Aluminium Facade Warranties: What's Covered

Aluminium Facade Warranties: What’s Covered and What’s Not

Facade warranties vary significantly between suppliers - in duration, in what they actually cover, and in the conditions that must be met to keep them valid. Understanding what a warranty includes (and what it quietly excludes) prevents disputes years after installation and gives specifiers a genuine basis for comparing products during specification.

What does a good facade warranty cover?

A comprehensive aluminium facade warranty should address two things: the substrate and the coating. These are separate performance questions, and reputable suppliers warrant both.

Substrate integrity covers the aluminium itself - structural soundness, resistance to corrosion beyond expected surface oxidation, and dimensional stability. For solid aluminium products like element13 and interloQ, there is no delamination risk because there is no composite core. This is a genuine structural advantage over aluminium composite panels, where core-related failure is the primary failure mode and often the subject of warranty exclusions.

Coating performance covers colour retention, gloss retention, chalking resistance, and adhesion. The expected longevity depends on the coating system. PVDF coatings (used on element13, tested to AAMA 2605:2020) are the benchmark for long-term colour and gloss stability. Superdurable polyester coatings (interloQ uses Interpon D2525) deliver strong performance for their class but with different degradation expectations over 20-plus years. Both are credible architectural coatings - the specification should match the coating to the exposure environment.

Both together. Valmond & Gibson’s 20-year warranty on interloQ, element13, and 165CW covers both substrate and coating when installed by a qualified installer. This matters because some competitors split these into separate warranties - 20 years on the substrate, 10 years on the coating - which means the headline number can be misleading. A 20-year warranty that excludes the coating is not a 20-year warranty on the product’s appearance. Always check what is actually included.

What is typically not covered?

Every facade warranty has exclusions. Most are reasonable, but worth flagging because they catch project teams off guard years later:

Improper installation. This is why “installed by a qualified installer” is a standard condition. If the product is fixed incorrectly or installed outside the supplier’s documented requirements, the warranty will not apply.
Storage and handling damage. Water staining from wet packaging, scratches from poor site handling, and damage from incorrect stacking. element13 and interloQ ship with protective film - it needs to stay on until installation is complete.
Incorrect cleaning. Solvents or turpentine on powder coat finishes will damage the film. Abrasive cleaning causes surface scratching. Both void the coating warranty.
Damage from other trades. Concrete splatter, welding sparks, render drips, and paint overspray are not manufacturing defects.
Coastal or industrial environments without adjusted maintenance. These may require quarterly cleaning rather than the standard schedule to maintain warranty validity.
Modifications after supply. Cutting, drilling, or altering panels in ways not covered by the technical manual can void the warranty.

Why solid aluminium changes the warranty conversation

Composite panel warranties often exclude core-related failures - delamination, moisture ingress, and core degradation. These are the failure modes that matter most, and the ones most likely to cause problems 10-15 years after installation.

Solid aluminium panels do not have a core. There is no bonding adhesive to fail, no polyethylene or mineral-filled core to degrade, and no interface where moisture can migrate. The warranty covers the material that is actually there, not the material that might separate.

It is also worth knowing that not all suppliers warrant the coating alongside the substrate. James Hardie’s Exotec panels, for example, exclude the coating from their product warranty. V&G’s 20-year warranty covering both substrate and coating is a genuine competitive difference - not a headline claim with fine-print carve-outs.

How to maintain warranty validity

Cleaning requirements are straightforward but non-negotiable:

Clean every 3 months as a minimum (more often in coastal or industrial environments)
Use mild detergent and warm water with a soft cloth or sponge
No solvents or turpentine on powder coat finishes
Isopropyl alcohol or methylated spirits are acceptable for adhesive residue removal
Rinse thoroughly after cleaning

These requirements are documented in V&G’s product technical manuals and should be included in the building’s maintenance plan from handover.

What should specifiers check before specifying?

Request the full warranty terms in writing during specification - not after procurement. Headline claims are not enough. Before committing to a product, confirm:

Duration - how many years, and from what date (supply, installation, or practical completion)?
Coverage - substrate only, coating only, or both?
Installation conditions - who must install, and what documentation is required?
Maintenance requirements - what cleaning regime must be followed to keep the warranty valid?
Exclusions - what is specifically carved out, and does it include the failure modes you are most concerned about?

A warranty is only as good as its terms. Reading them before specification, rather than after a claim, is the simplest way to avoid disputes down the line.

Need the full warranty terms for interloQ, element13, or 165CW? Contact our team - we will send the complete documentation for your project file.

Last updated: 4 April 2026

Aluminium Facade Warranties: What's Covered and What's Not