[Perfect Windows]

So, this happened at a customer's the other day.

I arrive and clean.  On arrival, the door doesn't stand out as unusual (but I didn't look terribly closely).  A couple of hours after the clean, the customer (terrific customer, has recommended me to six other people) calls, upset that her door has "streaks all over it".  When I went back to look, I have to say that I think I'd have noticed it as I walked up to the house.  I didn't notice at the end of the clean because when it's wet, it looks OK.

The picture below is what I found.  It's not streaks on it, it's as though the colour's disappeared from the UPVC.  The surface sheen seems to be missing on the white bits.

Customer is as staright as a customer could be and she says no decorating work or anything done (and, as I've said, it seems to be an absence of colour rather than something spilled on it).

I have an idea what it might be but I'm not going to prejudice views, so have any of you come across it and was there a way to resolve it?  Strangely, a day or two later, I saw another brown door looking very similar elsewhere.

Vin

[Smudger]

If I remember soupy had one similar - did you use TFR or anything vin?

A lot of these coloured doors have a very thin veneer which can easily be ruined with chems.

It may buff out with a Cretan cleaner...

Darran

[Mike #1]

Brown and green ones seem to have some issue with this white marking or staining only very small on 2 doors that i do nothing as bad as the door in pic .

When they are fitted new custys are always told do not use any chemicals on these new composite doors at all , Personally on my own door and use a really good quality  plastic trim spray or cream  which is used for car valeting and never had any issues .

My doors have looked like new even after 2 years and never had any staining issues , Could be a faulty veneer finish which is what happened in the last post about this issue . Mike

[Perfect Windows]

If I remember soupy had one similar - did you use TFR or anything vin?

A lot of these coloured doors have a very thin veneer which can easily be ruined with chems.

It may buff out with a Cretan cleaner...

Darran

No chemicals used, ever.

Cretan = cream?

Vin

[Perfect Windows]

Door has been there for about ten years, I believe.

Vin

[Soupy]

I went to the supplier with this exact problem on 2 houses.

Thistle windows replaced both doors stating it was a 'bad batch'.

[Soupy]

http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=170332.0

Hope that helps.

[Smudger]

Oops -,how the hell does an ipad make Cretan out of cream

Darran

[Perfect Windows]

http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=170332.0

Hope that helps.

Very much; thanks.

Vin

[Jonny 87]

I really struggle to think its possible just pure water could do that?

[Perfect Windows]

For what it's worth, I think the colour has oxidised in sunlight - it's partly shaded and those bits are fine.  I suspect it's been breaking down slowly for some time, then this time there's been a 12-week gap with loads of sunshine.  Then in the way you sometimes get milky water on old white frames, the colour has washed out in one go when I cleaned the door, so it looks like it's me that did it.  I walk up to a brown door that looks OK, then walk away leaving it looking like that.

The biggest problem for me is that I really like the customer and she's as good a customer as you could wish for (as I mentioned, loads of referrals), so I just don't want to hack her off. 

The other thread suggests that if it's still under warranty the door supplier just needs to admit that it wasn't up to grade.

She moved into the house four years ago so I'm just hoping the previous occupants left her details of the window people.

Vin

[SeanK]

Try a bit of Tcut and see if that will polish it up, maybe its just the lacquer that's went a bit milky.
 

[H20cleaning]

Dont accept any liability... We use purified water? Rain water would do more harm so without using any soaps how could this possibly be you?

Unless you have washed a wooden white painted door just before? And its coated your brush in milky water....(very unlikely)

[Mike #1]

It is obviously not your fault but because the problem arose after you cleaned the door automatically the custy has looked to you and of course you feel responsible to try and sort this issue out without having to pay any hefty bills or lose the custy .

Really difficult situation , Hopefully they can contact the supplier/fitter of the door and get it al sorted asap . Mike

[Perfect Windows]

My focus is on resolving the issue.  What the customer needs here is a new door.  How that happens is up for discussion.

Vin

[stephen.b1]

the water has acted like a magnifying glass and burnt the coating  i had this on a building site of ten houses doors facing the sun were like this doors in the shade were ok i dont pole doors now

[Smudger]

B.1. That's a good shout.

Vin, is it a stain is there a residue or is it through the coating ??

If it's a residue then try white vinegar

Going forward, liability or not and they are a good customer the fact remains after cleaning it it's come up bad. I'd be prepared to meet the cost of repair (if poss) or  cost of replacement failing that submit a claim  through your insurance

Darran

[Clever Forum Name]

We had exactly the same issue last year. We still clean the house but we must not clean it with water. Even rain water makes it streaks. 

The customer has this special dye and she coats it every couple of months.

We had WFP the door for 3 years then BANG this happened. So annoying but hey ho.

[Perfect Windows]

B.1. That's a good shout.

Vin, is it a stain is there a residue or is it through the coating ??

If it's a residue then try white vinegar

Going forward, liability or not and they are a good customer the fact remains after cleaning it it's come up bad. I'd be prepared to meet the cost of repair (if poss) or  cost of replacement failing that submit a claim  through your insurance

Darran

Definitely not a stain - the surface is gone.

Off to see them in a few mins.

Option 1: they know who fitted them and we follow that up
Option 2: I pass on to my insurers
Option 3: I try to polish a test area once insurers are involved

Vin

[Smudger]

Good luck vin, keep us upto speed on what happens

Darran