a record. The record needs only to keep track of date of maintenance and what was performed. As an owner of new aluminum products, this record keeping will make getting warranty work done a whole lot easier. Many warranties require that this maintenance be done regularly.

You must remember when windows and doors become hard to open or windows do not seem to want to stay open, there is something wrong. It is not just that they are getting old. It takes much more than a little Windex to take care of your window and sliding glass door if you want them to last decades.