I’m looking for some guidance
Mar 2018 our house was painted - external it came with 5 year warranty
Final invoice dated 9 March
Today i contacted the painting company providing photos of paint wear on the windows. They’ve just cake back saying they’ll give me quote to repaint but no warranty.
I’m cursing myself for not raising it sooner!
Nonetheless, I’ve said this is not good enough and the warranty is just out of date and the pictures show the wear is significant.
Thanks in advance for any assistance how to proceed
Well that sort of sums it up. If you had raised the issue within the warranty period, your options for a remedy would be simpler.
Now you have to appeal to the painter’s generosity to do a good deal for you, because there’s nothing I know of in the ACL that says external paint should last more than five years. You would certainly think it should, but the warranty given is now over.
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Many paint manufacturers provide a manufacturer warranty against peeling, cracking etc.
Do you know what paint was used as an option may he to follow up the paint manufacturer? They should also advise if a batch of paint was faulty in some way and how long paint should be in good condition if surface was prepped and paint applied properly. They might also be able to comment on the photos. Contacting the manufacturer, if they respond, might give you info to go back to the painter with.
Also under the Australian Consumer Law there are consumer guarantees which are independent of the manufacturer’s warranty. A reasonable person would expect paint to last more than around 5 years before it cracks/peels.
Also, has that window been painted or was it missed when the house was painted?
These are the avenues I would pursue to take the matter further.
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Most paint and painting sites state that it is usual for a external repaint every 5 to 10 years. The quality of the paint used, and preparation will influence the longevity. If you paid for premium workmanship then you could seek to write to them and request a discount as the job has not lasted the minimal 5 years nor as expected of a premium job, putting such as request in writing is an important step. A good paint job should not normally be in such bad repair this soon. So, if they refuse to entertain the idea you may wish to get the written opinion of a reputable painter to ascertain if the original job had been done with a reasonable duty of care.
Once/If you get such a written report, you could then decide if you wanted to proceed further, such as taking action in a Civil and Administrative Tribunal to seek redress. The Tribunal with assess your claim based on what would be expected based on cost and quality of materials that were meant to be used. Seeking legal advice (for which there are free providers) before taking such further steps is highly recommended.
Finally, if this is a reflection of the standard of their work, it might be prudent to look elsewhere for the repaint.
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Thanks
I’ll explore with the paint company - I’m there is some left over in the shed.
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Thanks
Great idea to get anther painter involved.
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Is the only issue with the timber windows, sills and door/s?
Is the remainder of the paintwork on the exterior of the house still in good condition?
Hopefully an expert as already suggested and independent of your previous painter can offer some guidance on why the paint is failing where indicated. Especially if it is only the timber doors and windows/trim that are affected.
Our experience of a professionally painted very old timber house has been very positive. The majority of the paintwork remains sound after 12 years. Sub-tropical coastal rural environment. We had all the glazing on the external doors and windows resealed with new putty. A professional should be able to advise for your style of windows etc the most appropriate strategy to remedy the failures now evident. It may require more than a simple repaint to remedy some of the damage.
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I am not a painter so I may be incorrect, but I can not see anything that looks like an undercoat where the paint has peeled.
Also, even where the paint hasn’t peeled, it looks like moisture is penetrating the paint. If I am correct, that may be the cause of your problems.
Your location could also be a contributing factor; for example if you are near the ocean, or near an airport or industrial area that emits pollution. These all reduce the life of applied paints.
Just out of interest, what brand of paint did they use?
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Thanks - Dulux paint
I’ve reached out to Dulux and they’re sending someone out to inspect.
We’re in Victoria inner northern suburb - not near Ocean or Airport
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An “all in one” water based primer, sealer, & undercoat, prep paint is commonly used for many low tannin external timbers. This might include softwood (pine timber) windows and sashes. Modern water based top coats applied promptly chemically bond to the prep coat. For a poorly prepared timber surface, and possible effects of moisture ingress etc the weakest bond may be between the paint system and timber. It needs an expert, which Dulux are providing to inspect first hand to determine where any fault might be.
P.S. I’m not a house painting expert. It’s good that Dulux has offered to inspect. 5 years is well short of the product guarantees available for a wide variety of external house paints.
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Well done in following up with Dulux. It is also positive they are following up when their paints have been used.
Hopefully their assessment provides you with advice/pathway to seek a resolution - either with Dulux or the painter.
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