|
|
Customer Service:
Maintenance Tips
Vinyl Windows & Doors Maintenance
Vinyl Windows & Doors
General Information
Vinyl windows and doors offer easy care and maintenance. Vinyl won't pit, peel or chalk over time. As a result, with only simple care and cleaning, your windows and doors can keep their beautiful appearance for years to come.
Care & Cleaning
Like any surface exposed to outside elements, your windows and doors will get dirty from time to time, but cleaning them is a snap. Often, heavy rains will wash the vinyl clean, but if the rain isn't enough, you can restore the original look of the windows and doors by following these simple instructions.
-
Wash using a mild detergent (if necessary) and a soft cloth or ordinary long handled soft bristle brush.Do not wash the windows or doors with a high-pressure spray. The extreme pressure could crack or destroy the caulking around the window or door.
-
For difficult to remove dirt and stains use the readily available household cleaners listed on the chart. Follow the manufacturers instructions on the use of the cleaners.
-
In some cases you may wish to use a mildly abrasive cleaner such as Soft Scrub© , but the use of any abrasive material could scratch the surface of the glass and window or door frame.
-
Do not use liquid grease remover, strong soaps and detergents containing organic solvents, nail polish remover, furniture polish or cleaners containing chlorine bleach. These items could affect the surface appearance of the vinyl.
-
Due to exposure to the elements and ultraviolet radiation, all exterior doors must be maintained on a regular basis. Failure to maintain caulking and painting may void the warranty. As a minimum it is recommended to repaint and re-caulk all joints yearly. A small crack in a joint can lead to significant damage later on.
-
Silicone spray is useful to increase ease of operation for window & door tracks.
What is Condensation?
Condensation is the fog that is evident on the glass of your windows. This is the same fog that appears on the outside of a cold glass during the summer. Condensation is actually the result of high humidity levels in your home. It generally appears as moisture or ice on the interior lite of glass on your window. The problem is more prevalant on the glass of your windows because the surface condenses more visibly. This means that the glass has the lowest temperature of any visible surface in your home. It needs to be noted that if moisture is visible here, it could be happening elsewhere as well. Problems such as peeling paint, rotting wood, mildew or moisture spots are typical symptoms of condensation.
Interior condensation is more likely in the winter months. This happens when moisture in the air contacts a surface with a temperature lower than the dew point (the temperature at which dew forms).
Windows don't cause condensation. Moisture on windows and doors is a symptom of excessive humidity in your home. You notice moisture on windows first because their surface temperature is lower than other visible surfaces in your home.
Newer homes are manufactured more air tight. This leaves the moisture trapped or locked in the home. This means that newer homes leave no outlet for the humidity to escape unless steps have been taken to vent the moisture during construcion.
Your condensation problem may be only a temporary situation. When a new home is built, a great deal of moisture is released from the building materials such as wood or plaster. During the winter months, the moisture will be discharged into your home. This situation usually occurs only during the initial heating season.
You may also see condensation during the initial heating months of the winter. This is simply humidity stored on your home. This symptom should gradually dissipate during the season.
A severe, rapid change in the temperature over a short period of time during the winter will also cause condensation to be evident
Recommended
humidity levels
(at an indoor air temperature of 70° F.)
|
Outside Air
Temperature |
Inside
Relative Humidity for 70° F Indoor air Temperature |
|
-20° or below |
not over
15% |
|
-20° F to
-10°F |
not over
20% |
|
-10° F to 0°
F |
not over
25% |
|
0° F to 10°
F |
not over
30% |
|
10° F to 20°
F |
not over
35% |
|
20° F to 40°
F |
not over
40% |
Ways to reduce humidity in your home:
- Make sure that your home is properly ventilated. One way is to make sure that all appliances requiring a vent are vented properly. This includes items such as clothes' dryers, gas heaters and exhaust fans. Exhaust fans are an excellent way to increase the airflow and reduce humidity. Areas that profit most would be bathrooms and kitchens.
- If you have a humididfier installed, monitor the humidity level and try to keep it within the guidelines listed above.
- If you have a fireplace, open the damper to allow an escape for moisture.
- Air out your house for a few minutes each day. Air out kitchen, laundry and bathrooms during use or just following use.
- Open drapes and blinds to allow warm house air to circulate against the window.
Cleaners To
Remove Stains
From Vinyl Window and Door Frames
|
Stain
|
Cleaning Solution
|
|
Bubble Gum |
Fantastik© , Murphy Oil
Soap© solution of 30% vinegar & 70% water, Windex© |
|
Crayon |
Lestoil©
|
|
DAP (oil based caulk)
|
Fantastik©
|
|
Felt-tip Pen
|
Fantastik© , water based
cleaners |
|
Grass |
Fantastik© , Lysol© ,
Murphy Oil Soap© , Windex© |
|
Lipstick |
Fantastik© , Lysol© ,
Murphy Oil Soap© |
|
Lithium Grease
|
Fantastik© , Lestoil© ,
Murphy Oil Soap© , Windex© |
|
Mold and Mildew
|
Fantastik© , solution of
30% vinegar & 70% water, Windex© |
|
Motor Oil |
Fantastik© , Lysol© ,
Murphy Oil Soap© , Windex© |
|
Oil |
Soft Scrub©
|
|
Paint |
Brillo Pad©
|
|
Pencil |
Soft Scrub©
|
|
Rust |
Fantastik© , Murphy Oil
Soap© , Windex© |
|
Tar |
Soft Scrub©
|
|
Top Soil |
Fantastik© , Lestoil© ,
Murphy Oil Soap© |
|
|