Tiivi

Quick Facts

Brand at a Glance

Product Range

Why This System

Step 1 of 2: Manufacturer Recommendations

Official Care Guidance

Glass

• ✓Clean glass with a soft cloth and mild cleaning agents.
• ✕Do not use abrasive cleaners on glass surfaces.
• ✓Avoid excessive water directed at frame joints, seals, or drainage channels.

Wood Interior Frames

• ✓The wood interior requires regular maintenance - it is not maintenance-free.
• ✕Clean with a damp cloth and mild soap only - do not saturate the wood.
• ✓Inspect the surface coating annually. Re-coat with appropriate wood paint or stain where the finish shows signs of wear, cracking, or discolouration.
• ✕Do not use solvents, strong detergents, or abrasive products on wood surfaces.
• ✓Do not allow water to pool on or against wood frame surfaces.

Aluminium Exterior Frames

• ✓The aluminium cladding is described by Tiivi as low-maintenance - but not zero-maintenance.
• ✓Clean with a soft cloth and mild soapy water.
• ✓Rinse thoroughly after cleaning.
• ✕Do not use abrasive tools, steel wool, or abrasive cleaning pastes on the powder-coated aluminium surface - the damage is permanent.
• ✓Do not use solvents or aggressive chemical cleaners on aluminium surfaces.

Hardware

• ✓Oil all moving parts (hinges, locking points, handles) at least once per year.
• ✓Use lock oil or sewing machine oil for lubrication.
• ✕Do not use WD-40 or silicone spray as a substitute for proper hinge oil - these attract dust and gum up mechanisms over time.

Gaskets and Seals

• ✓Inspect seals and gaskets annually, particularly after winter.
• ✕A seal that has hardened and lost its elasticity needs replacing.
• ✓If a seal has come loose from its groove, press it back into position. Do not use adhesive as a substitute for proper reinstallation.

Drainage Channels

• ✓Keep drainage channels and slots clear of leaves, dirt, and debris.
• ✕Blocked drainage channels trap water against the frame and seals, leading to moisture damage over time.
• ✓Clear channels with a soft brush or low-pressure water - never with a pressure washer.

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 Tiivi installation.

1. 1

   Clear the drainage channels first

   Before anything else, clear the drainage slots at the bottom of the frame with a soft brush. In a Finnish climate, leaves, pine needles, and winter grit collect in these channels. A blocked channel means water backs up against seals while you are cleaning. Two minutes here prevents moisture damage that develops over months.

2. 2

   Detail the frame before touching the glass

   Wipe down the window frame edges with a damp microfibre cloth - wood interior with a lightly damp cloth, aluminium exterior with a slightly wetter one. Use separate cloths for each surface. The squeegee rubber makes contact with the frame edge on every pass. Dirty frame edges mean streaks on clean glass.

   For wood interior surfaces, the cloth should be damp, not wet. Do not let water sit on the wood.

3. 3

   Agitate the glass

   Dip your T-bar applicator fully into the soapy water and apply it across the whole glass surface in overlapping strokes. The goal is to dissolve the dirt so the squeegee can shave it cleanly away.

   If the dirt is not fully released from the glass, the squeegee will drag grit across the surface, leaving smears or micro-scratches. Never clean in direct sunlight - the soapy water dries on the glass before you can squeegee it, baking residue onto the surface.

4. 4

   Detail the frame edges again before squeegeeing

   Once the glass is agitated, run a dry corner of your cotton rag along the top and side edges. This removes pooled soapy water sitting on the frame before the squeegee reaches it. The squeegee picks up that pooled water and drags it back across the glass as a streak. Ten seconds of detailing prevents most streaking.

5. 5

   The three squeegee turns

   Side to side: start at the top edge with a dry rubber. Work across the glass in straight horizontal lines. Tilt the squeegee so soap water spills from one side of the channel only. Wipe the rubber dry after each line. Overlap slightly into the next line down.

   Top to bottom: same principle working in vertical lines. Start in the top corner with a dry rubber. Tilt to direct water downward. Wipe dry after each line. Overlap into the next line across.

   The J tune: the professional continuous motion. From the top of the window to the bottom in one smooth, unbroken movement. Your thumb guides the rotation - as you reach the end of a horizontal pass, rotate your wrist so the squeegee turns and continues down. When this is in muscle memory it is the fastest and most consistent turn for any window, including the large-format Maisema XL panels.

6. 6

   Edge detailing

   After squeegeeing, there is always a thin line of water along the bottom edge and sides. Take a dry cotton rag, fold it to a clean corner, and detail these edges in one smooth pass. Get your finger into the joint where glass meets the frame seal and remove any pooled water sitting there.

   On wood interior frames, be especially careful not to leave water sitting in the corner joint between glass and wood. Rotate the rag to a clean section after each pass.

7. 7

   Hardware oiling

   Once per year, oil all hinges, locking points, and handle mechanisms with lock oil or sewing machine oil. Apply a small amount directly to the hinge knuckles and lock points, then operate the mechanism five or six times to distribute it. Wipe away any excess. This prevents the hardware wear that loosens Tiivi's EasyLock system and concealed hinges over time.

Pro Tips

• ★ Use separate cloths for wood interior and aluminium exterior - never cross-contaminate care products between the two surfaces.
• ★ Clear drainage channels before every clean, especially after autumn leaf fall and spring thaw in the Finnish climate.
• ★ Damp cloth on wood, not wet - excessive moisture on timber interiors causes slow damage that only shows up months later.
• ★ Never clean in direct sunlight - the soapy water dries before you can squeegee it off, baking residue onto the glass.
• ★ Annual seal inspection after winter is not optional in a freeze-thaw climate. A hardened seal that has lost elasticity is no longer sealing.

What NOT To Do

Bundle Kits and Tool Recommendations

Cleaning Frequency

Glass and frames: Minimum 2x per year (Once in spring after the Finnish winter and once in autumn before it.). Urban or roadside environments: Quarterly (Traffic pollution and particulate buildup on both glass and aluminium surfaces.). Wood interior surface coating: Inspect annually (Re-coat where wear or cracking is visible - consult installer for the right product.). Hardware (hinges, locks, handles): Once per year (Lock oil or sewing machine oil only - not WD-40 or silicone spray.). Gaskets and seals: Inspect annually (Particularly after winter freeze-thaw cycles. Hardened seals need replacing.). Drainage channels: Before each clean (And after heavy leaf fall in autumn.)

Frequently Asked Questions

Field Notes

“Glass and frames: twice per year minimum - spring after Finnish winter, autumn before it. Quarterly in urban environments. Wood interior coating: inspect annually, re-coat where wear or cracking is visible. Hardware: oil once per year with lock oil or sewing machine oil - not WD-40. Gaskets and seals: inspect annually after winter freeze-thaw cycles. A hardened seal needs replacing. Drainage channels: clear before every cleaning session and after autumn leaf fall.”

Justin Orloff