6 Pro Tips to Maintain Your ClearView Retractable Screen & Keep Them Sliding Well
How To Know If Your ClearView Retractable Screen Needs Cleaning?
Tracked in by foot or blown in by the breeze, we are always trying to stay one step ahead of the ever-present dirt. That stuff is everywhere. Including in your retractable screen door’s track. How do you know if your door needs a bit of cleaning? It will tell you! When it is first installed, your mesh glides smoothly across the track into the housing. The handlebar smoothly and safely retracts and there is no hesitation in the movement. This is a happy retractable screen!
Over time, as dust and debris begin to gather in the track, you may notice your mesh does not retract as smoothly or completely. A slow retraction for the last 6 inches is a clear indication a bit of quick maintenance is needed.
How to Clean Your Clearview Retractable Screen?
To keep your retractable screen door in tip-top shape and sliding better, follow these steps:
- Run a vacuum with a pointed or narrow attachment along the bottom track. Pay attention to the corners on each side, where dirt may accumulate.
- Then, with a damp cloth, (plain water or water with dish soap are fine) clean the inside of the track.
- Use a smooth, narrow stick or tool and wrap it in a clean, damp cloth and run it inside the track
- Clean the edge of the track where the pull bar runs. This should be done until the cloth comes out clean. Do this step with the upper track as well.
- Next, you should spray along the track with a light coat of silicone spray. Do this for top and bottom tracks. Slide the mesh across the track several times. At this point, depending on how naturally dusty your environment is, you may notice dirt being drawn from the housing into the track. This is good! The silicone is acting as a solvent to draw out the dirt from the guide system.
- Simply wipe clean again with your damp cloth and finish with a light coat of silicone.
- You can remove any overspray with a damp cloth if you wish. In most cases, this is all that is needed to restore your screen to its smooth-running original condition.
Can I Use WD-40 Or Other Lubricants On My ClearView Retractable Screens?
Other silicone sprays are usually fine, though at Screen Experts we prefer a brand called 3-in-1 Silicone Spray. It’s commonly found at stores such as Canadian Tire. It’s important to use a silicone spray that has no other additives. Using WD-40 or any lubricant that is not a pure, greaseless silicone leaves a buildup in the guides and will often leave a grey, goopy mess that may require a more thorough cleaning. Using the wrong lubricant will probably result in the need for a service call. At this point, a technician would probably need to visit your home to clean it thoroughly to avoid the cost and hassle of a service call during our short summer season, use a pure silicone spray instead of WD-40 when you do your periodic track cleaning.
How Often Should I Clean My ClearView Retractable Screen’s Tracks?
The frequency of cleaning really depends on the amount of foot traffic in your household and the natural environment around your home. Circumstances such as nearby construction or a windy location can increase the amount of debris that may accumulate in your screen’s tracks. A good rule of thumb is to wipe down the tracks and spray with silicone at the start of Spring and once again in the Summer, and later as needed. You don’t have to wait for the screen to begin catching on debris; a bit of preventative maintenance can prolong the proper function of your door.
Additional Pro Tips
Another tip for extending the life of your ClearView Retractable Screen, when you aren’t using your screen, store it retracted, rolled away in its housing. Do not force the screen to retract by pushing on the slide bar to move it back into the housing. This may cause the mesh to pop out of the tracks, which are there to protect the edges of your mesh. Check for debris; this is the most common culprit for a screen that’s not operating smoothly.
My Screen Is Not Retracting Properly Even Though I Cleaned The Track! How To Troubleshoot & Fix It?
Let’s face it. ClearView Retractable Screens blend in with their surroundings. They are unobtrusive, which is why people love them! But that full opening of mesh that gives you a great view to the outdoors can occasionally be overlooked and run into. It happens. Fortunately, ClearView Retractable Screens are designed with a rare earth magnetic catch which will release if the door is run into. This actually serves to protect the function of the screen. The door retracts in a controlled manner, thanks to its patented Safe Glide damper system. This means less risk of injury from an accidental collision with the screen. However, if a screen has been run into hard enough, it may need to be repaired by a member of the Screen Experts team. Our technicians can assess what your door needs in order to get it running smoothly and repair it so you can get back to enjoying it again.
At Screen Experts, we stand behind the products we sell. We are committed to quality at every stage, from raw material to construction to installation. Customer care is very important to us too because we live and work in the same community as our customers. We know the climate here and the diverse lifestyles represented by our clientele. Our goal is to provide the right product for your needs and to ensure that you will be satisfied with it for many years to come. As a matter of fact, we do not receive many calls for service and repair. We believe that’s because with a well-engineered product and a bit of regular maintenance, our clients are able to enjoy a smoothly running screen for many years to come.
If you have any questions or concerns about your ClearView Retractable Screens, do not hesitate to contact us. You are our valued customer and we look forward to working with you.