Homes on the streets around Bronte Beach and along the headlands take the full force of the ocean: onshore winds carrying salt spray and fine sand. Glass, window frames, sliding doors and balustrades are where the damage shows first.
Glass
Salt dries on glass as a film. Fresh, it cleans off. Left for months, it etches the glass permanently. The dry spring months, when rain does not rinse it, are the worst. More: salt film versus etching.
Ocean-facing glass needs a professional clean two to four times a year and fresh-water rinsing between. Purified water leaves no mineral spots. More: window cleaning.
Frames
Older Bronte homes have timber windows; newer ones mostly powder-coated aluminium. Timber frames lose paint on the ocean side and rot at the sills. Aluminium corrodes from scratches and edges, forming white powder under the coating. Rinse frames, keep timber painted, and check for corrosion. More: powder-coated aluminium in salt air.
Sliding doors and tracks
Sand blows into tracks, salt crusts on them, and rollers wear. Vacuum sand out, then clean and rinse. Stiff sliding doors are usually a track problem, not a door problem. More: window tracks and sills.
Balustrades
Glass balustrades collect salt and spotting; their spigots and clamps collect salt water. Stainless posts and rails tea-stain. Galvanised steel rusts. Timber balustrades grey and split.
Clean and rinse regularly, and inspect fixings annually. A balustrade above a drop that moves, or has rust coming from a joint or base plate, needs repair before cleaning. More: tea staining and glass balustrade cleaning.
Flyscreens
Screens trap salt and sand and go grey. Remove, rinse and clean them a few times a year. More: flyscreens.
A realistic routine
Every few weeks: hose ocean-facing glass, frames and balustrades with fresh water. Two to four times a year: professional glass clean, frames and tracks cleaned. Annually: inspect fixings, seals and timber paint.
Signs it is time to act
Glass that looks hazy even after rain. Sliding doors that stick. Flyscreens that have gone grey. White powder at the corners of aluminium frames. Brown spots on stainless. Paint flaking from timber window sills on the ocean side. Each is cheaper to deal with early.
Timber windows in older Bronte homes
Many older semis and terraces still have timber windows. On the ocean side, paint breaks down faster and sills rot where water sits. Keep the paint sound, keep the drainage holes in sills clear, and repair small areas of rot before they spread. Cleaning shows where paint has failed; repainting is the fix. More: timber cladding and weatherboard.
Glass balustrade safety
Glass balustrades on balconies and decks are safety barriers. While cleaning them, look at the fixings: spigots, clamps and channels. Corrosion, movement or cracked glass needs repair by the installer or a glazier before anyone leans on it.
See the Bronte maintenance calendar and salt-hazed coastal glass.
