When you purchase new windows or doors, whether it be PVCu or aluminum you are not buying a product that has no maintenance, you are buying a low maintenance product, there is a difference.

Showing my age, I remember a time when everyone had single glazed timber windows and doors, in the winter the glass ran with condensation, which often froze on the pane when the temperature dropped below 0, we always had drafts because the windows didn’t have very good seals, doors swelled and you often had to kick them shut or to open them, then in the summer you had the job every couple of years of stripping off the old degraded paint, to prime the window before painting again, hinges and locks were cleaned down with a wire brush, then lubricated so that they didn’t rust or seize up. This unrelenting laborious process was very costly if you paid a decorator to do the work, so most people didn’t as they couldn’t afford to, so they did the work themselves, normally in spring or summer during their annual vacation.

People had less holiday time for going away, houses were colder, living conditions where harsher, and homes were less secure.

Rolling forward the clock, today we are used to the benefits that the products provide, but what people seem not to understand is that these products, no matter how good they are in comparison still require maintenance, this blog is designed to inform people of what you will need to do so your products last longer, work more efficiently, which will ultimately mean that you will not be replacing them again in the near future.

What you need to do.

Clean the frames, glass and handles with warm soap water
Brush out the build up of atmospheric grime from your locks and hinges
Lubricate locks, hinges, handles and door barrels ideally with a silicone
Use a silicone spray on the gaskets, internally and externally

Clients have come to us who have had their products installed for years, yet have never lubricated any of their locks, which have corroded only to expect the damaged parts to be covered under the product warranty, they are then shocked to discover that due to negligence that they are not covered and it’s going to cost money to source new parts, the most common reply is that no-one told me I had to. A warranty is not a service and maintenance package, failure to undertake basic maintenance can leave you with products that are unfit for use, as well as leaving you without a product warranty claim. Top quality engineered handles, hinges and locks have been tested to perform under severe weather conditions, but they have limitations, please remember this.

Realistic can offer an individual service and maintenance package, so that you can enjoy your products for longer at a small annual fee.