Residence Collection windows and doors were designed for modern living: no painting, sanding or staining. This is the manufacturer-recommended routine that keeps the finish and the hardware performing.
Timber-alternative frames from the Residence Collection are close to maintenance free, but close is not quite the same as nothing at all. A short routine two or three times a year keeps the premium finish looking as it did on handover day and, just as importantly, keeps hinges, handles and locking mechanisms operating smoothly.
Nothing here needs specialist products. Warm soapy water, a soft cloth and a single drop of light machine oil on the moving parts covers almost every situation. What matters more is what you avoid: abrasive pads, bleach, solvent-based cleaners and the jewellery on your hands while you work.
This guidance follows The Residence Collection's own care recommendations for R9, R7 and R2 systems, and applies equally to windows and doors.
Choose a cloudy day if you can. Sunlight dries glass prematurely and leaves streaks, which is why professional cleaners rarely work a south-facing elevation at midday.
Use warm soapy water — an ordinary washing-up detergent is ideal — with a soft cloth. Wipe the frames and cills down, then dry with a clean, dry, soft cloth. Nothing harsh or abrasive should ever touch the profile.
There is no maintenance beyond this. No toxic paints, primers, preservatives or fungicides are needed to keep the finish fresh, which is the whole point of a timber-alternative system in a wet Cumbrian climate.
A household window cleaner and a soft cloth give the best finish. Check the cloth is free of grit or debris first — a single stone caught in a cloth will scratch a sealed unit permanently.
Residence frames are designed with an easy-clean frame rebate: no sharp corners or deep grooves for dirt to collect in. Open the window or door and simply wipe the rebate clean.
To activate easy-clean mode, push both black slide buttons — one at the top, one at the bottom — towards the corner, then slide the sash away from the corner. This opens up access to the outer face of the glass on upper-floor windows without leaning out.
Hinges, locking mechanisms and handles need periodic lubrication to keep operating as they did on day one. One drop of a light machine oil — WD40 or 3-in-1 — is plenty. Wipe away any excess immediately and take care not to get oil on the main profile.
Wipe the hinge tracks clean at the same time. Grit in a friction hinge is the usual reason a window starts to feel stiff, long before anything has actually worn.
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