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Windows Maintenance

Windows Maintenance Guide

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Windows are a critical element of any home, providing natural light, ventilation and an aesthetic appeal. Regular maintenance is essential to keep your windows functioning smoothly and looking their best. This comprehensive Windows Maintenance Guide will help you navigate the care and upkeep of various window types, ensuring they remain in tip-top shape.

Bi-Fold Windows

Bi-fold windows are popular for their space-saving design and ability to open wide for a seamless indoor-outdoor experience. To clean and maintain bi-fold windows, follow these steps:

• Gently vacuum the tracks to remove debris and dirt
• Wipe down the frames with a damp cloth and mild soapy water
• Clean the glass with a soft, lint-free cloth and a streak-free window cleaner
• Lubricate the hinges and locks with silicone spray to ensure smooth operation

Sliding Windows

Sliding windows are known for their simplicity and ease of use. To keep them in optimal condition, perform these tasks:

• Remove the window sashes and clean the tracks with a brush or vacuum
• Apply a non-abrasive cleaner to the frames and wipe with a soft cloth
• Clean the glass with a suitable window cleaner, using a squeegee for a streak-free finish
• Apply a silicone-based lubricant to the tracks and rollers for smooth sliding action

Double Hung Windows

Double hung windows feature two movable sashes, offering excellent ventilation and versatility. To maintain them, adhere to these guidelines:

• Open both sashes and vacuum the tracks and sash channels
• Use a damp cloth and mild detergent to clean the frames and sashes
• Wipe the glass with a microfibre cloth and your preferred window cleaning solution
• Inspect and lubricate the window’s balance system to ensure smooth operation

Louvre Windows

Louvre windows provide excellent airflow and are easy to clean, thanks to their adjustable blades. To maintain them, follow these steps:

• Adjust the blades to their fully open position and dust or vacuum any debris
• Clean the glass blades with a suitable window cleaner and a soft cloth
• Check the operating mechanism and apply lubricant if required

Fixed Lite Windows

Fixed lite windows don’t open but still require regular cleaning and inspection. To care for them, do the following:

• Clean the exterior glass with a squeegee and a window cleaner, reaching high windows with an extension pole if needed
• Wipe the interior glass with a soft cloth and a streak-free cleaning solution
• Inspect the window seals and frames for signs of wear or damage, addressing any issues promptly

Awning Windows

Awning windows are hinged at the top and open outward, providing excellent ventilation and protection from the elements. To maintain them, perform these tasks:

• Vacuum the tracks and hinges to remove dust
• Wipe the frames and sashes with a damp cloth and a mild detergent
• Inspect and lubricate the hinges and locks as needed

Casement Windows

Casement windows open outward like a door and provide excellent ventilation. To care for them, adhere to these guidelines:

• Vacuum the tracks and hinges to remove dirt
• Wipe the glass with a soft cloth and a streak-free window cleaner
• Inspect and lubricate the hinges, locks and crank mechanism as required

Framed Windows

Framed windows come in various styles and materials, including timber, aluminium and uPVC. To maintain framed windows, follow these steps:

• Dust or vacuum the windowsills and tracks to remove debris
• Wipe the glass with a soft cloth and your preferred window cleaning solution
• Inspect and lubricate any moving parts, such as hinges and locks, as needed

A Bright Room With Sliding Window

5 Ways To Make Your Home Brighter

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Everyone wants a home that feels bright and welcoming. Whether you are looking to add function to your kitchen or make a bedroom feel more spacious, there are several simple ways to brighten up your space. In this article, we will discuss five ways lighting can help make your home feel brighter and also provide examples of how to use lighting effectively in different rooms of your house.

1. Paint your walls a lighter colour

If you want your home to be brighter, paint the walls a lighter colour. This will reflect light and make it look brighter. You could paint all the walls in a light colour like white or cream, but if you have woodwork or furniture that is dark, like oak, then the results may not look as pleasing to the eye. A good compromise would be painting a feature wall in one of these colours while keeping all the other walls white or cream, as this would still create an overall lighter effect but will not clash too much with your existing furniture.

2. Install more mirrors and reflective surfaces

If you are looking to brighten up your space, mirrors are an excellent option. They reflect light and make rooms look brighter. You can hang them on walls or place them on furniture, but be careful not to cover up existing windows with them. Mirrors can direct light into dark corners of your room that would normally be difficult for both natural and artificial daylight to reach.

Mirrors are not the only reflective surfaces that will help brighten a space—stainless steel and glass do so just as well. For example, try using stainless steel as a backsplash in your kitchen or bathroom; it will bounce light from overhead sources and create an overall brighter appearance.

3. Add a skylight or two

Skylights are a great way to let in more natural light. They can be installed on the roof or in the ceiling and are available in fixed and adjustable styles. In addition to bringing light into your home, skylights can also help you heat and cool it more efficiently by reducing the amount of conditioned air that gets pulled out of your living space. Installing them yourself is possible if you have basic DIY skills; otherwise, hiring a professional installer could save time and money.

4. Try to keep your windows as clean as possible

If you are serious about brightening up your home, it helps to keep your windows as clean as possible. You can do this with a squeegee – while you may have heard that using a squeegee will cause the glass to crack, this is not true. If you wash the window in one direction and use care when putting away the squeegee, there is no danger of cracking or breaking your windows.

5. Buy your windows from Southern Cross Windows

If you want to brighten up your home, we suggest that you buy your new windows from Southern Cross Windows. We offer a full range of windows, from louvre and bi-fold to sliding. All our windows are made in Australia and are manufactured using high-quality materials that will last for many years to come.

We hope this article has helped you get started. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask us! We are always happy to help and we love hearing from people who are interested in making their homes brighter.

Open bi-fold doors opening into large living room with dining area

Beautiful Beachside Bi Fold Doors

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If you are one of many people along any of our coasts who get to live right by the beach, then there is no arguing that you should be designing and improving your home to maximise the beautiful scenery and landscape that is right on your doorstep!

When you live so close to the ocean, you want to be getting as much of that natural wonder in your home as possible, and we at Southern Cross Windows firmly believe that we have the right solution for this.

We’re talking, of course, about bi fold doors!

Let’s take a look at why they are so perfect for beachside homes.

Bi fold doors have the ability to maximise all of that natural light that surrounds your home.

Properties by the sea get to experience some of the best sunny days and bi fold doors can help to bring that sunlight right inside.

The nature of bi fold doors means that they are easily slid away to create a seamless transition from the indoors to the outdoors and vice versa.

When you have the natural beauty of the beach to enjoy from the comfort of your own backyard, you might as well maximize that effect as much as possible.

There is a great deal of easy access to be gained from bi fold doors, which is perfect for when you are entertaining outdoors and want to create an open pathway between, say, the kitchen and the garden area.

This can be beneficial if you are barbecuing and want to go back forth a lot.

Even with all of these great benefits, something that clinches it for many people is that bi fold doors are really easy to care for and maintain.

They don’t require much elbow grease to stay in shape, and the cleaning side of things is reminiscent of any window in your home.

So, if you live near the ocean and those benefits sound like something that you want to incorporate in to your own home, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us to explore what kind of bi fold doors we can install for you.

If you’re living with an ocean view but have yet to feel the benefit of bi fold doors, then you simply aren’t getting the full value experience out of your home!

Sound Proofing window Film

What’s the Best Sound Rating Glass on the Gold Coast?

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Here at Southern Cross Windows, we are committed to providing the best glazing solutions for the whole of our customers’ needs. From bi fold doors and windows to security screens, we offer a great range of products and expertise to cater for all your requirements.

One of our fastest growing demands is for glazing products, which offer protection from outside irritants, including excess noise.

We are the experts on the Gold Coast providing multiple sound reduction solutions to help make your living spaces more comfortable and not feel like the highway traffic is going to be coming through the side of the house.

Extra Layer

A lot of people look to double-glazing, which is quite effective but is more suitable for climate control and commercial applications.  Being on the Gold Coast, climate control isn’t really a major concern.  As with all technology, double-glazing is part of a process that has produced a great new generation of products, which still perform like the older-style double-glazing with improved aspects.

Double-glazing was invented to reduce the interference of outside noise while preserving the energy within buildings to help keep heating costs as low as possible. It relies on an extra layer of glass and a spacer to reduce the sound, thus giving extra protection between the outside and the inside, doubling the efficiency of single glazing.

Today, there is a technological breakthrough that gives you this added protection at a fraction of the cost.

Acoustic Glass

Major glass suppliers have engineered an acoustic glass that provides the sound reduction, that you need which we at Southern Cross believe will represent the next generation of Gold Coast sound reduction products, without compromising safety or style.

Acoustic glass is a laminated glass that uses an advanced interlayer enabling it to absorb more sound energy, helping to reduce different types of noise, especially high-frequency types.  According to Viridian, their VLam Hush™ buffers outside sound, decreasing sound by up 34% in comparison to ordinary glass^.

This revolutionary new glass technology has a noise inter-layer inbetween the two layers of your glass, which enhances sound insulation without interfering with the amount of light entering your home or business.

By installing acoustic glass, you will get the benefits of both double-glazing and window tinting, with an extra level of noise insulation.  As this glazing can be made to fit any size of door and window panel, it is perfect for homes and businesses.

Here on the Gold Coast, this kind of solution is a WINNER.  Whatever option you choose, the team at Southern Cross is committed to installing only the best solution for all our customers.

Find Out More

To find out more about Gold Coast sound reduction and all our other great glazing solutions at Southern Cross Windows, visit our website, or call 07 5534 3300.