Windows actually open again
Most stiff sliders on this coast are not broken. They are full of sand.
Glass
Screen and track cleaning
Screens removed, washed and re-seated. Sills, tracks and weep holes cleared of coastal grit.
- From
- $6 per screen, sample
- Typical time
- Adds 45 to 90 minutes to a house clean
Overview
What this actually involves
Screens and tracks are where most window complaints actually come from. Glass can be perfect and the window still looks bad, because the sill holds a grey line of sand, the track has a sprouting weed in the corner, and the screen mesh is grey with salt and pollen.
On the coast this is not cosmetic. Sand in a sliding door track grinds the rollers. Blocked weep holes at the bottom of a vinyl frame trap water inside the sash, which is the fastest way to a failed seal and a rotted sill. We clear weep holes on every visit and tell you if one is blocked by caulk rather than debris, because that is a builder problem, not a cleaning problem.
Scope
What is included
- Screens removed and labelled by opening so they go back where they came from
- Mesh washed with a soft brush and rinsed, frames wiped
- Bent frames straightened where possible, torn mesh reported with a re-screen quote
- Sills and tracks vacuumed dry, then damp-wiped
- Weep holes probed and flushed
- Slider and roller tracks cleared, rollers noted if they are binding
Method
How the visit runs
Order matters. Most damage in this trade comes from doing the right steps in the wrong sequence.
Label and remove
Every screen gets a low-tack label keyed to its opening. Screens are not interchangeable even when they look identical.
Dry vacuum
Tracks are vacuumed before any water. Wet sand becomes a grinding paste.
Wash the mesh
Soft brush and rinse on a flat surface, never against the frame, which stretches the mesh.
Clear the weeps
Each weep hole is probed and flushed so trapped water can leave the frame.
Re-seat and test
Screens go back into their labelled openings and every slider is opened and closed once to confirm travel.
Why it is worth it
What you get out of it
Seals last longer
Clear weep holes keep standing water out of the sash cavity, which is what kills insulated glass units early.
No mystery screens
Labelling means screens go back into the right opening, so nothing rattles or sits proud of the frame.
Pricing factors
What moves the price
Every figure on this site is a sample. A real number follows a count on site.
| Factor | Effect |
|---|---|
| Screen count | Priced per screen. Full-height slider screens count as two. |
| Screen condition | Sun-brittle mesh sometimes cannot be removed without tearing. We photograph and ask before forcing anything. |
| Track length | Sliding doors and multi-slide walls take much longer than double-hung tracks. |
| Grit load | Oceanfront and sound-front homes carry far more sand per track. |
Questions
About screen and track cleaning
Anything not covered here, call and ask. You will reach someone who has done the work.
We quote re-screening separately. Charcoal fibreglass mesh is standard; we recommend it over aluminium on the coast because it does not corrode.
Light bends we straighten on site. Anything creased gets photographed and quoted for replacement.
Yes, but gently and never with a pressure washer. Solar mesh delaminates under pressure.
Often booked together
Related services
Residential window cleaning
Interior and exterior glass, sills, sashes and frames on houses from cottages to oceanfront builds.
Gutter cleaning
Hand cleared, bagged, downspouts flushed and flow tested. Pine needles included.
Hard water and mineral stain restoration
Staged restoration for sprinkler spotting, salt etch and construction overspray on glass.
Free estimate
Get a written figure for screen and track cleaning.
No sales visit. A technician counts the glass, checks the storey and the coating, and sends a written figure the same day.
Insured and IWCA. Certificates issued to your property manager on request.