Hello everyone,
we are currently building, and I think most people know that this can be quite a stressful process. You sometimes have to overlook minor defects, but when it comes to the welds on our new railing, I’m not sure if these can still be considered small cosmetic flaws or if they are already major visual or even structural defects.
Here, of course, I deliberately chose one of the worse welds.
There are also paint damages that are so obvious that, in my opinion, any reputable tradesperson should have fixed them before final acceptance.
Friends with welding experience who have seen this say such work is unacceptable. Unfortunately, I’m not an expert myself, but this is the response I received from our construction supervisor via the contractor:
“The welds are flawless!
I don’t know what expertise the owner has to claim that the welds would not hold...
The two ‘paint damages’ probably occurred when lifting the 180 kg (400 lb) railing.
We will retouch these with a paint pen so they are no longer visible.
Corrosion protection is fully ensured anyway, because the entire railing beneath the paint layer is hot-dip galvanized.”
What do the welding experts here think about this? And do you know what options I have? Are there special expert inspectors to whom I should turn?
Thanks in advance!
we are currently building, and I think most people know that this can be quite a stressful process. You sometimes have to overlook minor defects, but when it comes to the welds on our new railing, I’m not sure if these can still be considered small cosmetic flaws or if they are already major visual or even structural defects.
Here, of course, I deliberately chose one of the worse welds.
There are also paint damages that are so obvious that, in my opinion, any reputable tradesperson should have fixed them before final acceptance.
Friends with welding experience who have seen this say such work is unacceptable. Unfortunately, I’m not an expert myself, but this is the response I received from our construction supervisor via the contractor:
“The welds are flawless!
I don’t know what expertise the owner has to claim that the welds would not hold...
The two ‘paint damages’ probably occurred when lifting the 180 kg (400 lb) railing.
We will retouch these with a paint pen so they are no longer visible.
Corrosion protection is fully ensured anyway, because the entire railing beneath the paint layer is hot-dip galvanized.”
What do the welding experts here think about this? And do you know what options I have? Are there special expert inspectors to whom I should turn?
Thanks in advance!
Since I have to inspect welds every day, I would not have allowed these to be installed. What kind of "specialist company" carried out such work?
In our current rental apartment, we also had problems with the balcony railing. However, in the end, they voluntarily redid everything properly.
In our current rental apartment, we also had problems with the balcony railing. However, in the end, they voluntarily redid everything properly.
First of all, thank you for the many opinions.
I will not mention any names here for now, as long as the contractor still has the chance to correct their mistakes. I will call them tomorrow to discuss the paint damage. If they also show no willingness to deliver reasonably good work, of course I will have to consider naming the company as a warning for future clients. Then everyone can decide for themselves whether the adjective "flawless" fits the weld shown in my photo.
By the way, I have not paid anything yet. The railing was only completed this week, and the invoice has not arrived yet.
I will not mention any names here for now, as long as the contractor still has the chance to correct their mistakes. I will call them tomorrow to discuss the paint damage. If they also show no willingness to deliver reasonably good work, of course I will have to consider naming the company as a warning for future clients. Then everyone can decide for themselves whether the adjective "flawless" fits the weld shown in my photo.
By the way, I have not paid anything yet. The railing was only completed this week, and the invoice has not arrived yet.
I am not familiar with welding seams. However, regarding the paint defects, I notice that the paint is peeling off at the corner, and it seems to me that this was already the case before the damage occurred. So there appears to be no proper adhesion between the paint and the corner of the railing.
The contractor initially has the right to make repairs and is not required to replace the item immediately. You must grant them this right. If after that the issue is still noticeable or if a system-related defect can be identified from the peeling at the edge, you may be able to claim more later.
The railing was painted but not powder coated, correct? In my opinion, powder coating is always the better and, in my view, more durable solution, especially for outdoor use.
When doing touch-ups and sanding, please make sure that the galvanization remains intact and that no ferritic materials are used for sanding.
Best regards,
Jann
The contractor initially has the right to make repairs and is not required to replace the item immediately. You must grant them this right. If after that the issue is still noticeable or if a system-related defect can be identified from the peeling at the edge, you may be able to claim more later.
The railing was painted but not powder coated, correct? In my opinion, powder coating is always the better and, in my view, more durable solution, especially for outdoor use.
When doing touch-ups and sanding, please make sure that the galvanization remains intact and that no ferritic materials are used for sanding.
Best regards,
Jann
I spoke with the gentleman on the phone. He is still confident in the quality of his welds, so I suppose I have to accept that.
The issue with the paint damage will be handled as previously discussed. He said he will touch it up so that the damage is no longer visible, and since the steel is hot-dip galvanized, it is likely still protected.
I think this is a good solution and hope he holds his repair work to a higher standard than the appearance of his welds.
By the way, this is actually a powder coating, not a paint finish as I mistakenly stated before.
The issue with the paint damage will be handled as previously discussed. He said he will touch it up so that the damage is no longer visible, and since the steel is hot-dip galvanized, it is likely still protected.
I think this is a good solution and hope he holds his repair work to a higher standard than the appearance of his welds.
By the way, this is actually a powder coating, not a paint finish as I mistakenly stated before.
H
HilfeHilfe16 Jul 2020 10:05We also had an issue with the railing. It had to be dismantled and hot-dip galvanized again. It's always best to leave it raw brushed. It looks better and saves you from further problems.
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