Maintaining outdoor aluminium slats: easy-peasy

Do aluminium covers need much maintenance? No. Powder coated aluminium slats can last up to 80 years. They are easy to clean, and are almost maintenance free.

Are aluminium slats easy to look after? Absolutely! Powder coated aluminium in outdoor settings, is highly durable and corrosion resistant.  Depending on the harshness of the environment, aluminium can easily last well beyond 50years (up to 80years) without any significant deterioration.

When compared to steel at around 20 years, and timber at about 15 years in the same conditions, aluminium is the ideal choice for fencing and outdoor enclosures and covers like Hideaway’s outdoor range. Naturally, if you continually applying protective coatings such as paint or oils to steel or timber it extends their lifespan – but you have to keep up the maintenance usually every 3-4 years or annually if using oil. That’s a lot of effort, time and cost. If you put off doing it one year it deteriorates quicker and starts looking very tired. But not with aluminium.

For powder coated aluminium, as a general guide, it’s a good idea to simply check over your surfaces periodically and then hose them down about twice a year unless you live in a harsh marine environment such as a coastal area or near an industrial site that requires more regular cleaning. Most people give their Hideaway cover or enclosure a hose-down each time they they have the hose out for cleaning other outdoor items.

To clean and maintain your powder coated aluminium slat covers, enclosures or fences, and to prevent corrosion, you can follow these simple steps:

1. Remove any loose dirt, debris, or bird droppings: Use a soft-bristled brush or a microfibre cloth to remove any loose dirt, dust, or debris from the surface.
2. Use a pH neutral mild detergent solution: Mix a mild detergent solution with warm water and use a sponge or cloth to apply it to the powder coated surface. Avoid using abrasive cleaners, scourers, or steel wool as they can scratch the powder coating. Alternatively, use a brush and pH neutral detergent with your high pressure cleaner (on half-pressure).
3. Rinse thoroughly with clean water: Rinse the powder coated surface thoroughly with clean water to remove all traces of the detergent solution. Make sure to remove all soap residue to prevent any possible corrosion.
4. Dry the surface completely: Use a clean, dry cloth to wipe the surface dry. Moisture can promote corrosion internally, so it’s important to dry the surface completely.  We recommend doing this on a warm, sunny day.
5. To retain that as new look: (purely optional) Consider applying a good car polish to the powder coated slats. Apply and rub off to restore an as new sheen to your product. From our experience, we found “Turtle Wax Hard Shell” liquid polish to be easy to apply and rub off and produces a good gloss. We do this once a year just to keep our enclosures shining like new (but you don’t have to, and they will still look good).

Regularly cleaning and maintaining the powder coated slat surface – even as simple as regularly washing down with a garden hose – can help prevent deterioration. If you live in a harsh environment, you may need to clean the surface every few months or more frequently the closer you are to the ocean or industrial site.

Don’t do this …

Whilst powder coated aluminium slats are very easy to maintain, there are also a few things to avoid that will extend the lifespan of your aluminium slat enclosure, cover or fence.

1. Exposure to harsh chemicals: Certain chemicals can corrode aluminium, especially when exposed for prolonged periods. For example, aluminium can react with acids, such as hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, or nitric acid, and alkaline solutions, such as sodium hydroxide or ammonia.
2. Exposure to saltwater: Saltwater can be particularly corrosive to aluminium, especially in marine environments. Saltwater can cause aluminium to develop a pitted surface, which can weaken the metal over time.  There are specialist powder coating applications for such harsh environmental conditions.
3. High levels of humidity: High humidity levels can cause moisture to accumulate on the surface of aluminium if it is not fully powder coated (including no exposed metal edges at joins), leading to corrosion. This is especially true in areas where there are also high levels of atmospheric pollution or acid rain.
4. Contact with dissimilar metals: When different types of metals come into contact with each other, they can produce an electrochemical reaction that causes corrosion. This process is known as galvanic corrosion, and it can significantly shorten the lifespan of aluminium.

Summary

Minimal maintenance is all that is required.

Just like any other outdoor product, some maintenance is essential to extend the lifespan of powder coated aluminium slats. Failure to clean and maintain powder coated aluminium surfaces regularly can allow dirt, grime, and other contaminants to accumulate, leading to possible corrosion and deterioration over time.  It will also lessen the gloss or sheen of your slats.

It’s simple – a small amount of washing down periodically as regular maintenance will ensure that your Hideaway cover or enclosure will last for decades and repay your initial investment many times over. 

See www.Hideaway-Covers.com.au for more details.