Insulated roller shutter garage doors are becoming a familiar sight across the UK.
They add to the security of a home, provide good insulation and enhance the look of your house as well. These advantages can be undermined, though, if you don’t regularly clean and maintain your roller doors.
There are quite a few different makes of aluminium and steel roller shutters, but all of them need some small level of maintenance. By regularly cleaning shutters, owners can make sure that their home not only continues to look great but their roller shutters continue to function at the best possible level.
A step by step guide to cleaning you roller shutter garage door:
Whether the shutters in question are electric roller shutters or the old fashioned hand-wind sort, cleaning is easy.
- Roll down and hose. Shutters should be put in the down position. A hose is usually best for the initial clean, as it gets rid of the worst of the dust in all areas of the shutter.
- For the second stage, use a bucket of soapy water, a gentle scrubbing brush and a cloth. In most cases, the best cleaning product for roller shutters is soapy water, although you should check the manufacturers’ instructions. A scrubbing brush will come in useful for serious dirt, but a cloth should be used to wipe down roller shutters at the end of the clean.
- A gentle brush can be used for inside of the roller shutters. Some areas of the inside of the shutter may be difficult to reach. A small brush with an extending handle is best for this aspect of the clean. This may need to be done more frequently than exterior cleaning to ensure that the dirt build-up is minimal.
Shutters shouldn’t need constant cleaning, but they do need to be cleaned every few months. Three to six months is a good timespan for a roller shutter cleaning regime.
Maintaining roller shutter doors.
There are a few things owners can do when handling shutters to extend lifespan:
Use non-abrasive cleaners – many cleaning products have abrasive ingredients, but these can take the finish off shutters along with the dirt. To keep the protective finish in place, the best kind of cleaning product is a light one, used in combination with a little elbow grease.
Don’t clean from side to side – for many types of shutters, the obvious method for cleaning shutters is unfortunately the one that can cause damage. Unless the manufacturer’s instructions state otherwise, the best method is a top to bottom motion when cleaning.
Check for obstructions – many roller shutters become damaged when their tracks are not properly maintained. A periodic check for obstructions can ensure shutters continue to function smoothly.
Even with shutters and garage doors prices going down, it’s worthwhile taking as much care of these parts of the home as possible. Good care and maintenance can ensure that the time between installation and replacement is as long as possible.