Sky-Frame

Quick Facts

Brand at a Glance

Product Range

Why This System

Step 1 of 2: Manufacturer Recommendations

Official Care Guidance

Sky-Frame's 7-Step Cleaning Process

• ✓Clean panes of glass with a soft cloth and a normal commercial glass cleaner.
• ✓Remove soiling from base profile with a vacuum cleaner.
• ✓Clean base profile with a damp cloth and a liquid cleaning agent.
• ✓Check the gutter for soiling and clean if necessary.
• ✓Ensure that water can flow away in the gutter.
• ✓Remove all tools, materials, and other equipment from the working area.
• ✓Clean the working area and remove any liquids, consumables, or similar materials.

Gaskets and Seals

• ✓Seals are treated with silicone from the factory to prevent freezing.
• ✓When this protection deteriorates: spray silicone spray onto a cloth outdoors first (never directly onto the seal), then apply to the seals using the cloth.
• ✓Inspect seals at every cleaning for cracking, hardening, or gaps - functional seals are essential for thermal and acoustic performance.

Road Salt

• ✕Road salt can damage Sky-Frame sliding windows.
• ✓If the installation is near a road, driveway, or path that receives salt in winter, avoid salt contact with the system and clean any salt residue promptly if it reaches the glass or tracks.

What Not To Do

• ✕Never use metal blades or glass scrapers - Sky-Frame explicitly states these can cause severe damage to TSG-HST glass. No exceptions.
• ✓No abrasive or scouring material on any surface - including products labelled 'soft scrub'.
• ✓Never use cleaning agents containing solvent or scouring material.
• ✓No alkalis (lyes) - these attack both the glass surface and surrounding materials.
• ✓High-pressure washing is not recommended - the force can damage seals, the drainage system, and push water into weather-sealed areas.
• ✕Never clean with dirty cloths - grains of dirt trapped in fabric scratch the glass. Replace immediately if a cloth picks up grit during cleaning.
• ✓Never clean in direct sunlight - solution evaporates on sun-heated glass before it can be squeegeed, leaving streaks that are highly visible across large panels.
• ✕After any nearby construction work - clean immediately. Cement dust, plaster, and paint splashes bond to coated glass rapidly.

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 Sky-Frame installation.

1. 1

   Preparation - before any water touches the glass

   Fill the bucket with at least 10 litres of water. Add soap for cleaning power - enough to cut through environmental deposits, not so much you are fighting foam. On Sky-Frame's large surface area you will use more solution than you expect.

   Before touching the glass, brush down the surface to remove loose dust, spiderwebs, and debris. Any grit left on the glass during the wash phase risks scratching the coating during agitation.

   Vacuum the sill track and base profile before washing the glass. Debris that gets wet during glass cleaning becomes paste in the drainage channels - remove it dry first.

   Cover anything below the panels that cannot be moved. Sky-Frame panels are large - water management at this scale requires forward planning.

2. 2

   Agitation

   Dip the microfiber T-bar completely into the soap water, both sides. Remove excess water with your hand so it does not drip. Apply the solution across the entire glass surface with overlapping passes.

   The goal is to fully dissolve and release every deposit from the glass surface. Anything not released during agitation gets transported across the glass by the squeegee as a smear. On Sky-Frame's large panels, that smear covers metres.

   For stubborn spots - insect marks, salt residue, environmental deposits - re-apply soap water and allow it to soak for a full minute before agitating again. Use more soap water, not more pressure. Sky-Frame's coatings cannot tolerate abrasive force.

   For panels taller than arm reach: attach the T-bar to an extension pole. Work in sections - top first, then middle, then bottom - keeping each section wet until you squeegee it. If glass is warm and solution evaporates quickly, run applicator and squeegee in parallel: applicator agitating, squeegee following 5–10 cm behind.

   Rinse the T-bar cover regularly during the job. A dirty applicator on Sky-Frame's coated glass causes the microscopic scratches that Sky-Frame's manual specifically warns about.

3. 3

   Detail the frame edge before squeegeeing

   On Sky-Frame, the edges where glass meets floor, ceiling, and adjacent panels all need detailing before the squeegee touches the glass.

   Use your 100% cotton towelling rag, finger pressed into the fabric, to work into every junction and remove pooled soap water. This prevents drips running down onto already-cleaned areas during squeegeeing and keeps soap water out of the sill track drainage.

   On Sky-Frame specifically: the bottom edge where glass meets the sill track is the most critical detailing point. Water that runs into the track during squeegeeing leaves residue in the drainage channels over time. Clean it out before it runs.

4. 4

   The squeegee

   Tilt the squeegee at a slight angle so soap water spills from one side of the channel only - not both. If the rubber is jumping, hopping, or squeaking, either the rubber is not lubricated enough with solution or the glass has warmed.

   Cutting in: start with the rubber blade making first contact on a dry edge of the glass. Dry rubber on a dry edge, or slice into the soap water at an angle to create a dry starting line.

   Side to side: horizontal passes across the panel. Works well on wide sections. Top to bottom: vertical passes down the panel. Works well on tall narrow sections. For full Sky-Frame panels: top-to-bottom with extension pole for the upper section above arm height, then switch to side-to-side from arm height down. Keep the pole at 45 degrees - flat angle fails to remove the solution correctly.

   The J tune: one smooth unbroken motion top to bottom, wrist rotating at each end to reverse without lifting the rubber. The most efficient method on Sky-Frame's large panels - but it requires training before you apply it to premium glass.

   Wipe the rubber dry after every pass. On a Sky-Frame panel, residue on the blade creates a line across metres of glass.

   Overlap as little as possible - squeegee rubber roughly three-quarters in the soaped area and one-quarter out. Bumping: if soap water accumulates in the channel, bump the rubber against the glass at the lowest point of the panel to release it.

5. 5

   Final edge detailing

   After squeegeeing, there is always a residual line of water along the bottom edge and at the panel sides. Take a dry cotton rag, fold to a clean corner, and detail these edges in one smooth pass.

   On Sky-Frame: the bottom edge where glass meets the sill track requires the most careful attention. Water left here runs into the track drainage and leaves residue that affects both the track operation and the next clean.

   Where glass meets adjacent panels: detail the vertical edges carefully. There is no frame to catch anything that runs.

   Rotate the rag to a clean section after every pass. If the rag picks up grit at any point, replace it immediately.

6. 6

   Track and drainage maintenance

   After the glass and edges are complete, address the track system.

   Wipe the track rails with a damp cloth to remove any soap residue. Check that all drainage openings in the sill channel are clear and unobstructed. Water must be able to flow freely - a blocked channel leads to accumulation that affects sliding operation and weather seal performance.

   If debris remains in the track after wiping, vacuum again. The track should be completely clear and clean before you finish.

Pro Tips

• ★ Never use metal blades or scrapers - Sky-Frame's manual is explicit that these can cause severe damage to TSG-HST glass. No exceptions.
• ★ Never clean in direct sunlight - solution flashes off heated glass and leaves streaks visible across metres.
• ★ Never clean with a dirty cloth - grit trapped in fabric scratches the coating. Replace immediately if a cloth picks up debris.
• ★ Vacuum the track before washing the glass - wet debris becomes paste in the drainage channels.
• ★ Use more soap water, not more pressure - the coatings cannot tolerate abrasive force.
• ★ Apply silicone spray to a cloth outdoors first, never directly onto the seal.
• ★ Clean immediately after nearby construction - cement, plaster, and paint bond to coated glass rapidly.

What NOT To Do

Bundle Kits and Tool Recommendations

Cleaning Frequency

Glass: 2× per year minimum (Spring and autumn.). Urban / coastal / high-pollution: 4× per year. After nearby construction: Immediately (Do not allow cement dust, plaster, or paint residue to bond to the glass or coatings.). Track and drainage: Every clean (Clear at every glass cleaning.). Seal inspection: Every clean (Apply silicone spray via cloth when factory protection shows signs of deterioration.). Road salt contact: Promptly on contact (Do not allow salt residue to sit on the glass or track system.)

Frequently Asked Questions

Field Notes

“Glass: minimum twice per year - four times in urban, coastal, or high-pollution locations. After nearby construction: clean immediately to prevent cement dust, plaster, or paint bonding to coated glass. Track and drainage: clear at every glass cleaning. Seal inspection: at every cleaning - apply silicone spray via cloth when factory protection shows signs of deterioration. Road salt contact: clean promptly on contact - do not allow salt residue to sit on glass or tracks.”

Justin Orloff