Top tips to prevent uPVC handles from corroding

Nobody wants corroded handles, yet we do tend see them around and about. Door furniture such as handles, knockers, and letterplates gives doors a stylish appearance, yet sometimes they begin to pit and corrode, turning a beautiful door with furniture that shines into a front door nightmare! Corrosion on door handles comes down to two main issues:

1. Location

For properties near the coast, or power stations that create a high level of corrosion in the atmosphere will mean that external door furniture usually bears the brunt of this. If this is the case, then continuous scheduled maintenance might be required, alternatively the best course of action is to ensure stainless steel furniture is fitted that has been tested past the standards for salt spray resistance. 

Furniture is categorised by grades to a standard known as BS EN 1670 and the minimum testing period is 96 hours (grade 3) and the maximum is 480 hours (grade 5). The test is carried out by placing the furniture into a salt spray booth and the above represents how long continued exposure can take before showing signs of corrosion or pitting. For inland properties this can equate to years, however for coastal locations this can equate to months. The good news is that stainless steel furniture exceeds 1000 hours which is way past the maximum level, meaning less maintenance, and hard-wearing door furniture.  At Window Ware we carry a number of high quality stainless steel furniture products, available from stock, next day.

2. Maintenance & Aftercare

Like many things, maintenance can increase the life of door and window furniture, and for inland properties this procedure can be carried every couple of months. For coastal locations, we recommend fitting stainless steel furniture which will require less maintenance. The best way to maintain your door furniture is to use plain warm water, don't be tempted to add any soap or cleaning products, and just buff with a dry soft cloth to finish. Over time furniture can get surface damage from keys or rings, some are superficial whereas others can be deep, and using a cleaning product could strip the finish and discolour the product.

For any questions, or further advice, please contact me via [email protected].

Robert Vaughan
Head of Technical