Clean and Maintenance - Spectrum International

Cleaning and Maintaining Your Aluminum Finish

TODAY'S HIGH QUALITY PAINTED ARCHITECTURAL FINISHES ARE EXTREMELY DURABLE. But even the best finish needs a little TLC. And with the most careful treatment of the windows, curtain-wall or storefront during installation and daily use, occasional damage will occur.

This article discusses the recommended care of painted or anodized finishes on architectural metal and looks at three levels of concern: Care and Cleaning, Minor Repairs, and More Complex Refinishing.

THE CARE AND CLEANING OF PAINTED MATERIAL: Today's factory applied heat cured painted finishes are durable and very colorfast. The Kynar® and Hylar® based products that meet the AAMA 2605 specification with trade names such as Duranar® by PPG, Fluropon® by Valspar or Trinar® by Akzo-Nobel are warranted to retain their color and gloss level for many years. However, to assure that they retain their original beauty, even these highly durable finishes should be cleaned occasionally. When selecting a cleaning solution use mild soap solutions that are safe for use with your bare hands such as those products that one would use to wash a car. Avoid the use of strong acid or alkali cleaners as they may damage the finish.

Solvents no stronger than mineral spirits or denatured alcohol may be used to remove grease, sealants or other materials. Never mix cleaners or cleaners and solvents as the resultant mixture can cause harmful or even dangerous results. Do not use abrasive cleaners or materials such as steel wool or abrasive brushes, which can also harm the surface.

Once heavy soil, grease or sealant is removed the mild soap solution should be applied with a soft cloth, sponge or soft brush. Rinse the surface thoroughly with clean water and dry with a soft cloth.

In coastal areas where the finish is exposed to salt spray or in areas containing heavy industrial pollutants the cleaning should take place on a regular basis. For example cleaning the painted finish can be scheduled as a part of the regular maintenance program for glass cleaning.

Valspar Cleaning and Maintenance Guide                  PPG Cleaning Extrusion Coatings

FIELD TOUCH UP: It is almost a given that some damage will occur and touchup work will be required during or after installation. But the good news is that both painted surface damage can be easily repaired if the damage is slight such as a scratch or rub mark. Minor painted surface damage can be sanded prior to touchup painting with excellent results. For scratches or gouges use a relatively course grit paper to remove the damage, then use progressively finer paper to remove the sanding marks, finishing with a 180 to 220 grit paper.

Custom finishers usually supply a limited mount of touch-up paint with the project material. Touchup paint is supplied in small aerosols or bottles with a built in brush for easy application and is to be applied very sparingly. It is intended to cover small blemishes or to touchup exposed cut ends on fabricated parts. It is not intended for use on large areas of more than a few square inches. The color will closely match the factory applied painted or anodized finish, however the finish is not as hard nor performance the same as the baked on finishes. After cleaning the area to be touched up, wipe the area with denatured alcohol to remove any moisture or cleaning residue and apply the touchup per the finisher¡¦s instructions. Use caution as excessive use of touch up paint may void the original finisher's warranty.

CORRECTING MORE SEVERE DAMAGE: At times a window, curtain-wall or storefront frame will become damaged or discolored beyond the point where simple field touchup will correct the problem. Damage can result from a variety of sources including final cleaning of the building facade without proper protection of the aluminum surfaces, environmental impact from sea-coast or corrosive atmosphere exposure, long term neglect, or selection of the wrong finish at the time the material was finished and fabricated. (For example specifying dark bronze or bright blue or red baked enamel on framing material or panel exposed to the exterior elements).