Smart Systems

Quick Facts

Brand at a Glance

Product Range

Why This System

Step 1 of 2: Manufacturer Recommendations

Official Care Guidance

Glass

• ✓pH-neutral glass cleaner in warm water. Microfibre T-bar and professional squeegee.
• ✓Roof lanterns: mineral deposit pre-treatment before standard cleaning if hard water deposits are present. Apply, allow 2 minutes maximum contact, rinse thoroughly, then clean normally.
• ✓Bifold door glass: clean each sash as an individual panel. Position squeegee stroke direction to keep solution away from the folding edge hardware.
• ✓Low-pitch roof lantern glass: plan squeegee direction to run solution toward the eaves gutter, not across the pitch.

Frames

• ✓Powder-coated aluminium: pH-neutral cleaner on soft cloth. No alkaline, no acid, no abrasive.
• ✓Dual-colour frames: same product on both faces. The inner white face may show cleaning marks more visibly than the outer grey face - check both faces in appropriate light.
• ✓Clean bifold door track with soft brush and damp cloth. Remove all grit and debris before lubricating.
• ✓Clear roof lantern drainage paths and eaves gutters at every clean.

Hardware

• ✓Bifold running gear: lubricate roller axles and guide track with PTFE spray every 6 months.
• ✓Window hardware: annual lubrication at all mechanism points with light machine oil or PTFE spray.
• ✓Check bifold door fold sequence - all sashes should fold and stack smoothly with even resistance. Uneven resistance means one panel's running gear needs attention.

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 Smart Systems installation.

1. 1

   Scope identification

   Identify all glazing types on the installation: vertical windows, bifold doors, sliding doors, roof lanterns.

   Roof lanterns require safe access equipment - identify the access method before starting.

   Check for any hard water mineral deposit on roof lantern glass that needs pre-treatment before the main clean.

2. 2

   Bifold door track and running gear

   Clear the bifold bottom track with a soft brush, removing all grit and debris.

   Wipe the track with a damp cloth. Confirm the track is completely clear before lubricating.

   Apply PTFE spray to the track face and to the roller axle access points on each sash.

3. 3

   Bifold glass cleaning

   Fold and stack the bifold sashes to access the outer face. Clean each panel individually.

   On inner face: unfold each panel and clean with standard technique.

   Keep cleaning solution away from the fold hardware at the panel edges.

4. 4

   Vertical window cleaning

   Standard tilt-and-turn or casement approach depending on window type.

   UK Smart Systems casement windows are outward-opening in many configurations - confirm stay condition before cleaning outer face.

   Annual hardware lubrication at this stage.

5. 5

   Roof lantern cleaning

   Confirm safe access before starting. Do not step on the lantern glass.

   Pre-treat any hard water deposits with mineral remover. Apply, 2 minutes maximum, rinse thoroughly.

   Squeegee from the ridge toward the eaves. Solution must not pool at any point on the low-pitch glass.

6. 6

   Drainage and gutter check

   Clear all roof lantern eaves gutters and drainage outlets after cleaning.

   Check bifold door threshold drainage if fitted.

   Clear any weep holes in horizontal aluminium frame members.

Pro Tips

• ★ Bifold door bottom track is the most critical maintenance item on any Smart Systems residential installation. Grit in the track wears the running gear and causes jamming. Monthly track clearing (which takes two minutes per door) prevents 90 percent of bifold service calls.
• ★ Roof lantern glass in UK hard water areas should be treated as a specialist cleaning task. The combination of low pitch, hard water deposits, and biological growth in UK climate produces surface conditions that standard window cleaning does not address.
• ★ UK rainwater on south-east English roof lanterns contains dissolved calcium that deposits as it dries. A roof lantern that gets rained on and then dries in sun every day accumulates calcium deposit faster than the monthly cleaning interval can prevent. A hydrophobic glass coating on roof lantern glass significantly slows this accumulation.
• ★ Dual-colour Smart Systems powder coat (grey outside, white inside) is very common in UK residential extensions. The white inner face of a bifold door shows fingermarks and cleaning marks much more visibly than the grey outer face. Check the inner face at 90 degrees to the surface to see any marks before leaving the site.
• ★ Smart Systems bifold doors that are hard to fold toward the end of the stack are usually caused by the last panel's running gear being dry. Apply PTFE spray to all panels but give extra application to the last panel in the stacking sequence.
• ★ UK planning permissions for residential extensions frequently specify the aluminium colour. A Smart Systems extension repainted or re-coated in a non-approved colour violates planning conditions. Cleaning must not alter the colour appearance - standard pH-neutral cleaning produces no colour change.
• ★ Roof lantern access in UK residential settings is frequently a 2-person job: one operative on the roof with safe edge protection, one operative coordinating from the ground. Never attempt to clean a roof lantern from an unsupported ladder leaned against the lantern frame.

What NOT To Do

Bundle Kits and Tool Recommendations

Cleaning Frequency

Glass - vertical: 2 to 3x per year (UK residential standard. Extensions used as living rooms benefit from more frequent cleaning.). Glass - roof lantern: 4 to 6x per year (UK hard water areas: quarterly minimum. Leaves and biological growth accumulate fast on low-pitch glazing.). Bifold track: Monthly (A 2-minute track brush between cleaning visits prevents the majority of bifold service call-outs.). Hardware lubrication: Twice per year (Bifold running gear: spring and autumn. Window hardware: annual.)

Frequently Asked Questions

Field Notes

“Smart Systems is one of the most frequently encountered aluminium profile brands in UK residential extensions and orangeries built from 2005 onwards. The bifold door is the defining product of the UK residential extension market in that period. Roof lantern cleaning is underspecified and underpriced in most UK window cleaning contracts. The time, access equipment, and pre-treatment requirements for a large roof lantern are substantially greater than for the same glass area in a vertical window. Hard water mineral deposit on UK roof lanterns is the most common unresolved maintenance problem in the Smart Systems installation base. Property owners are often told it is not possible to remove without damage. It is possible with the correct pH-specific mineral remover and the correct technique.”

Justin Orloff