Maintenance and Warranty Information
Here you will find details of our maintenance schedules and how to look after your equipment. To download our full warranty & maintenance booklet, which includes all information on product care and how to keep your warranties intact, please click Warranty and Maintenance Booklet.
Please note, customers are responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the equipment after it has been installed.
Maintenance and Repair Service – Out of Warranty & Spare or Replacement Parts
We are able to offer a nationwide full maintenance and repair service for equipment, which is out of warranty. This is usually charged on an hourly basis plus the cost of any replacement parts, if so required.
Our Customer Service department can quickly provide you with quotations for spare or replacement parts. All you need to do is call us on 0845 606 6475 or email info@timberline.co.uk – if you know the specific product that you need please let us know, having your original order acknowledgment or post code to hand. We will require photographs of the equipment, showing what is required so that we are able to quote accordingly. Quotations will include labour and installation costs as standard.
Maintenance and Repair Service – In Warranty
Timberform, under its warranty policy, will rectify any default as a result of faulty workmanship and materials within a year from the date of installation. A note should be kept of the age of the equipment and a special inspection carried out before the expiry of the warranty, as listed below. Failure to comply with these recommendations may result in the invalidation of the Timberform warranty.
We would also recommend that all components or parts, which need to be replaced, should be supplied by Timberform. We cannot take any responsibility for faulty parts, which have not been supplied by our company.
Required Maintenance of Timberform Equipment in order to Maintain Warranty
In order to ensure your warranty remains valid, you will need to follow the maintenance instructions given, and keep a written record of any maintenance that is carried out. You will need to note relevant details such as major wear and tear issues, or any form of rot to carpets, decking or timber etc. If you do find any major wear and tear, rotting or missing components please call us immediately on 0845 606 6475. Failure to report such issues within 14 days could lead to further equipment problems and invalidation of your warranty. It would also be beneficial to keep any receipts for stain/paint/components as evidence of you completing the necessary maintenance. For a copy of our maintenance and inspection record log, please download here; Warranty and Maintenance Booklet
An annual maintenance check is required as a minimum to maintain the warranty. Checks should include the following;
- Tightening of fastenings. Loose fixings are a hazardous safety risk, particularly those in timber components and those with moving parts.
- Repainting and retreating of surfaces. We would recommend that the equipment is repainted and retreated every 12 months, paying particular attention to those areas that are likely to wear faster. Remember that if the wood is exposed as a result of lack of stain/paint, this will increase the likelihood of rot and decay – this type of decay would not be covered under the warranty in most cases.
- Check that any swing seats are securely fixed and undamaged.
- Check that all safety barriers are present.
- Check that no glass fibre is exposed on the slides.
- Maintenance of any impact absorbing surfaces
- Lubrication of any bearings.
- Regular cleaning.
- Restoring loose fills to the correct level and ensuring loose fill is aerated and free of faeces and debris.
- Maintenance of free space areas.
- Suspension bridges – chains and ropes should be checked on a weekly basis for wear and damage. They may need re-tensioning occasionally.
- Ropes and chains – check for any wear and tear or deterioration of ropes and chains especially at fitting points.
- Foundations – check all anchoring points for stability and anchor mechanisms for sign of damage close to the ground.
Corrective maintenance should include measures to correct defects or to re-establish the necessary levels of safety of the play equipment. These measures should include – replacement of fastenings, replacement of any worn or defective parts, replacement of defective structural components.
Official Inspection Recommendations
Why is an Inspection Important?
The continuation management and provision of high quality inspection and maintenance programmes are recommended if safe opportunities for children to play creatively are to be preserved. Your number one concern as a Site Manager should be that it is safe for all people to use at all times. If serious defects, which put safety at risk, are discovered during inspection, then these should be corrected without delay. If this is not possible, the equipment should be secured against use.
Frequency & Administration of Inspections
Regular inspections are to be administered by the Site Manager. Frequency will vary according to usage and local site conditions although weekly should be regarded as a minimum.
Quarterly inspections are to be administered by the Site Manager every three months.
Annual inspections to be administered by an outside professional organisation (e.g. RoSPA) every 12 months.
Key Points to Remember
Inspections should also cover the whole of the site and not just the equipment i.e. pathways, fences, seats etc (if applicable) also need to be checked.
Regular Inspection
This inspection looks at the equipment’s basic condition, which identifies obvious hazards that can result from vandalism, use, or weather conditions e.g. the hazards can be broken parts or broken bottles. These inspections should be carried out by the site manager and should be recorded. We would also recommend that somebody undertake these inspections with basic training in playground inspections.
Quarterly Inspection
This inspection looks in more detail at the equipment especially with regards to certain types of minor wear on the timber, components and hardware. Special attention should be given to “sealed for life” parts. Timberform recommends RoSPA’s publication “Safety of the Playground!” to assist with this inspection.
Annual Inspection
This should be carried out by a specialist or competent person not connected with the school or site manager – for example insurance companies, ourselves as the original manufacturer, commercial independent inspection companies (which the company can recommend) and safety organisations such as RoSPA. Essentially, this inspection looks at vandalism, minor and major wear and tear (taking into account effects of weather, evidence of rotting and corrosion), long-term structural problems, changes in compliance and design and risk assessment.
Call our Customer Services department on 0845 606 6475 if you have any questions.