Warranty information about M4L carriage house garage doors.

Warranty Info

Doors: Limited Warranty

All M4L doors are warranted for one (1) year from the date of shipment to be of good material and workmanship, and to be free from defects at the time of shipment that would render them unfit for the purpose for which each door is recommended. Before leaving our plant, your door has been inspected for any defects in materials and workmanship and is packaged to protect the door in transit.

Should the warranted door be found to contain defects as stated above, M4L, Inc. will at its option, either (1) repair any door without charge, or (2) replace any door without charge in the stage of fitting and/or finishing as it was originally supplied, or (3) refund the price received for the door. In the event of a defect reasonably discovered by inspection of a door upon receipt of shipment from M4L, Inc. written notice must be given within 30 days thereafter and before the door is hung or treated in any manner. If the replacement option is used, the door will be reshipped pre-paid to the distributor of origin. No labor or installation refinishing expenses are covered by this warranty.

Doors must be installed providing protection from exposure, typically with a standard overhang extending outward a distance equal to one-half it's height from the bottom of the door up to the overhang to be covered by this warranty.
The appearance of field finished doors is not covered by this warranty in any event.
Doors that are shipped separately from their jamb need to be hung very soon after delivery to maintain their warranty. Otherwise, shifting of the jamb can occur and cause problems.
Any condition or problem caused by failure to follow the recommended handling, finishing and installation instructions as outlined are not covered by this warranty.
We can require that an inspection be made by one of our employees prior to adjustment or replacement.
Natural variations in color, texture or general surface appearance of wood are not considered defects.
Any deterioration caused by failure to protect and seal all exposed surfaces and edges of the door either prior to or immediately after hanging are not covered by this warranty.

Handling, Finishing, and Installation Instructions

Entrance doors shall always be stored on edge, supported vertically (not leaning). Interior doors must be stored flat, in a clean, dry environment.
Doors shall not be exposed to excessive heat, dryness, humidity, or direct sunlight prior to finishing.
Handle door with clean gloves and do not drag doors across each other or other surfaces.
Deliver doors to the jobsite after plaster is dry. If doors are stored on the jobsite for more than one week, all edges must be sealed.
All hardware locations, preparations, and methods of installation must be appropriate for the specific door.
All doors 7' and under must have 3 hinges. Doors over 7' must have 4 hinges.
Prior to finishing, remove all handling marks with 150 grit or finer sandpaper and remove all sanding dust.
Apply sealer, primer, or first coat of required finish immediately after fitting, cutting for hardware, weatherstripping, etc. and before the installation of hardware or hanging the door.
All exposed surfaces of the door must be sealed, including the top, bottom, side edges, and the hardware cutouts.
Use only oil-based stains, sealers, or primers on the door. If water-based paint is to be used, it must be applied over an oil-based primer. (Note of Caution: An interior grade lacquer is NOT a satisfactory product for exterior use.)
All exterior surfaces, including the top, bottom, and sides of the door must be finish coated with a good quality exterior grade paint or varnish. At least three (3) coats of exterior grade varnish with a UV Inhibitor must be applied.
In order not to induce warpage or excessive deterioration of your door, avoid using dark stains or paints on the door surfaces exposed to direct sunlight.
Most finishes on exterior doors deteriorate relatively quickly. To insure exterior doors receive the protection required, inspect the condition of exterior finish at least once a year and refinish as often as needed to maintain the protective stability of the finish.

There are no warranties that extend beyond the preceding. M4L, Inc. shall not be liable for consequential, indirect, or incidental damages or for any amount in excess of the manufacturer's price for the shipment involved, whether the claim is for breach of warranty or negligence.

Since these doors are shipped to you unsealed and unfinished, we cannot warranty against the natural characteristics of the wood which may occur in the various conditions encountered from our plant to your finished opening. Because the wood can respond in different ways to the variety of atmospheric and environmental conditions, it is imperative that special attention is given to the door and the necessary care and effort taken to protect the door in the unfinished state to minimize the potential for problems.

Insulated Glass Limited Warranty

M4L, Inc. warrants our insulated glass for a period of five (5) years from the date of manufacture of the insulated glass panel, against permanent failure of the hermetic seal, directly attributed to defective manufacturing, when such failure results in permanent obstruction of vision through the panel.

This warranty does not apply if the failure of the seal is caused by an Act of God, damage as a result of exposure to corrosive fumes or condensates, damage resulting from excessive stress from movement of the structure, glass distortion or breakage, mishandling or improper installation or by any other cause whatsoever not within our exclusive control, and shall not apply unless the failure occurs and claim is delivered to us within five (5) years after the date of manufacture of the insulated glass panel.

Under the terms of this warranty, our obligation is to replace the defective glass. No labor, installation and/or consequential damages are included.

For a period of five (5) years after manufacturing, a replacement insulated glass panel shall be furnished, for excessive fogging problems only. The company may, at its option, refund the purchase price of defective panels in lieu of furnishing a replacement.
No other express warranty is made by M4L, Inc.

We can require that an inspection be made by one of our employees prior to adjustment or replacement.

Warranty Claims and Returns

In an effort to better serve our customers, M4L has established a new warranty claims policy and procedures to track all warranty claims. All warranty returns must have M4L authorization before the product(s) are shipped back. M4L requires that any return be given prior authorization by your M4L sales representative or by the M4L home office before returning items for claim or credit. All returns should be accompanied by a completed Return of Merchandise Authorization so that the return can be speedily identified, traced as to customer and circumstance, and processed efficiently.

As stated by the M4L Limited Warranty, our products are warranted to be free from defect in material and workmanship for five (5) years for the insulated glass and one (1) year for the door. All items are inspected for quality immediately before shipment. It is understood that many warrantable circumstances do not develop and fully become apparent until well after the product is installed, but some defects or flaws may be detected as soon as the door or side lite is unpackaged. Since many minor flaws can be repaired or corrected, all items should be inspected thoroughly for such defects upon receipt and before machining. Please be aware that the machining of a door or side lite constitutes acceptance of the product as it was received by our customer. Any minor flaws or defects that may exist at the time of machining will not be considered as defective product or claimable once machining has been completed. So, please inspect all items thoroughly before the machining process takes place.

The M4L Limited Warranty does not cover product that has been rendered unusable due to damage or mishandling. A significant percentage of the items returned to M4L for warranty claim is product that has been damaged or mishandled after shipment. M4L will not recognize such situations as legitimate claims covered under warranty.

Please be aware that any credit due for defective product is not processed and issued until the defective item has been returned to M4L. Any required replacement product is invoiced at the regular unit price as it is shipped. All items returned must be packaged in order to insure that credit due is processed efficiently, and to protect against any further unnecessary damage to the product. Proper packaging includes an adequate pallet, proper top and edge protective covering, and items preferably stood on edge. Items not given adequate packaging protection during return shipment may void the warranty.

M4L supports our customers with a warranty that covers defective conditions based on industry standards of acceptability. We take a fair and objective view of any warranty situation, but it is important to understand that a warranty does not cover any and all problems that may occur. We urge you to call if you have questions or need further clarification on our warranty conditions or relating to any specific situation that you may encounter.

Conditions Not Covered or Allowed for Warranty Claims

In supplement to the M4L, Inc. Limited Warranty, the following material or physical situations will not be covered by the warranty.

Warpage not exceeding one-fourth inch (1/4") in the plane of the door. All 8'0" height doors are NOT warranted against warpage.
Bow or nonalignment in the frame or jamb in which the door is hung.
Variations or unsatisfactory results in gloss levels, texture or appearance resulting from the field of
application of paint or other finishing material.
Natural variations in color, texture of surface and checking of wood are not considered defects.
Damage resulting from any cause beyond the control of M4L, Inc., including, but not limited to,
damage caused by misuse, abuse, accident, sprinkler systems, mishandling, fire, flood, earthquake,
storm, tornado, or any other act of nature.
Warranty is null and void if deterioration occurs due to the failure to protect and seal all
exposed surface and edges of the door either prior to or immediately after hanging.
Damages caused by failure to comply with normal homeowner maintenance and care.
Insulated glass is only warranted against fogging.
Due to the excessive heat build-up, any exterior door used with an un-vented glass storm door will
not be warranted.
Doors painted Black (or any Dark Color) with any sun exposure, will not be warranted.

Important Information About Warranty

Do NOT cut, trim or finish a door, side lite or transom sash, before it has been fully inspected. Once the product has been cut and/or finished, it can not be returned to M4L for replacement unless it is defective in a way that is covered by the warranty. Please comply with all of the handling and finishing instructions completely to validate the warranty. The product must be hand sanded before finishing.

Management of Timber Concessions

The mills used for the production of M4L doors only utilize timber from government controlled forests. There is strict control over the harvesting and replanting of timber used in every M4L door. M4L can supply, upon request, government letters of certification to confirm that programs are in effect to protect the forest. Video tapes are also available, on request, that outline the foreign government's management program.

Rain Forest Policy

M4L is committed to the protection of the Rain Forest. Strict compliance is maintained with all foreign government regulations to protect the Rain Forest. None of the timber used to produce M4L doors is listed as endangered.

Appearance and Workability Information on Wood Doors vs. Other Materials

The appearance of a wood door projects a natural custom look as opposed to a plain cold appearance of other materials.
Wood doors can be cut to size, or cut for inserts, and resealed better than other materials.
Wood is an excellent insulating material. Its cellular structure has millions of trapped air cells that forms a natural barrier against heat and cold.
Wood doors do not get as hot on the face in the summer or as cold on the face in the winter.
Wood doors are easy to plane, whereas other materials would be difficult or impossible to plane.
Tests show that most air loss occurs around and not through a door.
Other materials can rust, delaminate or get an irreparable dent in its skin.

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