Maintenance
and warranty

When you have insulation glass in your building, this guide for proper use and maintenance of your windows will be of good use. With proper maintenance and use you will also retain your warranty. This guide therefore also highlights the conditions that apply for Scheuten warranty.

Maintenance guidelines insulation glass
Insulating glass consists of two or three panes of glass with a one or two spaces (cavities) in between. The cavity between the panes is filled with air or inert gas, usually argon gas. The properties of the insulating glass which must be maintained are:

• Light transmission
• Transparency
• Thermal insulation
• Sound insulation
• Safety
• Rain protection
• Air tightness
• Aesthetics

With proper maintenance and proper use you also retain the right to warranty. This manual therefore also pursues the conditions that apply to the right of warranty.

Retention of properties
To get the most out of your glass the properties of the glass pane must be held in its original state for as long as possible. Especially for the light transmission, the transparency and the thermal insulation, it is important that the rim sealing of the cavity is and remains in a good condition. A leaking rim sealing could cause moisture to enter into the cavity, affecting the glass and possibly causing condensation in the cavity. As a result, less light is transmitted and transparency is reduced. In addition, inert gas (which also allows for the insulation) could leak from the cavity. Coated glass may be showing stains.

The rim sealing may be directly or indirectly affected by moisture or ultraviolet light due to a poor condition of paint and sealant and as a result of wood decay. In addition, extreme thermal or chemical influences as well as malfunctioning rotary parts may cause decrease of the rim sealing quality.

Maintenance paint and sealant
The paint and the sealant must be kept in good condition. The painting prevents intrusion
of moisture and rot of the wooden window frame. The state of the interior painting is at least as important as that of the exterior painting. In winter a house produces a lot of water vapour, and this vapour wants to go outside. Poorly painted wooden frames facilitate this perfectly. Along the way the vapour condenses in the open connections of wood studs and sills which causes the wood to rot and may cause the build-up of moisture on the rim sealing of the glazing. The moisture content in the wood frame should not exceed 16%.

It is necessary to check the painting and the sealant at least once a year (especially
the sills) and touch it up or replace it. It is often possible to enter into a subscription contract with your painter. Maintenance should be undertaken with neutral, non-aggressive products.

The criterion for determining whether the sealing joints require repair is the functioning of the sealant or the dry glazing profile. If detachment occurs or openings are formed in the sealing joints, moisture can get into the rebate. During inspection it must be determined whether a good adhesion of the sealant or adequate pressure of the dry glazing profile is still ensured. If this is not the case, it should be restored.

Restoration of the sealing joint can be done by means of the application of a additional triangular joint on top of the existing seal. For this purpose, the defective sealant is cut out with a depth of at least 3mm.

Next, the bonding surfaces are dried, cleaned and degreased. The new sealant must be applied in such a way that the bonding surface on the glass is at least 5mm wide.
If repair work is only required to the bottom sill, the repair joint should also be applied to a height of 150mm in the posts. If the adhesion of the sealant is totally inadequate than the existing glazing bead is to be removed and after cleaning to be remounted or to be replaced and again be provided with a proper sealant.

Upon repair of glazing, which was originally placed with a dry glazing profile, this should be executed with a similar system. If the seal no longer functions, the profile must be replaced by profile identical in shape. If the corners do not connect properly, the dry glazing profiles must also be replaced, otherwise ingress of moisture into the rebate remains a possibility.

Maintenance of rotating parts
Malfunctioning rotating parts are often the cause of leakage in the rim seal of the insulating glass. Windows and doors should not jam, should be running smoothly and should be easy to close. By pulling (or pushing against) clamping window casements and doors, the connections between the posts and sills will break and cause moisture penetration.

In order to keep the rotating parts in a proper condition, it is necessary to check hinges, levers, door handles and locks regularly and clean, oil and adjust them whenever
necessary.

Retain ventilation
In order to drain off excess moisture in the vicinity of the glazing, ventilation slots are provided on the exterior side of the window or door frame, near the glazing beads.
It is necessary to keep these openings clean from dirt, debris and vermin.

Cleaning
Clean windows and frames at least twice a year. Not only to ensure a clean impression, but in particular for the maintenance of the construction. In case of insufficient cleaning of joints and edges of aluminium windows, the sealant and painting of wooden windows and the surface of plastic windows will be affected by pollution.

It is recommended that in addition to the glass, the door frame, the rotating parts, the
glazing beads, vents and hardware are cleaned as well. This will extend the life span of the window frame and the paint work considerably and allow a continuous proper functioning of the rotating parts.

When cleaning the glass, bear in mind that sand has an abrasive effect and may cause scratches on the glass. Before cleaning the glass with a sponge, it is therefore recommended that any sand is rinsed or sprayed off with a lot of water. Furthermore, it is important not to clean the glass with abrasive or aggressive agents. The abrasive agents can scratch glass, aluminium and plastic. The aggressive agents can affect the sealant, the coating of wooden windows or the top layer of aluminium or plastic windows. Also, the life span of the rim seal of the insulating glass can be affected. Suitable for cleaning all types of windows and doors are neutral detergents for hand wash (and not dishwasher products). Always rinse with clean water.