Understanding guarantees

The terminology used by manufacturers when they describe the durability of their products can be confusing. Here are some explanations of the terms in use:

A written guarantee, such as Confidex®, provides a legally binding contract between the manufacturer of the product and the recipient. Guarantees are validated by registration and the certificate will detail the scope of the guarantee and remedial action to be taken in the event of product failure.

The durability of Colorcoat Celestia®, Colorcoat HPS200® and Colorcoat Prisma® is defined in terms of the Confidex Guarantee Period. This is the minimum length of time before the building owner needs to consider over-painting the cladding, either to upgrade the appearance or extend the overall performance.

The functional lifetime of pre-finished steel is the timespan over which the material will perform as a weatherproof membrane, if maintained in accordance with manufacturers’ recommendations. This will vary, depending on environmental conditions such as air pollution, proximity to the sea and Ultraviolet radiation. If the cladding is maintained as recommended, including over-painting after the PRD, the functional lifetime of Corus Colorcoat® products can be up to 60 years.

This gives guidelines on the expected durability of a product under normal conditions but does not guarantee the performance beyond statutory obligations.

Corus defines the durability of pre-finished steel in terms of the 'Minimum Period to Re-paint Decision' (PRD). This is the minimum length of time before the building owner needs to consider over-painting the cladding, either to upgrade the aesthetics or extend the overall performance. Over-painting using an appropriate solution will extend the lifetime by 10 years or more.