Care and Maintenance of your Bifold Doors
Posted 6th August 2015 in BlogHow to keep your beautiful new doors working perfectly year after year
Installing bifold doors will dramatically improve the appearance and functionality of your room, making it instantly brighter, roomier, more contemporary, and providing easy spacious access to your garden or other rooms.
Whether Aluminium, timber or uPVC, all the doors we supply are made to the highest standards and are designed to deal with the worst of the British weather and the wear and tear of a family household. However, we always recommend customers follow a few simple tips on how to look after their new doors properly. This will help to ensure their doors serve them well for many years to come.
Get your doors installed properly
Firstly, we strongly recommend that your new doors are installed properly by experienced fitters. A “bodge job” can easily cause serious and expensive damage to your doors and can void their warranty. Our supply and fit service will make sure your doors are installed by trusted professionals and is available in most parts of the country.
How often should I clean and service my doors?
Your bifold doors are extremely low-maintenance. Most owners will only need to properly clean and service them about once a year. However, if you live close to the sea or in an area where there is more dust or pollution in the air (in cities or industrial areas) you should aim to clean/service your doors every 3-6 months as a build-up of salt, dust or pollution could spoil the look and performance of your doors.
How should I clean the door frames and hinges?
The bifold door frames, edges and hinges should be cleaned with a simple solution of warm water and mild washing-up liquid / detergent. To protect the coating / paintwork of your doors, avoid using a scouring pad or harsh abrasive crème cleaners; a soft cloth or sponge should do the job perfectly well. Stubborn stains can generally be dealt with using a rubber ink eraser or gentle rubbing with a “non-stick” pan sponge. If your doors have a special coating or textured finish, you can also treat stains with a little white spirit on a cloth. Once dry, a little silicone spray on the door hinges and locking mechanism (but wipe any excess away immediately) will keep them in perfect working order.
How should I clean the running tracks?
Always keep an eye out for and immediately remove any stones or other small objects which could fall into the door runners / track. These obstacles could snag the running mechanism and could damage your doors. We would advise that you thoroughly vacuum clean the door runners/ tracks once a month to avoid the build-up of dust and debris that could affect the smooth operation of your doors.
Treat your doors to a little T.LC.
Finally, although your doors are very strong and durable, it pays to treat them gently. If the mechanism should feel a little stiff, try not to force the doors. A little dirt / debris which may have caught up in the hinges or tracks is the most probable cause for any resistance you feel. Forcing the doors rather than simply removing the debris will put your doors under unnecessary stress, leading to possible damage.