How to Maintain an Aluminum Screen Room in Indiana

An aluminum screen room is a low-maintenance structure, not a no-maintenance one. In Southern Indiana it faces pollen and hard rain in spring, heat and storms through summer, leaves in fall, and freeze-thaw cycles all winter. Most of what goes wrong over the years is not the aluminum itself. It is the sealant, the tracks and the screen.

Why annual maintenance matters to your warranty

There is a warranty reason as well as a practical one. The All Weather Products Limited Lifetime Warranty covers caulking and sealant for one year. After that first year, maintaining and replacing all sealant seams is the homeowner's responsibility, and water intrusion or damage caused by sealant failure after year one is not covered.

The claim process also asks for confirmation that the required annual maintenance has been performed, along with photos and a written description. A claim can be denied where lack of maintenance is a direct contributing cause of the reported defect. Keeping a simple record of what you did and when protects you.

The annual checklist

The warranty sets out the reasonable routine maintenance to perform each year:

• Clean all frames, tracks and channels with mild soap and water.

• Lubricate all moving parts, hinges and sliding hardware.

• Inspect and re-caulk all sealant seams.

• Clean and clear all gutters on patio tops and roofing panels.

• Inspect screens for fading, tears or loose framing.

When to do it in the Tri-State

Once a year is the requirement. Early spring works well in Southern Indiana and Western Kentucky, after the last hard freeze and before pollen season fills the tracks. A second quick pass in late fall, once the leaves are down, keeps gutters and roof panels clear through winter.

If you only get to one item on the list, make it the sealant seams. That is the part the warranty stops covering after year one, and it is the part that lets water in when it fails.

What is normal wear and what is a defect

Cosmetic fading, chalking, oxidation and light scratching are normal wear on any exterior aluminum finish and are excluded from coverage, as is damage from weather events such as wind, hail and storms. Screen damage from impact, animals or debris is a repair, not a defect.

What the warranty does cover, for the original purchaser at their primary residence: the aluminum structural frame for life, parts only after year one; the finish and coating for ten years against peeling and adhesion defects; screen material for five years against UV fading; and workmanship and installation for one year including parts and labor. Read your own warranty document and Customer Acknowledgment Form for the full terms and exclusions.

Doing it yourself

Most of this list is an afternoon with a bucket, a ladder and a tube of exterior sealant. The two items homeowners skip most often are the gutters on a patio top and the sealant seams, because both mean getting up on a ladder. Those are also the two that cause the most expensive problems when they are left alone.

Questions about your enclosure?

All Weather Products has been fabricating aluminum screen rooms, three-season sunrooms, insulated patio covers and custom storm windows and storm doors in Evansville, Indiana since 1979. Veteran-owned, BBB A+ accredited and a member of the Southwestern Indiana Builders Association. Fabricated in Evansville and installed by experienced local professionals across the Tri-State.

Call (812) 867-6403 or request a free estimate at allweatherproductsinc.com/free-estimates.

Related reading: custom aluminum screen rooms, what our Limited Lifetime Warranty covers, and finished projects.