FINISHING AND CARE

Timber Finishing

Finish the product within 1 month of delivery

All AUSNEW Timber Windows and Doors are supplied unfinished and must be finished, stained, painted or sealed within 1 month of delivery.  Timber is a natural product that is greatly affected by changes in moisture. This change in moisture will cause the timber to warp, crack or in some cases rot. Unprotected timber can physically deteriorate if exposed to extremes of atmospheric change over a period of time.

Product sanding

Generally paint manufacturer’s will specify that you should give timber a light sand before finishing. Always refer to the paint manufacturer’s advice. The surface should be prepared with appropriate sand paper, under no circumstances should you use steel wool or other metal scourers. Light sanding is recommended for veneer doors. Do not sand veneer doors back more than 0.2mm as the substrate may be exposed. Do not use sand paper with a lower grit value of 240. Always sand in the direction of the grain, avoid cross standing, as this will only exaggerate when stained. AUSNEW Timber Sliding Doors and Sliding Windows feature veneer wrapped aluminium components. Do not sand these components.

Product finishing

To seal the product, it is recommended that you use two coats of stain, paint or sealer.  The entire product should be stained, painted or sealed; this includes all faces of the product, all edges including top and bottom. As different manufacturers finishing products vary, always follow the paint manufacturer’s instructions on the number of coats required.  Always use good quality external stain, paint, sealer or coating systems and always follow the paint manufacturer’s instructions.  

Paint colours

AUSNEW Windows and Doors exposed to sunlight should be painted with light reflective colours as dark colours absorb light and heat. Using dark colours will cause a drying effect on the product and could cause the doors to warp. The use of a light coloured topcoat is essential. Your paint supplier or paint manufacturer can advise you on the light reflective value (LRV) of the colour you have selected – the higher the LRV the less heat the substrate will absorb and the longer the expected life of the paint finish.Black has a LRV or approximately 5. White has a LRV or approximately 95. Choosing paint colours with an LRV of greater than 50 is a wise choice. Your paint manufacturer should be able to advise you of the LRV for a selected colour. Using different colours on either side of the window or door will cause uneven heat/moisture absorption, particularly for windows and doors in exposed applications. The finishing paint or stain should be the same colour on all six sides. Using different colours may cause the product to warp.

Care when painting

Extra care must be taken when painting AUSNEW Windows and Doors to ensure that hardware is not compromised by the paint finish, as this will impact the products operation.

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Cleaning Aluminium and Anodised Finishes

Product Cleaning Frequency Guidelines

All powder coated surfaces should be cleaned using a soft cloth or sponge with a solution of warm water. Cleaning intervals depend on the following environments:

Rural & Tropical: Mild – at least every 9 months

Metropolitan: Moderate – at least every 6 months

Coastal: Severe – at least every 3 months

Within 5km of the Coast or Highly Polluted Industrial Area: Very severe – at least every month

Cleaning Powder Coated Aluminum

Regular cleaning will help minimise the effects of weathering on your aluminium powder coated windows and doors.Remove cement mortar dropping from windows immediately, taking care to avoid scratching glass and frames, as permanent damage can result. AUSNEW Windows and Doors will not be liable for any damage that may occur if the timber or aluminium painted surfaces comes into contact with acid when cleaning brickwork.

Cleaning Aluminium Sliding Window and Door Tracks

To ensure better performance for your window and door tracks, it is recommended that you vacuum tracks on a regular basisWe recommend that you wipe tracks yearly with a light machine oil, for example, sewing machine oil.  The machine oil will collect excess dirt and dust and make the sliding action much smoother.

Cleaning of Anodised Aluminium

Anodised aluminium finishes should be cleaned regularly to avoid deterioration of the coating.Deposited dirt can hold contaminated moisture on the anodised surface, which can cause corrosion of these components.Cleaning should be conducted in line with the Product Cleaning Frequency Guidelines.  Clean the anodised aluminium surface by removing grime deposits without causing any damage to the anodic oxidation coating.The cleaning method to be adopted depends on the degree of deterioration that may have already occurred. Hand rubbing is often used for small areas of work, but large areas of the anodised surfaces, for example multi-storey buildings, call for carefully controlled methods to loosen adherent deposits. In this case professional cleaning is recommended.The anodised aluminium should be washed with warm water containing a suitable wetting agent or with a mild soap solution. Fibre brushes may be used to loosen dirt.

DO NOT use emery paper, sand paper, steel wool or other highly abrasive materials, acid or alkaline cleaners as they can damage the anodic oxidation coating. The use of a mild abrasive such as pumice powder and water may sometimes be necessary. It is important that you rinse the product thoroughly using abundant application of clean water, particularly where crevices are present. Where greasy deposits are present, cleaning may be carried out using a soft cloth dipped in white spirit.Since emulsion cleaners or proprietary chemical agents may damage the coating, they should NEVER be used except in consultation with companies who specialise in the cleaning of anodised aluminium. After cleaning anodised aluminium, it may be treated with a good quality wax polish.