Our Guarantee
A guarantee whose terms only appear once you try to use it is not worth having, so here they are first.
Our workmanship is guaranteed for ten years from the day the job is signed off. This page says exactly what that covers, what it does not, and what you have to do to rely on it.
What the ten years covers
Everything the installation itself is responsible for: the weathertightness of the unit into the roof, the flashing or kerb detail, the fixings, the sealing of the vapour control layer where we formed it, and the internal finish where we made it good.
If water gets in because of how it was fitted, we come back and fix it, and the labour to do so is included.
What the manufacturer covers
The unit itself, under its own warranty, which is typically ten years on the sealed unit and shorter on moving parts and electrical components. Where a unit fails under that warranty we handle the claim. You should not be the one arguing with a manufacturer about a product we chose and fitted.
Our labour in removing a failed unit and installing the replacement is covered by our guarantee for the full ten years, which is the part manufacturers do not cover and the part that usually costs more.
What it does not cover
- Damage by others, including anyone working on the roof after us.
- Storm damage, impact and anything an insurer would ordinarily deal with.
- Failure of the wider roof covering that we did not install.
- Condensation caused by how the room is used or ventilated, as opposed to condensation caused by a detail we got wrong. The difference is usually obvious on inspection and we will say which it is honestly.
- Normal wear on moving parts and seals, and cleaning.
Making a claim
Tell us, by phone or email, with a photograph if you can. Claims are acknowledged in writing, and we aim to have somebody look within five working days, sooner where water is actively coming in.
Where water is entering, the immediate priority is stopping it, and we do that before anybody discusses whose responsibility it is.
Being straight about what it depends on
This guarantee is given by Castle Skylights in its own name. It is not separately insurance backed, which is true of any workmanship guarantee given by an installer directly, and it depends on the business continuing to trade.
It is better to be told that plainly than to discover it during a claim. The business carries public liability insurance and a copy of the certificate is available on request.
What the guarantee covers
Ten years on our workmanship, from the date the job is completed, and it is the part that matters most because most rooflight problems are installation problems rather than product failures.
That means the weathering detail: the underlay collar and how it is lapped, the flashing kit and whether it is the right profile for your covering, how the covering is reinstated around the unit, how the frame is fixed and whether it is square, the insulation collar, and the making good. If water gets in through anything we did, we come back and put it right at no charge.
Two guarantees, and why the distinction matters
The manufacturer warrants the product. We guarantee the installation. They are separate cover from separate parties, and it is worth knowing which is which.
A manufacturer’s warranty typically covers the sealed unit against seal failure and misting for a stated period, and the frame and mechanism for a shorter one. It usually excludes anything installed outside the manufacturer’s own instructions, which means a badly fitted window can void the product warranty as well as leaking.
Where a unit fails under a manufacturer’s warranty on a job we did, we handle that claim. You should not have to argue with a manufacturer about a product we chose and fitted, and the labour to remove and refit is covered by us rather than by them.
What it does not cover
Honest limits, stated up front rather than buried.
Accidental damage and storm damage. A branch through the glass is an insurance matter, not a guarantee matter. We will still come and make it safe.
Failure of the wider roof. If the covering, the underlay or the structure fails elsewhere and water finds its way to the rooflight, that is not our installation failing. We will tell you plainly what we find, and where the cause is genuinely ambiguous we will not charge you for the visit to establish it.
Lack of maintenance. Blocked perimeter drainage on a flat roof unit, a gasket left caked in moss and grit so the sash cannot seat, or a filter never cleaned. The routine care is short and it is set out on the relevant service pages.
Condensation. Where a room produces a lot of moisture and is not ventilated, water will form on the coldest surface, which is often the glass. That is not a fault. Where condensation is appearing on the reveal rather than the glass, that usually is a fault, generally a missing insulation collar, and if we fitted it, it is covered.
Work altered by somebody else. If another trade has been on the roof or into the reveal since, we will look at it honestly rather than using it as an excuse, but we cannot guarantee what we did not do.
Making a claim
Call, tell us roughly when the work was done, and send a photograph of what is happening. There is no form and no claims process. We will arrange to come and look, and where it is ours we put it right.
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