Terms and Conditions

1. When used in the appropriate use, PermaTimber® products have a 15-year warranty against failure due to fungal decay and wood destroying insects. Failure is defined as the product being damaged to the extent that it is no longer fit for purpose and able to perform its function.
2. The warranty does not cover other natural characteristics of timber such as blue stain, non-decaying mould growth, surface algae, splitting, twisting, warping, shrinking, swelling, fading in colour, raised grain or other similar traits that do not affect the performance of the product.
3. Your invoice acts as your PermaTimber® warranty, the date the warranty begins, and as proof of purchase. A copy of your invoice must be produced when making a claim. Therefore, it is essential that you keep a copy of your invoice for the 15-year warranty period. It is important to ensure that your invoice clearly states that your products are ​“PermaTimber®” products.
4. The products should only be used for their intended use, in normal conditions. Normal conditions in this case generally means domestic gardens or properties that are not prone to unusual conditions such as excessive moisture levels / standing water / sewage seepage etc. If you feel the proposed use or its environment is out of the ordinary, it is important to notify us prior to purchase / installation as this may need to be taken into account when treating the product.
5. PermaTimber® products are only effective because the treatment process forms a barrier to fungal and insect decay, the causes of rot. Any cutting or machining can break the treated barrier and therefore reduce the expected service life of the product. The incised section of the post should be placed in the ground and must remain fully intact and unbroken. Cutting through or into the treated barrier in the incised section of the post will void the warranty. This includes pointing, notching, or cross cutting. You should also avoid driving fixings (screws / nails etc) into the incised section of the post unless it is above ground level. It is essential that you do not drive fixings into the post at ground level as this could create a pathway for decay. Cutting or machining the non-incised sections of the posts should also be avoided wherever possible. If this is not possible, the cut / exposed section must be liberally coated with Lonza Ensele. This includes back weathering / pointing of the top of the post or morticing / notching the mid-section. If you need to reduce the length of the post, the cut end should never be put into, or in contact with the ground, always cut from the top of the post if cutting can’t be avoided. Ideally the post should then be returned to Walford Timber for retreatment prior to installation. If this is impractical, Lonza Ensele must be applied to the exposed wood. If a claim is made and the product appears to be cut, machined or altered in any way, proof of purchase of Lonza Ensele will be required to validate the claim.
6. When installing timber products into the ground, it is essential that water can drain away from them. This can be achieved by putting at least 6 inches of gravel / loose stone into the bottom of the hole, then placing the post into the hole and filling with cement / Post Mix to within approximately 2 inches of ground level. If concrete is at the bottom of the hole, water will collect in this and the likelihood of decay will increase. The top 2 inches of the hole should be filled with gravel or loose stone to allow free drainage away from the post. (See diagram.)
7. This warranty covers the product only, and not consequential costs of replacement such as labour, machine hire or any other associated costs of replacement. Identical or equivalent product will be offered in replacement should a claim be successful.
8. A claim should be made in writing to Walford Timber Ltd, The Sawmills, Walford, Ross-on-Wye, HR9 5QS, or e‑mail to info@​walfordtimber.​co.​uk. Photographic evidence of the failed product and proof of purchase must be provided in the first instance. Once identified, a site visit may be arranged to inspect the product in situ. Once the site visit has been carried out (or it’s decided a site visit is not required or possible) the failed product, including the section that was within the ground, must be returned to Walford Timber for analysis. The product must be returned in order to ascertain that it meets the warranty conditions (I.E. not cut, pointed or damaged after treatment etc.) The product will also be analysed in the laboratory for confirmation of it’s cause for failure and the possible reason behind it. Once these processes have been completed and the claim is confirmed to be valid, like for like replacement product will be provided in return. If the warranty is found to be void (I.E. through incorrect installation) you will be notified of the reasons for this.
9. This warranty is in addition to your statutory rights.

Exclusions

This warranty does not apply to:

1. Any product supplied for use outside of the UK.
2. Any product removed from it’s original installation and re-used at an alternative location.
3. If product is further processed as described above in point 5 and not returned for re-treatment or applied with Lonza Ensele as directed, or where fixings have been driven into the post at ground level.
4. Any product in direct contact with water (salt or fresh.)
5. Any product damaged upon on installation, or by strimmer’s, brush cutters, or any other form of mechanical damage.
6. Damage caused by ​“weathering” of the wood, including but not limited to raised grain, splitting, cracking, twisting, warping, shrinkage, swelling or any other natural characteristic of wood, or where untreated material is exposed by the effects of this weathering.
7. Damage / breakage caused by wind or other external weather forces or other force related breakage.
8. Non-decaying mould growth.