The bi-fold doctor Terry Richardson is back with his regular column for Clearview Magazine. For his December instalment, TWR Trade Frames’ Managing Director considers the adverse winter conditions and what advice installers can give to homeowners during the winter months.
Winter maintenance
If you are installing a bi-folding door for a homeowner over the winter months it is worth giving them with some helpful maintenance tips. Or if you are in regular contact with previous customers for which you have installed a bi-fold, these tips could also come in handy.
Virtually maintenance free
We always tell our customers that if they purchase their supply only bi-folding doors from TWR Trade Frames they can rest assured that maintenance issues for the end-user will be minimal.
But the ruggedness of winter can ask questions of any product. A common winter maintenance issue is making sure the tracks are cleared out for a super smooth operation.
Strong winds and falling leafs and debris can easily see the tracks get clogged up. A good way to keep on top of it is for the homeowner to regularly run the vacuum cleaner along the base of the track to eliminate any chance of a clog up.
Far flung corners of the world
Unless you and your customers are the lucky ones escaping to a far flung corner of the world for the winter months, the likelihood is that you will endure rain, wind, more rain and maybe even some snow.
This is why drainage is another key maintenance issue to keep a handle on. To eliminate the problem make sure drainage routes are clear, otherwise heavy rain and extreme cold could lead to flooding or freezing.
Frames and glass
To maintain aesthetics throughout the winter period, it is also important to keep the glass clean and wiped down. Glass is very visible so it will be easy for your customers to see when this needs doing, but it is also important to keep frames clean to reduce the risk of any lasting damage.
Rollers
Another maintenance issue can be the rollers. If the bi-fold has seen a few turkey dinners, it will be worth Teflon spraying them to cut down the likelihood of the bi-fold becoming a noisy product rather than the sleek and seamless lifestyle one it should be.
Aluminium/PVCu
In reality if you are installing an aluminium bi-folding door there shouldn’t be too many maintenance issues thanks to the materials inherent strength.
But these winter maintenance tips will help you to go that extra mile for your customers; which will earn a few more brownie points with them and maybe increase the opportunities for cross-selling.
Here at TWR we manufacture the high-performance Smarts Visofold 1000 which we have re-branded as the eternAL bi-folding door. It is a market-leading aluminium bi-folding door that
is virtually maintenance free and is proving incredibly popular with installers across the UK.
Support service
If you have any questions regarding the installation of bi-folding doors please don’t hesitate to contact us. We offer a bi-fold support service, where one of our experienced technical team will survey, supply and support on-site; ensuring that all you need to worry about is securing profitable bi-fold business.