We have just had a fire, which resulted in two windows and a door being
covered in thick black soot. The people whom the insurance company have
given the job to, seem to think that they will all clean up
successfully. I have seen a small area that they have cleaned using CIF
together with a biodegradable wall cleaner and booster. To me the pvc
now seems to have a mat finish and is not as white as before.
Can anyone please tell me if hey be cleaned successfully and will it
last ?
Thank You
Hi Terry
It depends on how much smoke/heat there was, but it's usually very difficult to
clean smoke damage off PVC windows. I ended up replacing all the windows in a
client's house last year. Are you absolutely sure there is no heat damage? PVC
will melt/deform more easily than a candle in heat. Also, CIF is definitely not
the right stuff to use as it's an abrasive - that's why you can't use it on
plastic baths. I'm concerned the firm appointed by your insurers tried using
it - this shows they are not specialists. The damage they did when trying it
might be added to the claim now.
There are proper specialist companies who clean up after fires and do
de-odourising etc that insurers normally use. Look in your local Yellow Pages.
They will advise on the damage to your windows and tell you if they can be
cleaned satisfactorily. There are also special chemicals available - try here
and give the firm a call:
http://www.chemspec-europe.com/rpf.htm
Peter
I don't know the whys and wherefores of the cleaning but you can get
your own second opinions. Don't be thwarted by loss adjusters. Their job
is to make money by cutting your claim to the bone. They can be 2@s.
Take the bead off one or more of the windows with a painter's scraper
and look for frazzled seals and debris. Put them back by forcing the
seal hard against the glass and banging hard along the middle of the
section with the rubber handle of an hammer.
If the firm misses this damage, refuse to accept the job. PVC windows
are terrible things to seal and as Peter said, much more susceptible to
heat damage than wood. I wouldn't have them in my house had I a choice.
--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG
ROFL! Well, perhaps your gang need telling about their company's own products!
Cif is definitely the wrong stuff for cleaning uPVC window frames.
Remember the legal contractual principle of your insurance policy is that the
insurers are expected to put you back in the same position you were in before
the damage occurred. Strictly speaking that means if your windows or
decorations were old and tatty then that's all they have to provide - any
improvement is called betterment. But nowadays no insurers bother about
charging betterment on domestic policies (although they often do on commercial
policies), so in effect you have a new-for-old policy. They should pay for
completely cleaning the house and deodourising it if necessary, and renewing the
decorations to any areas that were damaged. Similarly, if the windows cannot be
properly cleaned without causing even more damage (removing the glossy surface),
or if they have suffered any heat damage, the insurers should accept the cost of
replacing them. Loss Adjusters often try to palm you off with a bodge, so if
you're not satisfied with what they offer you against this principle then you
should hold out for what you think is right. I agree with what Mike said about
Loss Adjusters - don't let yours shove you around. I bet they didn't tell you
that you're entitled to have a Surveyor acting on your behalf, with reasonable
fees paid by the insurers! (This is because the rebuilding cost they tell you
to insure for includes professional fees - usually at 12½%)
Peter
If it now is matt, either
- some cleaner has dried on it, which is easily wiped off, or
- the surface has been abraded off, which means the plastic will now
get dirty relatively easily, and be much more difficult to clean.
Abrading plastic is a last resort cleaning method for this reason.
Regards, NT
HomeOwnersHub.com is a website for homeowners and building and maintenance pros. It is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.