Maintenance

When choosing a material for your patio cover many different kinds of materials come to mind. Some different kinds of materials are steel, aluminum, wood, and even cloth. Another consideration you should take into account is maintaining your patio cover after installation. Being an outdoor product, your patio cover will be hit with a lot of different types of weather, requiring you to do some occasional maintenance to prevent dirt build up.

Aluminum products are the easiest to maintain. Generally, normal rainfall can almost completely maintain your patio cover for you. Dirt, dust, and rust tend to accumulate over time requiring a little more maintenance than simple rainfall. If extra maintenance is required, we recommend the following methods. Particular attention should be given to areas under eaves, porches, awnings, and other overhangs that have limited exposure to the natural maintenance effect of rainfall.

Moderate Dirt: If the dirt comes off easily, an occasional washing with clear water using a garden hose and soft-bristled brush will be enough.

Heavier Dirt: For a heavier dirt accumulation, you can use a soft-bristle brush and water, some laundry detergent, and some trisodium phosphate. Trisodium phosphate is a cleaning and stain removal agent that cannot harm the patio cover material.

Mildew: In some areas Mildew accumulation is an issue. Mildew can collect on surfaces of all types of building products and is often evident on surfaces that have not been properly maintained. Normally, mildew will appear as black spots. Mildew is easy to remove by using detergent, bleach, and trisodium phosphate.

Sun Damage: Over time your patio cover will become faded from sun damage. Maintenance for this kind of damage generally occurs after years of exposure to the sun. Maintenance for this generally requires to re paint your patio cover.

Because Solara uses aluminum in their product, following these steps will allow you to maintain your product without professional assistance.