Terms, Conditions & Guarantees

 

Gates & Metalwork

 

Welding:

 

We guarantee our welding & workmanship for 3 years.

 

Installations:

 

We guarantee our installations for 1 year.  We do not guarantee installations carried out by customers/others (supply only gates). However, supply only gates are still covered by our other guarantees.

 

Finishes (metalwork only, not on timber):

 

We guarantee our finishes (metalwork) will be rust free for a minimum of 10 years* (as long as customer has items galvanized).

 

We guarantee our powder coating finishes for 1 year, however, the powder coatings actual lifespan is 15 to 20 years.

 

The reason for the guarantee being 1 year is for two reasons:

1 - If there were an issue (which is rare) with the coating it is obvious instantly - within days/weeks of install. Products will be replaced/retreated accordingly.

2 - The product has a long lifespan, however, it is advised that the customer wipes down the metalwork with warm soapy water twice a year to remove any build up. We cannot guarantee a customer will carry out this task and cannot be held responsible.

 

*Guarantee excludes any areas welded on site - see further information below.

 

Working Parts (locks, locinox etc):

 

These are guaranteed for 1 year.

 

General Terms & Conditions

 

We produce and install high quality products. A lot of time and effort goes into our gates, however, on rare occasions things can go wrong.  We pride ourselves on being a respectable company and we are happy to put things right should there be an issue.

 

Should something go wrong please do not attempt to fix or alter it yourself. Any work not carried out by Gates Scotland LTD, without prior written consent, will void any guarantees/warranties.

 

If under rare certain circumstances we agree for other companies/persons to carry out repairs on our products, quotations must be provided and sums agreed prior to any work commencing.

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Payments

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Gates Scotland Ltd own all products manufactured, and installed, until paid for in full. 

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We reserve the right to remove gates/products unpaid for in full. This action is only taken as a very last resort.

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Intention of non payment must be provided in writing. Any issues for non payment will be addressed by Gates Scotland to rectify the issues. 

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Installation:

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When installing your new gates or railings we will take care when doing so.

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However, there are factors outwith our control, some examples of which are noted below:

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Poor quality or aged rough-casting: When we drill/dig/remove old posts that are in contact with rough-casting, or any other wall finishes, it may crumble or break off.  This cannot be helped and the liability of reinstatement will lie with the customer. 

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Walls: Old walls (or poorly constructed walls/weather damaged walls) are also susceptible to breaking/cracking when we are required to core/drill into them to allow for installation. 

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Should a wall fracture or break away during installation then it will be due to underlying issues, such as hairline cracks, tired/weathered mortar, weather exposure etc. 

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Sometimes it is not possible to predict how an old boundary wall or roughcast wall will act during remove of old fencing/installation of new fencing.

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When installing onto dubious walls or items, we will do our best to 'make good' as much as possible. However, if the walls/roughcast are in a certain condition, then liability of 'making good' will be left with the customer.

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Gate Automation

 

Unless specified otherwise in our contract/invoice with the customer, the following guarantees are applicable to our automation installations.

 

We guarantee our automation installs for 1 year (parts and labour).

 

Our automation hardware (motors & control boards) is also covered by a 2 year parts only guarantee (subject to manufacturers terms and conditions). 

 

Gate automation repair timescales are dependant on your individual contract.

 

What is not covered?

 

Winds and storm damage (acts of god):

 

This is usually covered by the customers home insurance, similar to if your roof was damaged from a storm.

We are happy to quote/repair for insurance work!

 

Abuse and vandalism:

For example gates left unsecured and allowed to continuously slam in the wind. Another example would be children jumping/swinging on gates causing high stress in the wrong areas. Damaged caused by sports balls/toys would also not be covered.

 

Fading:

Over the years paint/powder coating may fade due to the UV rays from the sun. This is normal and cannot be prevented - it will simply require touching up. This usually takes many years (10 years+).

 

Scratching/Chipping:

If you scratch or chip your gate it is easy to touch up - simply ask us how if you need advice!

 

Maintenance:

On our timber infill range it may be necessary to tighten the fixings/screws during the gates lifetime. This is because timber naturally expands and contracts due to the change in moisture content in the air. This puts pressure on the fixings which can loosen them over the years.

 

Simply use a manual pozi head screwdriver and hand tighten each fixing screw from the rear - no need to overtighten!

 

Working Parts/Moving Parts:

Due to the nature of our products you will have several working parts which will be ‘metal on metal’.  Naturally, this causes friction and will give natural ‘wear and tear’.

 

For example, drop bolts/sliding bolts used regularly will, over time, wear away the powder coated coating.  Again, these areas can be touched up by the customer, but because they are working parts the finish is not covered by any guarantee.

 

All Timber:

Timber is a natural product. We use quality timber and you will get many years of beautiful life from our gates. However, as timber is a natural product we cannot guarantee against any natural movement (expansion & contraction), splitting or colour changing/fading over time.  We do our very best to give the timber as long a life as physically possible by using the best available stains and coatings (if you choose this option).

Timber rot/mold is not covered as it is beyond our control how a gate is maintained and subsequently looked after once delivered/installed.  If you care for your timber properly over the years it will not be an issue!

It is up to the customer to maintain and take care of the timber upon delivery and transfer of ownership.

As timber is a natural product it will climatise when is is exposed to the elements. It can be unpredictable.  It is the responsibility of the customer to give the timber any subsequent treatments required due to this climatization.  As the wood ‘breathes’ it may expand/contract/pores open/close. This can result in a change in the finish from when you first received the gate/product.  It is the responsibility of the customer to sand/rub down/remove loose flakes of coatings and recoat the affected areas.

As the timber expands and contracts it may reveal areas of untreated tongues/grooves. Should you wish to touch up the areas revealed, this can be done using the same coating and a small brush.

 

 

Aluminium Cladding/Infills:

Our aluminium gates are also covered by our 10 year guarantee. They do not rust/corrode giving you many years of maintenance free life.

 

 

The Finish On The Gates Moving/Working Parts

Over a period of time it is possible that the moving parts (hinge pins, latches, sliding bolts etc) will wear down due to friction between the parts. This is completely normal and cannot be helped. It will not affect the functionality of the gate. You can ‘touch up’ areas using cans of galvanizing spray/matching powder coat spray paint if you wish!  

Powder coating is a very ‘tough’ coating and combined with the galvanized base layer there is simply no better protection for your gates.

 

Areas Which Have To Be ‘Welded On Site’.

Whether we are installing, you are installing or a builder/subcontractor is installing your gates, in some situations it may be necessary to weld some of your metalwork ‘on site’, during the installation process.

For example, you may need to have your new posts/railings connected to pre-existing metalwork, your posts may require a ‘custom lug’ added when fitting in awkward install conditions or have holes drilled for various fixings/reasons.

We still guarantee the workmanship of these scenarios, however, we cannot guarantee that these small welded areas will remain rust free for life as they were not subject to the galvanizing (and powder coating) process. These areas that have been welded on site will be protected using cold galvanizing spray & cold powder coating touch up spray. This ‘on site’ process still gives adequate protection but over the years it may require a ‘touch up’ from time to time. This is normal and as long as you give the area a quick spray of paint it will continue to remain rust free and in the same condition it was from day one!