Put two patio quotes side by side and they can read almost the same: the same sizes, the same style, the same colour names, sometimes the same steel grade and thickness. On paper, the roofs look identical. The difference is often in a few words that are easy to skim past, such as "COLORBOND® equivalent colours".
This post is not about whether one product is good or bad. It is about knowing what you are buying. Here are the questions we think every homeowner should ask, whoever they get a quote from, us included.
What "equivalent colour" means
COLORBOND® is a BlueScope trade mark, and the colour names in its range belong to that product. When a quote says "COLORBOND® equivalent" or "to match COLORBOND® colours", it is telling you the colour is meant to look like a COLORBOND® colour. It is not telling you who made the steel, what coating it has or whose warranty comes with it. It may be a perfectly good product. You just need to ask what it is.
1. Who made the steel and the paint?
The maker of the coil is the one who stands behind the coating and the paint. Ask for the brand and the maker by name, and ask for it in writing on the quote. If the answer is vague, that is worth noting.
2. What is the metallic coating, and how heavy is it?
Under the paint is a metallic coating that protects the steel. Ask for its type and its mass. COLORBOND® steel, for example, uses an AM100 aluminium, zinc and magnesium coating with Activate® technology. Other products use other alloys, such as AZ150 aluminium and zinc. Coating mass only compares fairly within the same type of alloy, so ask for both, not just the number.
3. What standard is the paint made to?
Pre-painted steel in Australia is made to AS/NZS 2728, which sorts paint systems into types for different conditions. "Complies with AS/NZS 2728" is a start. Asking which type the paint system is classed as, and seeing it on a datasheet, gives you something you can compare.
4. Is there long-term outdoor test data?
Laboratory tests in salt spray and UV cabinets are useful and quick. Real exposure outdoors takes years. Ask whether the maker publishes results from panels left out in Australian conditions, and for how long. BlueScope publishes ten-year outdoor exposure results for COLORBOND® steel and has thousands of test panels on exposure around the country.
5. Who issues the warranty, and to whom?
A warranty from the steel maker, registered in your name, is a different thing from a warranty from a kit supplier or a builder. Both can be worth having. Ask who you would claim against if the paint peeled in ten years, and whether that company will still be the one holding the warranty. Ask too how and when it gets registered, because deadlines differ.
6. How close to the coast does it cover?
Salt is where most coating warranties set their limits. Ask what distance from breaking surf and from calm salt water the product and its warranty suit, and how that distance is measured. BlueScope publishes a table for each COLORBOND® product, measured from the high water mark.
7. What maintenance does the warranty need?
Most steel warranties ask you to wash the parts the rain does not reach, such as gutter undersides and sheltered beams. Ask how often, and what happens if you do not. It is better to know the routine before the patio goes up than to find it in the fine print later.
Make the answers part of the contract
- Ask for the steel brand and product name on the quote for the roof, gutters, beams, posts and flashings.
- Ask for the datasheet and the warranty terms before you sign.
- Check the colour on a real sample in daylight, against your house roof or fence.
- Remember that the Australian Consumer Law gives you guarantees on top of any warranty. The ACCC explains them on its website.
How we answer them
We build only with genuine COLORBOND® steel made in Australia by BlueScope, and we are happy to answer every one of these questions in writing at the quote. We bring real samples, we can show you the branding on the sheets when they arrive, and we explain how the BlueScope warranty works for your build.
If you are comparing quotes, take this list with you. Whoever you choose, you will know exactly what is going on your roof.
COLORBOND®, ZINCALUME®, Activate® and Thermatech® are registered trade marks of BlueScope Steel Limited.