What you can expect from us, and what we need from you
These terms apply to every quote we issue and every installation we carry out. We have written them in plain language rather than legal language, because terms nobody reads protect nobody.
If anything here is unclear, ask us before you accept a quote. We would rather explain it upfront than argue about it later.
Quotes and pricing
Our quotes are valid for 30 days from the date of issue. After that we may need to requote, since supplier prices and exchange rates move.
Survey, measuring and estimating are free. No project is too small — we will come out for a single window.
A quote covers only what is written on it. Removal of an old floor covering, and moving furniture, are quoted separately — if you want either included, tell us at survey and we will price it in.
Payment
Goods remain our property until they are paid for in full. Nothing is ordered from the supplier before the deposit is received.
Measurements
Everything we supply is custom made, so measurements decide whether it fits.
If we measure
We take responsibility. If a blind is made to the wrong size because of our measurement, we put it right at our cost.
If you supply the measurements
You are liable for them. A custom-made item cut to a supplied measurement cannot be returned or altered.
Either way, we need the full detail to be accurate — whether the blind fits inside or outside the reveal, and anything in the way such as handles, burglar bars, deep sills or air-conditioning pipes. Our measuring guide sets out what to send.
Cancellations and changes
Blinds cannot be cancelled once the order is placed. They are manufactured to your measurements and cannot be resold, so the order is final from the moment it goes to the supplier.
Flooring cancelled after ordering carries a 10% handling fee to cover returning the product to the supplier. Cut lengths and part rolls may not be returnable at all, in which case they are payable in full.
Lead times
Blinds normally take around two weeks to be delivered. We give you the expected date when you accept the quote and we phone you to arrange fitting as soon as the order arrives.
Lead times are estimates, not guarantees. They depend on the manufacturer, on stock and on delivery to the Overberg, and we cannot be held liable for a supplier's delay. We will keep you informed if a date moves.
What we need on site
Our preparation guide covers this in detail. In short, on the installation day we need:
- The room cleared of furniture, curtains, rugs and anything breakable
- A dry subfloor, clean and accessible. We test for moisture before laying, and will not lay on damp
- Working power and access to water
- Parking close to the door, and arranged access on an estate or in a complex
If our team arrives and cannot work because the site is not ready, standing time is charged and the installation is rescheduled to our next available date.
Guarantees
Our workmanship — one year
Guaranteed for twelve months from installation. If something we fitted fails because of how it was fitted, we come back and put it right.
Blinds — three years
Our blinds carry a three year manufacturer's warranty against defects in materials and workmanship. Motors and accessories carry three to five years depending on the unit. That is the supplier's cover on the product itself, separate from our twelve month workmanship guarantee, and the applicable terms are stated on your quote.
Flooring — per supplier
Warranties differ by product and by manufacturer, so rather than advertise one blanket figure we state the applicable warranty in writing on your quote, and you know what yours covers before you buy.
What we guarantee across everything is the selection. Every range we stock is hand picked, and we do not carry products that fail in coastal conditions.
Our own team carries out most installations. Where a job calls for a specialist, it goes to an installer we have hand picked and worked with for years. Either way we manage the job and we answer for the workmanship, and we tell you upfront who will be on site.
How a warranty claim works. You deal with us, not the factory. We lodge the claim on your behalf, but a warranted product has to go back to the manufacturer to be assessed and repaired or replaced, so allow time for it. Where a replacement is no longer available in the original material — collections do get discontinued and batches vary — the manufacturer supplies the closest equivalent.
What the guarantee does not cover
- Incorrect cleaning. Using a mop and bucket or a steam cleaner on laminate or wood, wetting a timber or bamboo blind, or machine washing vertical slats or roller fabric
- Water damage from leaks, flooding, rising damp or a subfloor that became wet after we laid
- Misuse, accidental damage and normal wear, including scratches from furniture moved without felt pads or grit tracked in from outside
- Damage by others, including other trades working on the property after us
- Consequences of poor ventilation, such as a blind in a bathroom with no extraction. Our rule of thumb: if you get steam on your mirrors, you will have trouble with any blind in that room
- Sun and heat damage. Blinds are made for light control, privacy and decoration — they are not primary sun barriers. Harsh direct sunlight and sustained temperatures above roughly 35°C can make materials lose their shape, and that is excluded by the manufacturer. On a window that bakes, fit solar film or an external awning as well
- Exposure to chemicals, and damage caused by pets or insects, including wood borer
- Mildew, corrosion and fading, which no manufacturer warrants against
- Anything made outside the manufacturer's size limits. If you ask for a blind wider or longer than the range allows, we will tell you, and it carries no warranty
Our care instructions set out how to look after everything we install. Following them keeps your guarantee intact.
Colour, batch and natural variation
Colours on a screen do not match the real product. Screens vary, and so does the light in your room. Always choose from a physical sample — we hand them out free from the Gansbaai showroom, or bring the books to you.
- Batches vary. Where a job is topped up or extended later, we cannot guarantee an exact match to material supplied earlier
- Timber, bamboo and other natural materials vary in grain and tone, and move with humidity and the seasons. Uneven grain, natural markings such as knots and mineral deposits, minor bowing of slats, and fading over time are inherent characteristics of a natural product. They are not defects, and manufacturers exclude them from warranty
- Carpet joins may be visible at first. As the fibres relax and settle, they become far less noticeable
- A new carpet sheds loose fibre for the first few weeks. This is normal and stops on its own
If something goes wrong
Phone us rather than live with it. Problems are cheaper and easier to fix while the job is fresh, and most of what we get called about is a quick repair when caught early.
Gansbaai 028 384 3898 · Hermanus 082 417 5590 · info@blindsflooring.co.za
These terms form part of every quote we issue. Where a written quote states something different, the quote applies. Accepting a quote or paying a deposit means you accept these terms.