Beware Unsuitable Imitations
15th July 2014

Inferior imitations of RENOLITs world-leading exterior foils are appearing in the UK market. Primarily laminated on cladding and roofline products, these foils will fail when exposed to weather and sunlight, causing problems for installers and home owners alike.

In recent months, a growing number of Renolit customers have made the company aware that these products were being installed in the UK and marketed as suitable for exterior application. Having weather tested samples of these components in their in house laboratory to DIN EN513 (as specified in RAL 716), the results prove that these films are completely unsuitable for exterior use. In their tests the products failed to achieve even 1300 hours of artificial weathering before displaying unacceptable signs of colour variation, which is considered to equate to less than 2 years exposure in a UK climate, with the samples then becoming almost completely destroyed in the equivalent of less than 3 years (see photo 1). Furthermore, customers of Renolit have provided photos of UK installations using this type of foil that have experienced full product failure, reportedly within two years of installation (see photo 2).

Renolit therefore recommends that fabricators and installers check the source of their foiled products before installing at a customer. This will prevent costly repairs in the near future and damage to both their own and the industry’s reputation.

The increasing popularity of foiled building components has been well publicised, as home owners become increasingly aware of the opportunities to improve their property with realistic woodgrain designs or fashionable solid colours rather than just plain white pvc-u. As the inventor and world’s largest manufacturer of these exterior laminates, Renolit has been at the forefront of this growth and all indications are that this trend will continue to grow over the coming years.

www.renolit.com