WARRANTY & MAINTENANCE

Blairs Windows Ltd. offer the following warranties as standard on their products : 30 years against rot and fungal attack on windows.Unfinished products are not included.10 years against failure of the seal on factory fitted double glazed units.10 years against manufacturing defects. 10 years on ironmongery.The hardware must be maintained as per our maintenance guidelines. 10 years on our 3 coat paint and stain finish.Paint or stain finish should be maintained as per our maintenance guidelines.

A warranty claim may be rejected if : The product has been damaged due to improper storage, installation, use or maintenance. The product has been exposed to performance conditions beyond what our office was informed. The product has not been installed to industry guidelines.The product has failed due to the fitting of ancillary items such as blinds or security devices/films etc. The product has been damaged by water ingress other than through a defect caused by manufacturing, materials or workmanship. The product has been damaged due to water penetration, either before, during or after installation.The product has been damaged due to improper washing or cleaning. The product has been damaged during transit on other modes of transport other than that of the company‘s recommended method of transport. The product has been damaged by accident, incidental or consequential damage from an associated accident. If payment for the contract has not been made in full. It is not Blairs Windows Ltd. responsibility to ensure that the product is properly stored, installed, adjusted and maintained.

INSTALLATION

The following information is offered in conjunction with industry guidelines. Blairs Windows Ltd. will offer a warranty on products provided they are maintained during their lifetime. Windows and doors should be stored and handled in accordance with BS 8000. Windows and doors should be installed in accordance with BS 8213. Paint and stain finishes should not be subjected to chemical, physical damage excessive heat, pollutants or extreme weather. Damaged coatings due to site glazing, fitting non standard hardware, excessive dirt allowing mould growth etc. will invalidate the warranty.

MAINTENANCE, CARE & PROTECTION OF YOUR PRODUCTS

Windows and doors should be installed in accordance with BS 8213.Please check that there is no damage to the coating, such as chipping, staining, etc. prior to installing. Should the paint or stain coating become damaged when the windows are installed, the surface finish should be promptly repaired in accordance with our remedial instructions. The surface finish should be cared for in such a way that it is not damaged by abrasion, for example, window cleaner’s ladders. The surface finish and surrounding area are not cleaned with strong chemicals. The surface finish is cleaned at specific intervals so that dirt retention does not lead to excessive mould growth. Such mould growth is likely to occur on north facing elevations. Only coatings recommended by Blairs Windows Ltd. are applied to the joinery. Please follow the correct coatings maintenance schedule.

PROTECT & MAINTAIN

With the correct care and attention, your factory finished products will give extended life between redecoration cycles. To achieve this performance, the following should be observed: At least twice a year, all coatings should be washed with mild detergent and water to remove surface pollution. All hinge mechanisms and handles should be checked at least bi-annually for ease of operation and lubricated as required with light oil suitable for the purpose. Weather seals should be cleaned at least once a year to remove dust or grime to maintain the performance of your products. Ventilators should be cleaned at least once a year to remove dust and grime that may affect their performance. External handles & hardware installed in highly aggressive/corrosive atmospheres must be cleaned regularly to prevent pitting of the surface finish.

SURFACE FINISHES

Our windows and doors are coated with high performance, water-based, micro-porous, spray applied coatings. With minimum maintenance they will give decades of service. The coating should be washed down with clean water to remove dust, insects and other contaminants as these can form a base for fungal growth. The coating should then be inspected for any damaged areas which should be repaired using the following procedure: Abrade the damaged area with fine-grade sandpaper. Clean down and wash the abraded area to remove dust and allow to dry thoroughly. Using a good quality synthetic brush, designed for use with acrylic paints, apply a coat of high performance, water-based, micro-porous coating applied in the appropriate shade/colour to match the damaged area. Allow to dry for four hours and then apply a second coat. If the damaged area is widespread, it is recommended that the whole frame is abraded and repaired as described above with the second coat applied to the complete frame.

WHERE MOISTURE HAS PENETRATED JOINTS, END GRAIN OR MITRES, OR NATURAL MOVEMENT OF TIMBER HAS OPENED SHAKES IN WOOD

Abrade the damaged area with a medium-grade abrasive paper and follow with a fine-grade abrasive paper. Clean down and wash the abraded area to remove dust and dirt then allow to dry thoroughly. Prime with a high performance, water-based, micro-porous coating in the original colour or stain. Seal any end grain with end grain sealer. If there are any gaps to be filled use an acrylic sealant that can be over-painted. Then repeat the process for top coat as described in the previous section.

IF DAMAGE HAS EFFECTED THE FULL DEPTH OF THE FINISH, CREATING A DEEP GOUGE

The full system requires repair. The gouge should be abraded and filled with good quality wood filler. Leave to dry then sand down to a good finish and prime using a high performance, water-based, micro-porous, spray applied coating.Then using a good quality synthetic brush apply a single coat of high performance, water-based, micro-porous coating. Leave for four hours and then give it a final coat.

WHERE THE PAINT FINISH IS INTACT BUT REQUIRES A COSMETIC UPGRADE

Lightly abrade the damaged area with a fine-grade abrasive paper. Clean down and wash the abraded area to remove dust and allow to dry thoroughly. Then give two top coats as described in previous section.

WHERE RESIN HAS EXUDED THROUGH THE SURFACE FINISH

The best remedial treatment is to allow the resin to weather until it dries and oxidises forming a white crystalline powder. Then the resin can be removed with a stiff nylon brush and the remaining residue washed off with a cloth. Water-based coatings with their relatively high degree of moisture vapour permeability often allow the passage of resin to the surface without damage to the coating. If the finish is not damaged by over vigorous scrubbing during crystalline removal, re-coating is often unnecessary. Although it may be unsightly it is better not to remove fresh sticky resin. In practise this can be very difficult and the presence of sticky resin indicates that the exudation is still continuing. The remedial work for resin exudation is often best left until the first maintenance period by which time the resin has fully crystallised. After removal as described above the overall application of one maintenance coat of finish will restore the general appearance of the timber and maintains its protection.

STAINED/DARK COLOURED PAINT

The use of dark coloured stains and opaque colours will have an impact on maintenance intervals and the level of maintenance work required. Dark colours absorb more of the sun’s energy which can accelerate the degradation of the coating film, and the impact of high surface temperatures can mobilise natural resins within the timber substrate. This can lead to blistering of the coating. The amount of differential movement between components will also increase resulting in open joints and possible moisture ingress if not rectified. Annual inspections and preventative maintenance in line with the instructions in this manual will ensure the long term performance of the product. Due to the natural characteristics and variation of surface texture within the same species of timber, there will be colour and/or grain variations between component parts. Certain manufacturing processes will also be evident when translucent stains are used.

PRECAUTIONS

When carrying out any coating work do not attempt to paint when the temperature is below 8°C or if the relative humidity exceeds 85% as curing of the coatings may be impaired.

GLAZING

Blairs Windows Ltd. products are factory glazed under controlled conditions to maintain the integrity of the vented and drained system for guaranteed sealed units. This method also ensures a high degree of security against unwanted de-glaze from outside. Re-glazing should only be necessary in the case of site damage or breakage. We recommend the following course of actions and options: Re-order a complete new sash for replacement by a carpenter or a Blairs Windows Ltd. service engineer. Blairs Windows Ltd. authorised service engineers can replace glass on site. Site glazier re-glazes the product however in these circumstances Blairs Windows Ltd. will not warrant the product function, or bar adhesion. In the unlikely event of a unit failing please refer to the Company’s Warranty and Terms & Conditions.

HARDWARE

External handles and hardware should be cleaned regularly with a soft dry cloth. If further cleaning is required, use warm water on a soft cloth and dry thoroughly afterwards. This guide is based on EN927-1 (Paints and varnishes — Coating materials and coating system for exterior wood — Part 1: Classification and selection).

SUGGESTED REDECORATION CYCLES FOR PIGMENTED COATING SYSTEM APPLIED ON A TIMBER WINDOW

SUGGESTED REDECORATION CYCLES FOR STAIN & LACQUER COATING SYSTEM APPLIED ON A TIMBER WINDOW