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Advice
General Maintenance
Lubrication of the hinges
For lubrication of handles, locks and hinges, etc. use a light machine oil lubricant for moving parts and petroleum jelly if indicated on the windows/doors
Anodised Gold Finish (Not Brass)
Never use abrasive cleaning agents. Warm water and a soft cloth are sufficient.
Brasswork
When installed, Brass work is fully protected with lacquer. In time and through normal wear and tear, this lacquer may peel or become tarnished.
- Protect the surrounding PVCu surfaces by masking off an area around each piece of brass work.
- Remove old lacquer with nail polish remover or paint stripper
- Clean and polish with a suitable proprietary brass polish
- Carefully relacquer with a good quality product
Tips to refurbish your brass work:
Glazing Care
Standard Sealed Units
Heavy external grime should be removed with a simple soap/water solution followed by the use of any proprietary household glass cleaner with a soft cloth. Laminated glass or glass containing Georgian bars between the sealed units is cleaned in exactly the same manner. *Please ask for our additional document on cleaning Conservaglass.
Leaded Glass Cleaning
Extra care must be taken when cleaning leaded windows so as not to dislodge the lead from the surface of the glass. Warm soapy water applied with a soft cloth is adequate for cleaning leaded glass. PLEASE NOTE THAT EXTERNAL LEAD WILL OXIDISE. THIS IS A NATURAL PHENOMENA AND CANNOT BE AVOIDED.
Scratched Glass
Scratches can be removed with jeweller’s rouge or equivalent rubbing compound. (Please ask your installer for further advice).
General Cleaning
Roof & Side Frames
The roof and side frames of your conservatory should be washed down every four months with a soap water solution to remove grime and atmospheric deposits. AVOID ALL SOLVENT BASED OR ABRASIVE CLEANERS ON THE ROOF AND FRAMES.
Frames PVCu doors only – to remove any stubborn blemishes use a strong, non-abrasive, proprietary cleaner such as cream cleanser.
Gutters & Box Gutters
In a conservatory the guttering is always laid in accordance with BS 63 67:1983 Code of Practice for Drainage of Roofs, therefore you will notice standing water in your gutter system. It is important that you clean the gutters regularly – be sure to use crawl boards when accessing a conservatory roof.
Environmental
Condensation
Condensation occurs when water vapour comes into contact with a cold surface such as glass and the vapour turns to water droplets. Condensation can only ever be minimalised and never completely eradicated. Newly constructed conservatories need an initial ‘drying out’ period. Many hundreds of litres of water are used during its construction, i.e. dwarf walls, concrete bases and plasterwork. In winter they will take longer to dry out.
Ventilation
Provide natural ventilation to help minimise condensation and maintain a comfortable interior temperature whenever possible by:
- Opening windows/doors
- Ensure trickle vents in the ridge are open at all times
- Ensure all other vents are open when possible
- Be sure to consider security when leaving open an easily accessible window or roof vent.
Heating
Heating can also assist with controlling condensation and should be marginally increased in any areas where condensation is a problem. Maintain some heat in the conservatory during cold weather and if possible, place heating appliances under windows to maintain the temperature of the inside pane of the double glazing.
In this challenging economic climate, the smart homeowner has realised that the answer to finding extra room is to make use of the existing space already available in their home, while investing in solutions that offer long-term quality and value.
