HOLZER Tehnic

Quick Facts

Brand at a Glance

Product Range

Why This System

Step 1 of 2: Manufacturer Recommendations

Official Care Guidance

Glass

• ✓Lukewarm water with mild dish soap or purpose-made glass cleaner.
• ✓Microfibre T-bar applicator on wash, professional squeegee on pull. Fresh rubber.
• ✓Keep glass cleaning solution away from timber frame faces and rebates.
• ✓No razor blades unless coating type confirmed.

Frames

• ✓Check paint or finish condition before any water contact. Do not clean damaged or missing paintwork with water.
• ✓Painted frames with sound paintwork: damp cloth with mild pH-neutral cleaner. Rinse. Dry immediately.
• ✓Stained or oiled frames: barely damp cloth only. Minimal moisture. Dry immediately.
• ✓Never apply water-based cleaner to bare timber or through a crack in the paint surface.

Hardware

• ✓Wipe hardware with a damp cloth and dry immediately. Steel hardware on timber frames rusts faster than on PVC or aluminium.
• ✓Lubricate tilt-and-turn mechanisms and hinge points annually.
• ✓In summer, if handles are stiff to operate, check sash alignment before lubricating - seasonal timber expansion may need a hinge or keep adjustment.

Step 2 of 2: The Orloffs Protocol

The Orloffs Protocol

Pro Tools

My daily tool list. This is what I carry to every job.

Follow these steps in order. Each one builds on the last. This is the same sequence I use on every HOLZER Tehnic installation.

1. 1

   Condition assessment

   Walk every timber window before touching it. Look at the paint or finish condition on all four sides - top rail, bottom rail, left stile, right stile.

   The bottom rail of south-facing windows and the bottom of any frame in a location where water collects are the highest-risk sections. Look for cracking, flaking, peeling, or any area where bare timber is visible.

   Photograph any finish damage. Discuss with the property owner before proceeding with water-based cleaning on damaged sections.

2. 2

   Glass wash

   Apply soap solution to the glass with the T-bar. Control the application to keep solution off timber frame faces.

   On casement or tilt-and-turn configurations, work from top to bottom and keep solution directed at the glass rather than the surrounding timber.

   30 to 60 second dwell on soiled areas.

3. 3

   Edge detail

   Wipe the glass edge at the rebate with a damp cloth before squeegeeing. Keep this cloth drier than on PVC or aluminium - the timber rebate is right there.

   Dry the top timber frame rail before squeegeeing.

   On casement windows, confirm friction stays are holding the sash before cleaning the outer face.

4. 4

   Squeegee

   Side-to-side passes from the top. Angle rubber slightly away from the timber rebate at the cut-in.

   Wipe rubber clean after every pass.

   Bottom edge pass with the squeegee tilted away from the frame to prevent water running into the timber rebate.

5. 5

   Frame wipe-down

   Painted frames with sound paintwork: damp cloth with pH-neutral cleaner, rinse, dry immediately with a second clean cloth.

   Stained or oiled frames: barely damp cloth only. Work in the direction of the wood grain. Dry immediately.

   Do not leave any moisture on any timber surface. Immediate drying after every contact.

6. 6

   Hardware check and drainage

   Run each window through full operation. Note any stiffness and whether it is hardware-related or seasonal timber movement.

   Dry all hardware immediately after cleaning.

   Clear drainage slots with a soft brush. In timber windows, drainage slots are sometimes in the timber rebate rather than the profile - locate them carefully.

Pro Tips

• ★ Never use a wet cloth on a stained or oiled timber finish. The finish is permeable and will absorb the moisture. Always wring the cloth out until barely damp.
• ★ Bottom rails on timber windows accumulate the most moisture from rain and are the most common paint failure point. Build a bottom-rail condition check into every visit.
• ★ Oak timber frames are denser than pine or meranti and tolerate a slightly wetter cloth during cleaning. Pine frames are the most sensitive to moisture - treat them as if they were oiled timber regardless of the paint condition.
• ★ Timber tilt-and-turn windows in summer sometimes feel stiff because the sash has expanded in humidity. Before lubricating, check if the sash is rubbing the frame at any point - if it is, a hinge depth adjustment to move the sash out slightly may be needed.
• ★ Hardware on timber frames is often steel with a chrome or zinc finish. Steel hardware on timber is more corrosion-prone than on PVC because timber holds more moisture than PVC. Dry all steel hardware thoroughly and consider a light coating of car wax on exposed steel in coastal locations.
• ★ South-facing timber windows in Romania and Central European climates can show paint breakdown within 5 to 7 years from installation if the initial paint specification was insufficient. UV exposure is the primary driver. Flag early-stage paint checking to property owners.
• ★ When cleaning the outer face of an outward-opening casement from a ladder, always confirm the friction stay can hold the sash at your working position before committing full weight to the ladder against the building.

What NOT To Do

Bundle Kits and Tool Recommendations

Cleaning Frequency

Glass: 2x per year minimum (Spring and autumn. More in high-pollen or high-soiling environments.). Frames: 2x per year (Same visit as glass. Condition assessment at every visit regardless of cleaning frequency.). Drainage slots: Every clean (Blocked drainage on timber windows allows water to sit against the timber - higher risk than on PVC.). Hardware lubrication: Once per year (Check for seasonal adjustment needs in summer before lubricating.)

Frequently Asked Questions

Field Notes

“Timber window cleaning requires more cloths per window than PVC or aluminium work. Immediate drying after every moisture contact means you go through cloths faster. Bring more than you think you need. Holzer Tehnic laminated-timber windows are well-made products. The glulam construction means the profile is stable, but paint maintenance is the limiting factor in longevity. A well-maintained finish on a laminated-timber window lasts 20 to 25 years. A neglected finish means problems in under 10. Romanian timber window manufacture at the premium tier produces products that compete with Western European manufacturers on quality. The cleaning and maintenance protocol is identical to any other premium European timber window.”

Justin Orloff