Maintaining My Home

for a low level of dirt or staining, first try washing with detergent and warm water or a 50/50 mixture of white vinegar and water, applied with a clean microfibre cloth or sponge

proprietary intensive glass cleaners/glass restorers are available for more serious staining. Do not allow cleaning solutions on the edges of laminated glass or double or triple glazing

in some cases, polishing with cerium oxide may help remove stubborn stains from salt or chemicals in the air. Available from some hardware stores, this comes in powder form and is mixed with water to create a paste

take great care working at height. Always tell someone before you begin working on a roof – you can find guidance here

professional cleaning of glass is available. Look for a well-experienced company that specialises in this work. The glass is typically polished with a hand-held device using mild abrasives. In some cases there may be some subsequent visual distortion in the glass

in extreme cases, replacement of the glass may be the only option that will give a satisfactory result. Call on a skylight supplier for advice – this is not DIY work. only use well experienced people. Problems with double glazing/skylights are commonly the result of faulty installation

roof glazing must meet the requirements of NZS 4223.4:2008 Glazing in buildings Part 4: Wind, dead, snow and live actions, which requires the use of safety glass. The safety requirements of working at height must also be followed

under the Building Code, skylights being newly installed or replaced must have a certain minimum “R-value” – this is a measure of the way they stop heat being lost from a building. The higher the R-value, the lower the heat loss

two ways to demonstrate compliance with the Building Code are Acceptable Solution H1/AS1 5th edition amendment 1 or Verification Method H1/VM1 5th edition amendment 1

begin a regular glass cleaning routine. Locations with salt spray or industrial or agricultural chemicals in the atmosphere will require this more frequently. In some cases cleaning every month or two may be required if rain washing is not sufficient