18 June 2017
 Categories: , Blog

If large maple trees are growing next to your house and sap has spilled onto one of your home's windowpanes, the following steps can be completed to remove the sap and clean the glass. Afterward, tree limbs need to be pruned to reduce the risk of sap coming into contact with your home's exterior again.

Materials

• ladder
• masking tape
• petroleum-based substance remover
• foam brush
• plastic scraper
• paint thinner
• mineral spirits
• sponge
• water hose
• glass cleaning agent
• lint-free cloths
• garden gloves
• pruning shears

Cover Frames And Loosen Clumps Of Sap

Set up a ladder outdoors next to the glass pane that has sap on it. Use strips of masking tape to cover the windowframe to prevent sap removal products from coming into contact with them. Use a foam brush to apply a thick, even coating of a petroleum-based substance remover to hardened sap. This type of product can be purchased in a home improvement center or standard retail shop and is designed to soften foreign matters that have hardened on non-porous surfaces.

After sap has softened, insert the tip of a plastic putty knife under the sap. Move the tool's handle slightly upwards to lift the sap from the pane. Remove as much sap as you can with this method. 

Remove Residue That Remains And Clean Glass

Dampen a non-abrasive sponge with paint thinner or mineral spirits. Press the damp side of the sponge for several seconds against sap residue that remains. Move the sponge back and forth over the residue. Pour more paint thinner or mineral spirits onto the sponge as needed. After all traces of sap have been eliminated, use a water hose to spray the window's surface. 

A lint-free cloth that has been dampened with a glass cleaning agent should be used to wipe the glass pane's exterior. Move the cloth firmly across the glass in straight lines. Dry the pane with a fresh cloth to prevent streaks from appearing. Remove the strips of tape from the window's frame.

Prune Sap-Producing Trees

Put on a pair of garden gloves and set up a ladder next to one of the sap-producing trees. Inspect the tree's branches and use pruning shears to trim branches that are growing close to your home. Cut each branch at a slight angle and avoid pulling on branches or twisting any of them during the pruning process. Once the first tree has been trimmed, prune any other trees that produce sap.

For more information, you will want to contact a company such as Exclusive Window Cleaning.