Keeping a veranda or glass room looking new, without a ladder every weekend
Aluminium and glass are low maintenance, which is not the same as no maintenance. Almost every problem we get called out to look at is one of three things: a blocked gutter, a film of algae nobody washed off, or debris sitting in a track. All three take minutes to prevent and hours to fix once ignored. Here is the routine we hand over with every structure.
Spring, the reset
After winter, wash the glass with warm water and a little washing up liquid, then rinse. Avoid abrasive pads and anything solvent based, especially on coated glass. Clear the gutter channel by hand or with a hose and check that water actually reaches the downpipe rather than backing up at the outlet. Look along the frame for anything a storm has loosened.
- 1Wash and rinse the roof glass from the ground with a soft extending brush
- 2Flush the gutter and confirm flow through the downpipe
- 3Wipe the frame with soapy water and dry off drips
- 4Check post bases for standing debris or moss build up
Summer, keep it light
Bird mess and tree sap etch faster in sun, so deal with them quickly rather than at the next big clean. If you have zip screens, brush the tracks out, because a single stone in a track is how a screen gets damaged. On louvred roofs, run the blades through a full cycle occasionally so the drive is not left in one position all season.
Autumn, the important one
This is the season that decides whether you have a problem in January. Leaves in the gutter turn to sludge, freeze, and push water back under the flashing. Clear it once when the leaves start falling and again when they finish, and the structure will look after itself through winter. If a tree overhangs the roof, expect to do this more often than your neighbour does.
A blocked outlet is behind most of the leaks we are called to inspect, and almost none of them are a fault in the structure.
Questions people ask us about this
How often should the glass be cleaned?
Twice a year suits most gardens, more if you are under trees or near a busy road. Self cleaning coatings stretch the interval but do not end it.
Can I use a pressure washer on the roof?
We would rather you did not. High pressure can drive water past seals and mark coated glass. A soft brush and a hose are safer and just as effective.
Does the aluminium frame need painting?
No. Powder coated aluminium is washed, not repainted, and repainting it would usually make it look worse.
What should I do if I see a drip?
Check the gutter and outlet first, because that is the usual cause. If it is clear and the drip persists, call us and we will look at the seals.
Do screens and louvres need servicing?
A brush out of the tracks and an annual look at the mechanism is normally all it takes. Motors are sealed and are not user serviceable.
Winter, watch rather than work
Glass and aluminium cope with cold perfectly well. Clear heavy settled snow rather than letting it accumulate, particularly on shallow pitches, and set a louvred roof to closed so the frame carries load as designed. Check seals after any real storm, because movement shows itself as a drip long before anything actually fails.
Algae, the green film everyone asks about
North facing structures and those under trees grow a green film on frame and glass. It is cosmetic, not damage, and it comes off with soapy water and a soft brush. Left for a couple of years it holds moisture against seals and becomes far harder to shift, so twice a year is the sensible rhythm. Self cleaning glass reduces the frequency, it does not remove the job.
What to leave to us
Anything involving working at height on a slippery roof, resealing a joint, adjusting a motor or replacing a blade bearing is our work rather than yours. So is any fixing that has moved. Cleaning is a homeowner job, structural adjustment is not, and there is no shame in ringing rather than climbing.
In short
Two washes and two gutter clears a year keep a veranda or glass room in good order. Autumn leaf clearance prevents most winter leaks, and anything at height or mechanical is worth handing over to an installer.
Thinking about a structure you will not have to fuss over?
We specify drainage and access with maintenance in mind, so cleaning stays a twice a year job from the ground rather than an annual event with scaffolding.