Product guarantees, GGFi and FENSA

2013yearofthehouse

In terms of product guarantees, do they usually come direct from the company providing the products or the company that did the installation? I realise it's probably specific to each company, so I'm asking with regard to Swish Roofline products and Rubberbond roofs. Should I get their 20 year product guarantee directly from them (once my installation is registered?) or from the company I used to install them? If it's from the installation company, should this be a certificate as such or basically just written on the installation company's paper?

Also, what about FENSA and GGFi please? Do they send me any paperwork directly or does this again come from the installation company? The GGFi website says they just back up whatever the company guarantee says, but again should I have some kind of separate piece of paperwork for the installation guarantee (GGFi and the installation company themselves) or is it just whatever was written on the back of the installation company's contract?

Sorry if I sound a bit paranoid (bad experience with company has left me extra wary!) just hoping someone with experience could let me know what they got, to put my mind at ease, thanks

Furts

This is numerous questions but the following may help;

Your contractors may have a guarantee on their workmanship and product quality for a reasonable time. But you need to establish this and get written copies. Then if a problem arises, whether it is resolved depends on;

Is the contractor still in business?
Is the contractor interested, or bothered, to honour the guarantee?
What exclusion clauses were in the guarantee?

With regard 20 year guarantees from companies such as Swish ask your self what does this really mean? Get a copy and carefully analyse what is written and what are the exclusions. Be honest, if your product was faulty in 15 years time do you really expect Swish to be receptive - and I am not knocking Swish. Or to put it in a different light, what is likely to go wrong with a solid piece of white pvcu cladding over 20 years. The answer is nothing. Now if you had black or brown cladding that is a different matter...

Are any guarantees insurance backed?

Basically, the guarantees are virtually worthless. The reality is to pick competent contractors, use established good quality components, supervise the work with rigid attention to detail, get the work right first time round, pay when you are fully satisfied, then hope problems do not arise. Get all paperwork and guarantees in order but always expect to get any problems rectified from your funds. If the contractor does rectify any issues this is then a bonus for you.

2013yearofthehouse

Thanks for your reply.

So product guarantees I don't need to worry about too much, if it's fine after installation then it will probably remain so (in the case of roofline anyway, but doors/windows less so perhaps).

So do the GGFi actually have physical paperwork that they sent out? Or do I not need anything? Are you basically saying there's no point cos it's pretty much useless anyway?

What about the FENSA certificate, surely I need that? I was under the impression it was a physical piece of paper that could be passed on to future owners?

I suppose my overall question (sorry my first post was uneccessarily overcomplicated!) is AFTER you have a door, window or roofline products installed, by a FENSA registered company (windows & doors with over 50% glass only) who use GGFi insurance backed guarantees, should you receive ANY paperwork at all? Or is the guarantee/FENSA info/certificate mentioned in the quote/contact/T&Cs that was provided BEFORE the installation sufficient?

Thanks

Furts

Get copies of the product guarantees. If your contractors appear tardy on this then make contact with the manufacturers. For the guarantee to be honoured there has to be a start date. Plus there will be exclusions, typically you might have a duty to regularly clean the material to prevent dirt degradation. So you have to be aware of the clauses and decide if you can follow the requirements.

You must get a copy of the FENSA details applicable to your home. If not, you are technically breaking the law, (the job should be in accordance with the Building Regulations - which is the law). The absence of the certificate will be a hold up should you sell your home.

If the installers were not FENSA, but pretended they were, that is a different matter. The easiest solution would be to pay the fee to your local authority and have them do a Building Control inspection. If the installation fails...a potential problem.

You need a copy of any insurance backed guarantee. Without this it would be difficult to pursue a claim in, say five years, time.

Yorkie1

FENSA is not a guarantee as such. It is an alternative way of evidencing that the work on the windows / doors was compliant with the Building Regs at the time it was done. If the work was done by a non-FENSA registered company, then the Council would need to inspect and issue a B Regs certificate.

If I recall correctly, my FENSA certificate came through the post a few weeks (probably a couple of months) after the windows had been replaced.

2013yearofthehouse

Thanks for the replies.

I checked the FENSA website and it says my installation was registered. Apparently the certificates take 14-30 days to arrive - it'll be 30 on Monday so hopefully it's just a bit late.

I called the GGFi and they said one company had registered with them and the other hadn't. One certificate should be on it's way soon as they said to allow 28 days and the installation wasn't registered until about 10 days after the FENSA registration.

The other company I guess I'll have to chase. I've had 2 pieces of paper through from them, both just a few written lines on company headed paper. The Rubberbond one actually uses the words "valid when signed by the installer" as taken from the Rubberbond website guaranteed page (they've literally copied and pasted the list of 8 points/exclusions from there), however it isn't signed. Does that sound ok? I don't know if I'm just being fussy or how much to expect.

The Swish one (again on company headed paper) says the fascia and soffits have a 20 year manufacturers and labour guarantee against warping, cracking and discolouration. I've got no guarantee mentioning the guttering (different brand), although I checked with the company and the product is guaranteed for 10 years.

However, the contract from before the work was done has a list of terms on the back detailing that they will "repair or replace any PVCu product which develops a fault due to defective manufacture or installation". Fascias and soffits are guaranteed for 10 years and rainwater goods for 1 year - it doesn't mention roofing.

So it's all at odds with each other really.