Acrylic Sheet Maintenance Tips for Harsh Ottawa Winters
Winter in Ottawa doesn’t mess around. It brings heavy snow, freezing temperatures, biting winds, and more than enough road salt to coat every surface. If you’re using plastic products outdoors, especially an acrylic sheet in Ottawa, things can wear down quickly without some care. Acrylic is strong, but it’s not invincible. Freezing air, snow, and sudden temperature shifts can lead to cracks, warping, or foggy patches.
We’ve worked with acrylic for years, and winter maintenance continues to be something we remind people about. It doesn’t need to be complicated or time-consuming. What it does need is consistency. Taking a bit of time to clean and check your sheets as winter sets in will help keep them looking clear and performing well until spring.
Understanding How Cold Weather Affects Acrylic
Acrylic reacts to temperature like many materials do. It expands in warmth and shrinks in freezing cold. If the temperature drops suddenly and stays that way, you might notice changes in the sheet if it’s mounted outside or near a drafty window.
- When acrylic contracts in freezing temperatures, it can form stress cracks, especially near screw holes or along cuts and corners. These small cracks may not seem like a big deal at first, but they can grow quickly under pressure.
- Ice and snow can stick to the surface. As snow hardens and turns to ice, scraping it off the wrong way can leave scratches. Even before touching it, salt from nearby sidewalks or roads can land on the sheet and begin to damage the surface.
- Throughout winter, Ottawa doesn’t get many consistent sunny days. But when light finally hits, it’s low in the sky, and UV exposure shifts fast. These changes in sunlight can lead to uneven weathering or yellowing if the sheet isn’t kept clean and protected.
Recognizing how cold affects acrylic helps you know what to look out for before real damage happens.
Cleaning Acrylic Sheets Safely During Winter
Cold weather doesn’t just make acrylic more brittle. It changes how you should clean it. Using the wrong tools or products might create more harm than good.
- Always use a soft microfibre cloth and a gentle cleaning solution made for plastics. Strong window sprays or household cleaners might wear down the surface.
- Never use rough cloths or scrubbers, especially if the acrylic is cold to the touch. The surface can chip or scratch easily when it’s cold and less flexible.
- Rinse using water that’s warm to the touch, definitely not hot. Pouring hot water onto a freezing cold sheet may cause instant cracking due to the temperature difference.
- Clean carefully around edges and mounting points. If any moisture is trapped there, it can freeze and widen existing cracks.
It’s a good practice to clean the sheets during milder winter afternoons when possible. Wait until temps rise above freezing if you can. It might seem like extra effort, but keeping the acrylic clean also stops build-up that can lead to shadows or warping from uneven UV exposure.
Preventing Snow and Ice Damage
Once you’ve got snow, dealing with it properly makes a difference, not just for visibility, but for the long-term health of your acrylic sheet.
- Clear snow using soft rubber tools or plastic brushes. Hard-edged shovels and metal scrapers should never touch the surface.
- Don’t use salt or de-icing chemicals directly on the sheet. They can damage edges, cause hazing, or become trapped between fixtures like brackets or frames that hold panels in place.
- If the acrylic is mounted in a windy area, create a simple windbreak or use a protective cover during big storms. That stops hard-blown snow from piling up, then freezing tight against the sheet.
Movement from drifting snow or melting ice can tug on the mounting hardware. Over time, that can loosen panels or open gaps where moisture builds up and refreezes. Putting in a bit of effort to protect open-faced installations early can save you from harder fixes later.
Checking for Hidden Damage or Stress Points
One thing we always check mid-season is how our acrylic has held up to the cold. What looks fine from a few steps away can sometimes show warning signs if you take a closer look.
- Inspect corners and drilled holes closely. Freezing temperatures can grow small hairline cracks near stress points. If you wait too long, those cracks might stretch across the surface.
- Look for foggy areas or faint white lines. These can mean internal stress from temperature swings or tension at the mounting points. Neither is good for sheet life.
- Give the mounting hardware a proper once-over. Screws or brackets that shifted or look crooked may have been pushed by expanding ice. Replace anything that doesn’t feel right.
If any of your acrylic starts to look a bit warped or rippled, don’t ignore it. It’s often easier to fix smaller problems than wait until spring when damage is widespread or the sheet isn’t sitting flat anymore.
Keeping Acrylic Long-Lasting Through Winter and Beyond
The worst winter issues usually come from routine neglect. Snow piles up, sheets are left dirty, or cracks go unnoticed. Taking simple steps every few weeks keeps acrylic panels working well for more than just one season.
- Wipe surfaces down after snow melts to stop run-off from settling at connection points.
- Do a quick visual check every couple of weeks, especially after strong winds or freezing rain.
- Be ready to repair or replace mounting clips if they feel loose, even if the panel itself looks okay, for long-term safety.
If the acrylic sheet is used for signage, protective panels, benches, or anything that sees rough outdoor use, regular care helps it handle Ottawa’s coldest months. Many of our plastic fabrication services at Canus Plastics Inc. use CNC machining, precision cutting, and custom finishing for a perfect fit and smooth edges, offering more durability against winter conditions. Acrylic may look sleek and simple, but the way it’s built doesn’t mean you can skip the basics.
Ottawa winters are long, cold, and rough on materials that stay outside, but they don’t have to wear down your acrylic if you look after it the right way.
Preparing for Spring: Lasting Care for Outdoor Displays
Winters here test everything. Even the toughest plastic objects can run into problems if they’re left outside without regular care. Acrylic sheets might be chosen for their sleek look and strength, but they still react to wind, cold, grime, and wear.
By doing quick inspections, cleaning gently, and protecting surfaces from snow and ice, we keep things looking clean and working the way they should. Whether it’s a small privacy panel or a large display piece, winter care helps plastic parts outlast the season, and get ready for whatever spring brings next.
Outdoor signage in Ottawa faces harsh winter elements, so you want materials that are made to last. At Canus Plastics Inc., we shape, polish, and prepare each piece to withstand freezing winds, road salt, and drastic temperature changes without losing strength. Our acrylic sheets are available in a range of colours, sizes, and finishes, making it easy to match your specific project needs. To make sure your outdoor display stands up to Ottawa’s climate all year, we recommend choosing materials like an acrylic sheet in Ottawa, made for durability. Reach out today and let’s work together to plan a solution that keeps your signage looking great through winter and beyond.