Dover Heights homes are built for the ocean view, and the ocean sends salt back. Fine spray carried by onshore wind coats every east-facing surface, and on the clifftop streets it reaches further inland than people expect.
Glass and aluminium window frames are the surfaces that show it first and suffer most.
Salt on glass
Fresh salt forms a haze that cleans off. Left for months, especially through the dry spring, it combines with minerals and attacks the glass surface. At that point it is etching, and cleaning cannot remove it. More: salt film versus etching.
The test: if the glass is clean and dry but still dull, or feels rough, it is etched. Polishing can help mild etching; heavy etching means replacement.
Salt on aluminium frames
Powder-coated aluminium is durable until the coating is breached. Salt attacks at scratches, cut edges, and fixing points, causing corrosion that spreads under the coating as white powder and blistering. Anodised aluminium pits and dulls. More: powder-coated aluminium in salt air.
Most window manufacturers require regular cleaning of frames in coastal areas to keep warranties valid, often more frequently than inland. Check yours. More: manufacturer cleaning guidelines.
Tracks and rollers
Sliding doors on ocean-facing elevations collect salt and sand in their tracks. The rollers grind, the doors stiffen, and the seals wear. Cleaning the tracks is the job that keeps large sliding doors working. More: window tracks and sills.
Flyscreens
Screens trap salt and go grey. Aluminium mesh corrodes. Remove, rinse and clean them regularly. More: flyscreen cleaning.
A realistic routine
Every few weeks: rinse ocean-facing glass and frames with fresh water, top to bottom. A hose is fine; avoid high pressure on seals.
Two to four times a year: professional glass clean with purified water, frames washed, tracks cleaned.
Annually: inspect seals, frames and fixings for corrosion.
Window cleaning searches in Sydney peak at about 1,000 a month in October and November. Booking in September, after the driest month, gets the salt off before summer.
Other metals
Stainless balustrades, gate hardware and outdoor kitchens tea-stain. Galvanised steel rusts once the zinc is gone. Rinse and inspect them on the same routine. More: tea staining on stainless.
Signs the salt is winning
Glass that looks hazy again within a week or two of cleaning. White powder or blisters on aluminium frames, especially at corners and around screws. Sliding doors that need a shoulder to open. Flyscreens that have gone grey and stiff. Brown spots on stainless fittings. Any of these means the rinse-and-clean routine needs to be more frequent.
When replacing windows
If windows are due for replacement, specify frames and hardware for a marine environment: suitable powder coat or anodising systems, stainless hardware in grade 316, and drainage that does not trap water. Ask the manufacturer what cleaning their warranty requires on a coastal site, and get it in writing. A cheaper window that needs replacing in ten years on a clifftop is not cheaper. More: manufacturer cleaning guidelines.
See the Dover Heights maintenance calendar and our window cleaning service.
