Limited Warranty

glas facades Vision 3000 range of windows are warranted for a period of 10 years (except glazing units) / 5 years (glazing units) from date of handover in accordance with limitations below:

WHAT IS COVERED

• The guarantee covers faulty materials, manufacture or installation and is restricted to repairing or replacing (at Glas Facade's sole discretion) the parts found to be defective
   
• If a replacement is offered but identical goods are no longer available, Glas Facades will replace it with the closest equivalent product
   
• Glas Facade's liability is limited to the products supplied by Glas Facades and does not extend to any consequential loss or damage arising from the defective product
   
• Surface finish and integrity of factory applied powder coatings
• Surface finish and integrity of microporous sprayed finish to timber components
• Integrity (i.e. not breaking down) of double and triple glazing units
• Integrity of all mastic seals (glazing / perimeter / coupling)
• Operation and integrity of ironmongery, hinges, pivots and security locks
• Operation of opening windows
• Integrity and stability of perimeter and coupling fixings
   

TERMS OF GUARANTEE
In the event of any claim against us under this guarantee, the burden of proof that we carried out the work in dispute and that all other conditions of this Guarantee have been complied with rests with the customer.

Guarantee should be construed and interpreted in accordance with English Law and shall be under the jurisdiction of the English Courts only. Where by virtue of any United Kingdom Act of Parliament, statutory rights are conferred for the benefit of the customer; such rights shall not be affected in any way by this Guarantee.

Force Majeure: We shall have no liability to you for any failure of the performance of the window system or damage caused by any event or circumstance beyond our reasonable control resulting in environmental conditions exceeding the stated and tested performance levels of the system (including, without limitation, extreme weather conditions, hurricanes and the like).

Any defects have to be reported to Glas Facades Limited immediately after detection.

The windows have been maintained in accordance with the following maintenance manual and operating procedures:

POWDER COATED SURFACES
Non alkaline detergent and warm water may be safely applied using a soft clean cloth or sponge or nothing harsher than a bristle brush or nylon pad. If there is any doubt, a few moments testing the cleaner on an unobtrusive area of the surface is advised. This cleaner should be in the same concentration and be applied in the same manner intended for the job. It should remain in place for some time so that it dries, after which the area should be inspected for stains or for softening or dissolution of the finish. Steel wool, strong acids, alkalis and abrasive cleaners should never be used. Minor scratches or slight damage to powder paint finish can be touched up with a matching colour air drying paint.

Our guarantee does not extend to mechanical damage to surface coatings following initial installation and handover to client, or to the rectification of any differences in surface colour or texture between internal and external surfaces or between sprayed and painted surfaces which can occur naturally through coating application technique and base material differences.

SITE PAINTED WINDOWS
Advice should be sought from paint manufacturers but procedures for powder coated frames above can be used as a guide.

FREQUENCY OF CLEANING
The accumulation of atmospheric grime makes it necessary to clean the surface regularly to maintain its appearance. In badly polluted industrial or large city locations it is recommended that cleaning is carried out once every three months, and in relatively cleaner rural locations once every sixth months. For marine environments every two months (one month for industrial marine) is recommended. Cleaning can usually be conveniently carried out when the window glass is cleaned. The frequency of cleaning will also depend upon the standard of appearance that is required. It may be, for example, that windows which can be closely inspected at ground level or immediately higher will need to be cleaned more frequently than windows at higher levels. Providing this recommended frequency is maintained it should never be necessary to use cleaners which are more aggressive than a non alkaline detergent in warm water in concentrations which can be handled with bare hands. After application these cleaners should be removed with clear water and the area wiped dry. It is quite wrong to assume that if cleaning is carried out less frequently than recommended the surface of the powder coating can be restored with the occasional use of more aggressive cleaners such as alkalis, abrasive cleaners and other aggressive materials. Such cleaners could damage the finish, the metal, the glazing and sealing systems, and even the glass. Therefore, such practices should be avoided. Frequency of cleaning internal surfaces is governed by localised environment and the aesthetic requirement, e.g. areas used by smokers or for cooking will need cleaning more often. A minimum frequency of once annually is advised with same cleaner as for external surfaces.

SEALANTS
Most work or coupling details utilise bedding principles. However, if pointing is necessary silicone sealants have a life expectancy in excess of 10 years, provided they are applied in accordance with sealant manufacturer's instructions. They are maintenance free and should not be painted. An inspection of visible sealant joints should be made after two years and thereafter every five years. Should a seal deteriorate or suffer a lack of adhesion it should be cut out and replaced with a fresh application.

WINDOW FURNITURE
Visible surfaces of Chromium plated or aluminium should be cleaned with a solution of non-alkaline detergent and warm water. This can be conveniently done at the same time and frequency as internal glass cleaning. To maintain operating efficiency, a year after installation, and thereafter annually, lubricate all moving parts of hinges, locking mechanisms, restricting arms and safety catches with a moisture dispersing and lubricating spray, unless there is an obvious requirement for friction, when adjustment, as required should be made in lieu of lubrication. Our guarantee does not extend to mechanical damage to ironmongery following initial installation and handover to client.

GLAZING UNITS
Cleaning of glass surfaces should only be carried out using a soft, clean cloth. Using any other cleaning materials may result in surface scratches, which are not covered by our guarantee. A glass defect is defined according to either the Glass & Glazing Federation of the UK publication 'Appearance / Visual Quality Specification for Insulating Glass Units and Maintenance (March 2005)' or BS EN 1279 - whichever is relevant to the application. Our guarantee also does not cover breakages caused by others after installation is complete. It also does not cover the thermal insulation U value of the glass which, in the case of units filled with inert gasses to increase their insulation value such as Argon and Krypton, will naturally decrease during the lifespan of the unit due to natural dispersion through seals. It does cover the integrity of the double glazing units fitted and the weather tightness of their glazing.

Due to the high thermal insulation properties and air tightness of our window systems, humidity can naturally build up within confined internal spaces resulting in unavoidable condensation occurring on internal face of glass in extreme situations. Provisions should be made to introduce natural ventilation into confined spaces by way of trickle ventilators and periodic opening of windows (see below guide) to reduce humidity levels. Our guarantee does not cover against formation of condensation or any staining or damage to window system or surrounding structure.

OPERATION OF OPENING WINDOWS
Application of decorations to windows should be carefully applied so as not to build up layers of paint that interfere with the operation of opening windows which leads to stressed hinges and ironmongery. Our guarantee does not extend to any necessary adjustments to hinges, handles or any other ironmongery and/or mechanical damage after initial installation and testing.

PERIODIC OPENING OF WINDOWS
Correct periodic opening of windows helps to eliminate high air humidity, excessively cool adjacent construction, prevent high energy loss and preserve good air quality in the room.

Correct periodic opening of windows means that for a period of five to six (but not exceeding ten) minutes, the windows shall be opened completely. This should be carried out in inhabited rooms three times a day. In undertaking these measures, excessive room humidity will be dissipated in a short time, excessive cooling of adjacent construction will be avoided, and heating energy will be saved.

During period of long absence, leaving windows in a permanently tilted position whilst heating is on should be avoided. In this position, the adjacent construction cools and condensation can form. In summer periods, the tilt and turn application is recommended and helps to improve air quality in the room. However, it is not a substitute to the complete opening of the windows that should be done from time to time even in summer.

Excessive reduction of air temperature in rooms can lead to condensation water damage and hygiene problems (mould building). Ideally, room temperatures should be set to 20°C for living rooms and 17°C for bedrooms. The doors in between cooler bedrooms and other rooms should remain closed.

In modern new buildings with highly insulating windows and doors, the risk of condensation on windows is high. Therefore, the correct periodic opening of windows is very important.