Steel Sheds
What is a rust perforation warranty?
What is a rust perforation warranty?
A rust perforation warranty offers an assurance against holes that are created by rust. It gives customers peace of mind when they’re buying a steel shed; a shed with a rust perforation warranty won’t just fall apart shortly after purchase. All the major retailers offer some form of rust perforation warranty with their steel sheds – and given the advances in the industry within the last 5 years, there’s no good reason that a company shouldn’t offer one.
If you’re looking at online-only retailers, it would be sensible to check about what their warranty includes – especially if there’s no mention of the shed being galvanised / zinc-coated. In this post, we’ll concentrate mostly on what our warranty covers and what it doesn’t – but we’ll also offer some advice for what to look out for in a reliable warranty from any company.
What is a rust perforation warranty, exactly?
A rust perforation warranty covers your shed if a hole is formed as a result of rust. Companies that offer galvanised steel / zinc-coated panels can do so, safe in the knowledge that when steel is treated, the top later applied prevents oxygen and moisture from creating rust. Providing that this layer isn’t removed (scratched off, chemically altered etc.), it just won’t allow rust to form to the extent that it creates a hole.
So, if a shed ever gets to the extent seen below, replacement panels, beams etc are provided as a means to honour the warranty. Depending on who/how your shed was assembled, a team from Sheds Direct Ireland may be dispatched to replace these part for you. It’s important to note that perforation must be large enough to let light through for it to qualify. Again however, the chances of this needing to be offered, are very slim because of the science behind galvanising steel.
The above is a stock image photo. It shows a metal sheet that has been eaten through by rust to the point that a hole has appeared. Our warranty would cover a shed if it ended up like this. Truth be told, given how galvanisation works, this should never happen to anything that’s galvanised (like our sheds) unless something drastic happens or if it’s in a salt-rich environment, like a coastal location.
What isn’t covered
Perforation warranties don’t cover surface level rust like that in the image above. While unsightly, this rust has not caused a perforation (a hole) and as such it is not covered under our rust perforation warranty.
The warranty isn’t a guarantee against any rust appearing and typically, you’ll find that rust will appear in some form on steel sheds over the years. This usually is most common in the screws or bolts, which isn’t a major issue as the affected ones can be replaced with minimal effort. On panels or bars, it can appear like above, but provided that it hasn’t worn away to a hole, it isn’t covered by warranty.
Other Exceptions
There are numerous instances where a rust perforation warranty will be irrelevant or void. These include:
- Surface-level rust, as mentioned above.
- Rust on screws, bolts or other connective materials are not covered; the warranty only covers the panels of the shed.
- Sheds built in coastal areas, due to the high salt-content in the air.
- Sheds that have been scratched and left untreated
- Scratches may be no fault of the customer and can be caused by wildlife, trees etc. Regardless, untreated damage resulting in a perforation is not covered in these instances
- Sheds that have been painted, modified or altered in any way
Other companies: Precautions
Above are the terms of our rust perforation warranty. They’re clear to see and there’s nothing nasty hidden within them. While obviously, we would prefer that you do business with us, we understand that the market is filled with options for sheds these days. With that in mind, we offer these pieces of advise if you are considering purchasing from another one, particularly an online-only / drop-ship company.
- Make sure that the sheds are galvanised or that it comes with a rust perforation warranty. Ideally, you’d want both
- Read the terms/Ask about the details of the warranty. Anyone who has ever gotten stung by an essentially warranty will know all about this. Just because there is a warranty, doesn’t mean it covers everything.
- Be careful where the shed is coming from. Sheds coming from outside the EU (typically Britain), will not only be hit with import VAT / Duty, but they also don’t offer the same consumer protection.
- It’s important to know where the company is based. Just because a company is a ‘.ie’ company or because they list their prices in euros, doesn’t mean they’re based in Ireland. (We’re based in Finglas, North Dublin, FYI). So for the best protection, only purchase from a company based in the EU.
- Don’t forget about possible returns! Returning a shed to a company not based in Ireland can be prohibitively expensive or just plain impossible as other people have noted.
- Do some company research before you buy. Check out company reviews on Google Maps, Trustpilot or ask around on Twitter etc. Companies that have a track record of poor products / warranties / returns, may not be the company to do business with. (Not like us though, we’re great)
Contact Us
We’re very upfront about all our terms and conditions and if you need clarity on them, you can always call our team during business hours at 01 864 4247 or if you’d rather not call, you can find other methods to contact us here.