Maintenance & Care

Ensure the window is maintained regularly, depending on frequency of use, load, and environment. It is important also to check that screws for the lock case, door fittings, handles and strike plates are tight. Inspect the product once per year for the following signs:

• Closely inspect your doors at least once a year. Check that the door opens and closes smoothly.
• Check the weather gasket set around the outside edge of the door leaf to ensure it is kept clean and remove any debris.
• Check the threshold for any build-up of debris as this could restrict the operation of the door but could also allow water to ingress if the weep holes within the threshold are not kept clear.
• Check all timber surfaces for damage and note if the finishing (paint etc.) requires refreshing.
• Check the paintwork for any loose or flaking finishing. Remove loose paint with a stiff brush then re-coat.
• Check the glass does not have any water vapour inside of the sealed unit, or that the glass is damaged.
• Check that the handle moves freely and smoothly. If they are stiff, carefully use a recommended lubricant on the locking mechanism/bolts while in their open position.
• Check all handles and ventilator controls are not loose, if they are then tighten them with the appropriate torx screwdriver
  • T15 – ventilators
  • T20 – Handles

Tighten enough so that the handles and controls work freely without being too loose. Do not over-tighten.

Ensure the door is maintained regularly, following the standard guidelines. Inspect the product once per year, for the following signs:

• Look for and remove any airborne debris that might be trapped between the frame and the sash. To do this, open the window in the cleaning position
• Wipe or brush clean all surfaces and check the weather seal is clean, dry, continuous, and undamaged. Never get any paint on the weather seal/gasket. This will reduce Window's performance.
• Check all timber surfaces for damage and note if the finishing (paint etc.) requires refreshing.
• Check the glass does not have any water vapour inside of the sealed unit, or that the glass is damaged.
• Check that the handles move freely and smoothly. If they are stiff, carefully use a recommended lubricant on the locking mechanism/bolts while in their extended position.
• Check all handles and ventilator controls are not loose, if they are then tighten them with the appropriate torx screwdriver
  • T15 – ventilators
  • T20 – Handles

Tighten enough so that the handles and controls work freely without being too loose. Do not over-tighten

• The timber used in your NorDan products has been treated against rot and insect attacks using a pressure impregnation process.
• Check your painted windows carefully at least once a year. If you see signs of blisters, cracks, flaking or a matt surface to the paint, you should take care of the damage.
• Painting in damp weather means that the final result will not be of the same quality, resulting in a shortened maintenance interval.

• Use only microporous paints on external surfaces:
• Check that the surface is dry.
• Brush away loose dirt and dust.
• Scrape away paint which is cracked or loose and scrape away any resin which may have been released.
• Rub down the entire window with fine sandpaper until the paint appears matt.
• Brush off shavings and sawdust
• Wash the window with a mild cleaning agent .
• If cracks have formed, for example in the corner joints of the casement and frame or on the window ledge, you should repair them with a suitable filler. Do not use caulking compounds which cannot be painted over.
• Apply a primer to the surface of the wood. Allow it to dry.
• Apply a topcoat of paint. Apply several layers if necessary. You should not use acrylic paint on surfaces which are touching. They may stick together.
• Pay particular attention to the lower parts of the window, on end-grain timber and corner joints.

• Timber products - Opaque bright colours: Inspect yearly repaint after 7-10 years
• Timber products - Opaque dark colours: Inspect yearly repaint after 3-5 years
• Timber products - Transparent colours: Inspect yearly repaint after 3-5 years
• External doors - Opaque bright colours: Inspect yearly repaint after 5 years
• External doors - Opaque dark colours: Inspect yearly repaint after *2 years*

*Repaint after 2 years if exposed to direct sun or extreme conditions*

Normally, you only need to clean interior surfaces. Wash the surface with water and a mild cleaning agent. If painting is necessary:

• Rub down with fine sandpaper and remove sawdust.
• Apply an acrylic primer.
• Apply a second topcoat of the acrylic paint.

For paint or stains, our factory recommends Sikkens or Dulux Weathershield.

Aluminium parts may be Powder-coated in a wide range of standardised colours.

It is important that the aluminium cladding is monitored regularly for any contamination that can stain the surface finish. Any form of contamination needs to be removed before it damages the surface treatment. Otherwise, it is recommended that all aluminium cladding is washed and cleaned at least once a year as described:

• Wipe the cladding with a soft brush to remove dust and loose foreign matter
• Prepare a warm bucket of clean water with a small amount of detergent and wash it down. Rinse clean and then wring the cloth to dry off after washing. A clean damp chamois leather is ideal for drying cladding without smears

Note: When cleaning cladding always be careful to avoid snagging your cleaning materials, or grazing your hands when working close to cut ends of cladding

• Before starting work, it is recommended to perform a cleaning test on a small test field of an irrelevant surface to make sure that there is no colour change or damage to the paint coating.
• Always remove any dirt or contamination visible on the coating immediately.
• If, until the completion of construction works, loose deposits remain on the painted surfaces, despite cleaning during assembly, they should be removed with a damp sponge (water).
• If cleaning the surface is not possible as described above, use a soft brush or (delicate, non-abrasive) cloth and a neutral mild household detergent, or a neutral car detergent.
• After washing, rinse the surface thoroughly with clean water.
• Do not use steel wool, scrapers, sandpaper, liquids or scouring powders because they will permanently scratch painted surfaces.
• Do not use strong solvents or alkaline or acidic cleaners.
• It is not recommended to use hard water for cleaning, because its mineral contents may cause discoloration of the coating and lead to permanent damage.
• Do not clean painted parts if the surface is hot due to direct sunlight.

Generally, painted surfaces used in a normal environment should be cleaned at least once a year. In areas where pollution is more common, especially in coastal or industrial areas, the frequency of cleaning should be increased.

• Normal environment - clean every 12 months.
• Coastal areas and/or industrial environment - clean every 3 months.

What can cause stainless steel stains?

• Aggressive environments where pollution and salt in the air occur, such as buildings near the sea, roads/tunnels, industries, metropolitan cities, etc.
• Mounted products where stainless steel has direct contact with alloy steel.
• Moist environments where different iron particles can occur.
• De-icing agent, saline solutions, and residues of chlorine-containing detergents.

Although stainless steel is resistant to varying degrees of corrosion, it is not maintenance-free and has no guarantee that corrosion cannot occur. This is why it is important to repeatedly control and maintain the articles. The interval between the maintenance is based on the environmental points listed above.

Wash stainless steel articles with regular water a few times each year to avoid discolouring or rust.

If the stainless-steel article gets stains or discolouring, that is not possible to remove with normal wash with water, the following methods can be used:

Small stains or finger marks:

• For brushed surfaces, we recommend soapy water and post-polishing with dry and soft cotton cloth.
• For glossy surfaces, a regular window cleaning agent can be used (without chlorine content).
• In general, for both matte and glossy surfaces with discolouration, "creamy" polishes can be used.

For difficult surfaces:

A metal cleaning agent such as Autosol or lacquer scrubbing is recommended here.

It is recommended to use caution because highly polished surfaces can be scratched off by the polish.

When using chemicals, rinse with water and dry with a dry cotton cloth.

Be careful of painted surfaces near the stainless-steel items to avoid damage to areas that are not included in the maintenance.