Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
[00:00:08] Speaker B: Welcome to the Clear Impact Podcast brought to you by Mitre Brands University. Thanks for joining us today. My name is Sheri Conner and I am your host.
[00:00:24] Speaker C: So good morning. We are here on the Clear Impact podcast and we are in a series called windows and doors 101. And this is really great for people who are new to the industry or people who are researching windows and doors for themselves for their own homes. And it's a complicated topic and there's a lot to it. So we're going to break it down into very high level understanding. So today's topic is around care and maintenance of your windows and doors. And with me in studio is is Francisco Felice.
[00:00:58] Speaker A: Good morning, Sherry.
[00:00:59] Speaker C: Good morning. Thanks for being here.
[00:01:01] Speaker A: Thank you. How are you?
[00:01:02] Speaker C: I'm doing well. It's Friday. I'm good.
[00:01:04] Speaker A: I like it.
[00:01:05] Speaker C: Yeah, me too. So, Francisco, before we start talking about care and maintenance, tell us a little bit about you.
[00:01:11] Speaker A: Again, my name is Francisco Feliz. I been with PGT for over 10 years now, part of Mitre Brands. I've been different departments, production, quality, holding different positions. Like about 14 month ago I joined the university now. Miter Brands University.
Yep. We train dealers, we train our customer, educate the customers about windows and doors, care, maintenance, service, installation, best practices. We also have CEU courses available here, all kind of tools here, webinars, YouTube channel, eLearning courses, teaching people how to do things the right way.
[00:01:55] Speaker C: Yeah, because we want everybody to do it right. Thank you for that. So this is about care and maintenance. So I did not realize that windows and doors need to be maintained. Like, I know they have to be cleaned every now and then, but I have to maintain them. So what does that look like? Like, what do you mean?
[00:02:13] Speaker A: Well, if you have windows and doors, you have to use them. If you don't use something, it tends to rust and, and damage. That happens with everything in life. For example, if we have single home windows, they have spiral balances, okay? When you close your window, your single home window, those balances they deploy, that spiral goes out of the shock. Those spiral, they have lubricant, okay? They get lubricated when they go inside the shock. If you maintain those windows closed for a long period of time and you don't open and close it, that lubricant is gonna dry out. So chances are that if you go back to open your window seven or eight months later, that window might have some malfunctions. Why does this happen? Because you haven't been opening that window regularly. We have cases here In Florida with the snowbirds that they leave your house, they north, they come back a month later, they don't open those doors, those windows, and they might have a malfunction, those windows because those balances are dry.
[00:03:20] Speaker C: Mmm. Okay. And that's for single hung. So what about like other kinds of windows? What about like horizontal roller windows?
[00:03:28] Speaker A: Same thing happened with the horizontal roller. Horizontal roller might get debris and in the rollers or in the tracks and they stay closed for a long time. I'm not asking for you to be opening your windows every day, but at least like a very once in a while. You open your windows in peg, they make sure that the there's no debris in the tracks and the meeting rail. So you can keep your windows and your door in a decent condition.
[00:03:53] Speaker C: Okay. And then like, what about doors? Like just open and close them and slide them.
[00:03:58] Speaker A: Doors. Yeah, open and close them regularly. That can help to maintain the moving on the hinges that like reduce the friction in the weather stripping. Especially down here. For example, our case in Florida, that is so hot in the summer and those weather stripping, like supposed to high temperature every day, that can kind of melt together a little bit. So that by you opening your doors regularly can help to prevent that.
[00:04:30] Speaker B: We are sharing our expertise around all topics relating to the window and door industry. Whether you are a customer selling our products or a homeowner doing research, the Clear Impact podcast provides helpful content that makes an impact. Subscribe today wherever you listen to podcasts.
[00:04:48] Speaker C: Okay, is there anything specific I should do to clean them?
[00:04:51] Speaker A: Yes. To clean windows you can use a lysoapy water, a clean cloth, a clean squeegee so you can keep the glass from getting scratched.
[00:05:02] Speaker C: Okay. So if I have somebody that's coming out to do like pressure wash my house, should I have them do the outside of the windows while they're there?
[00:05:11] Speaker A: No, never, ever. Pressure washing windows and doors are a big. No. No. Windows or doors are not engineered to withstand those type of pressure.
[00:05:21] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:05:22] Speaker A: Pressure washing windows can damage the meter rail, can damage the joints, can damage the weather stripping and possibly void the warranty in your product. Oh yeah, never do that.
[00:05:33] Speaker C: So the guy that I hire that has a pressure washer and he's just going house to house, will he know that or should I tell him?
[00:05:39] Speaker A: You have to tell them.
[00:05:40] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:05:40] Speaker A: Because your windows and doors, they are high quality windows like that we have here in PGT is your investment and you have to protect your investment. Maybe they don't know that.
[00:05:50] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:05:51] Speaker A: Or maybe they know but they need to be Reminded not to do it.
[00:05:54] Speaker C: Yeah. Stay clear of the windows and doors. And then I've also heard that sometimes you need to go outside and check, like the weep holes, right?
[00:06:03] Speaker A: Yes. Especially in horizontal roller windows, you need to make sure that those weep holes are unobstructed.
[00:06:10] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:06:10] Speaker A: You have to check for bugs. You have to check for debris or gunk, because if they are obstructed, chances are that if it start raining, those channels start filling with water. That water is not going to drain out of your window. That can cause damages to the product. That can cause leak inside your house.
[00:06:30] Speaker C: Oh, so just the little holes at the bottom of the sill on the outside, you need to make sure those are clean.
[00:06:37] Speaker A: And the whipple, the flaps are open.
[00:06:40] Speaker C: Okay. And so is there any special kind of lubricant I can use if things are drying out? Like.
[00:06:47] Speaker A: Yes, you can use silicone based lubricant for your single homes and horizontal rollers as well as the hinges for your door. Never use other type of lubricant. Silicone based lubricant is the best lubricant for your doors and windows.
[00:07:03] Speaker C: Okay, so like WD40.
[00:07:04] Speaker A: Not really.
[00:07:05] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:07:06] Speaker A: WD40 is not really a lubricant.
[00:07:09] Speaker C: So that's probably more of an oil base, right? Not a silicone base.
[00:07:12] Speaker A: Exactly. Yeah.
[00:07:13] Speaker C: Okay, so don't use WD40.
[00:07:15] Speaker A: No, don't use WD40. Use silicone based lubricant.
[00:07:19] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:07:19] Speaker A: It's the best option.
[00:07:20] Speaker C: Awesome. So do you have any fun or interesting stories around this?
[00:07:24] Speaker A: Yes. One time we had a customer that called. She was complaining that her sliding glass door were not working. She was having a hard time to move the panels through the rails. And we asked her if she inspected the seal tracks to see what was going on. And then she went back and checked and she realized that the seal, the tracks were filled with all kind of debris. Like dog hair was buried with dirt because she was not in her house for such a long period of time. And then she realized that she needed to clean the rails. And once she did that, the doors were working just fine. So that's very important for you to clean and properly maintain your windows and your doors so they can continue working as expected.
[00:08:13] Speaker C: Right. But if you do have issues and it's not a cleaning issue, obviously call and we'll take care of it. But yeah, that's amazing. Okay, so I will be sure to be opening. I mean, right now it's gorgeous outside, so my windows are open. But come July or August, that won't be the case?
[00:08:27] Speaker A: Well, yeah, we're in the summer. I mean, hot outside, but just open it and close it. You don't need to leave it open, right?
[00:08:34] Speaker C: Ah.
[00:08:34] Speaker A: Okay. Open it, close it. Open and close it so you don't lose your ac.
[00:08:37] Speaker C: Yeah. Got it.
[00:08:38] Speaker A: Cooler.
[00:08:39] Speaker C: Got it. Okay. All right, well, this has been helpful. Thank you so much for your time.
[00:08:43] Speaker A: Thank you, Sherry, for having me here. It was such a pleasure to be here.
[00:08:48] Speaker C: Awesome. Thanks. Have a good day.
[00:08:49] Speaker A: You too.
[00:08:50] Speaker C: All right, bye.
[00:08:53] Speaker B: The Clear Impact podcast is brought to you by Mitre Brands University. We are a part of Mitre Brands, a family of leading window and door brands united by our passion for quality and relentless pursuit of 100%. At Mitre Brands, our common purpose is to deliver value by manufacturing the finest products, services and customer experience every day, everywhere. Our window and door brands deliver regionalized expertise, products and services, all backed by a national company. Mitre Brands University is here to educate you, our listener, so that you can be a more informed consumer of window and door products.
