How to fix chlorine damage to garage door, railings, blinds, door hardware?

[Siobhan7]

Hello, I had a house washer come to clean my house to freshen up the paint etc. It was a disaster.

They used excessive chlorine despite a prior conversation where I expressed concerns about any chemicals whatsoever. 

Apart from the death to the lawn and surrounding mature hedging/plants etc, there is damage to most metal finishes on the house. Construction was done 4 years ago so they were in excellent condition before.

Can anyone advise if these are possible to fix? 

In terms of what they are made of:

Garage door - Milano door from Personality Garage Doors. I think it's powder coated aluminium/aluminium composite. They have changed hands and said they can't help me with any advice.

External Blind - Evaya ev80. I've asked them to clarify exactly what it's made from but I'd assume it's aluminium/aluminium composite too.

Railings - painted with Murabond bridge paint.

Door hardware - Olivari superinox satin finish.

Any advice on how to repair gratefully received. 

 

Venetian exterior surfaceInterior surface of the VenetianGarage door

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Siobhan7. It's wonderful to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about chlorine damage.

In my experience, unfortunately, damage caused by excessive chlorine to surfaces like powder-coated aluminium, painted railings, and satin-finish hardware is often irreparable. Once the chlorine has eaten into the surface, causing etching, discolouration, or corrosion, it's not something that can be restored with cleaning or simple touch-ups.

Given the extent of the damage and the cost likely involved in replacing items, I’d recommend contacting the cleaner who performed the work. This seems like a case where insurance will need to be involved—either through liability insurance or potentially your own home insurance, depending on the policy.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell
 

[Siobhan7]

Thanks for your reply. I feared that might be the answer. It's rather expensive to replace all of these items... the cleaning company (with a 5 star rating on google....until I leave my review I guess) won't engage with any conversation unless I pay their bill (and threatened to take it further) which is absurd given the replacement and repairs costs of the damage they've caused is at least 10x the bill based on the costs I paid in 2019 .... It is a fair trading issue? Do I engage a solicitor? I'm not sure the best course of action.

[EricL]

Hello @Siobhan7 

I propose drafting an email and posting pictures of the damage the cleaning products have had on your house and fittings. I suggest addressing it to the owner and general manager of the cleaning company. In this manner you will have started an email trail that you tried to engage the company in an amicable manner to try and find a resolution. Going directly to fair trading will simply cut off the cleaning company and they will not be receptive to any negotiations. 

I strongly suggest trying to settle the issue with communication first, perhaps you just need to speak to the right person in the company who's willing to listen.

Let me tag our experienced members @Dave-1 and @Nailbag for their recommendations.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric