Imported aluminium windows and doors from China have shown severe safety, structural, and insurance risks after independent testing has revealed a significant failure rate.
The independent testing, conducted by a NATA-accredited facility on products sourced through a veteran builder, found that seven out of eight tested products failed to meet the minimum standards for residential use in Australia.
The results have sent shockwaves through the local building industry, particularly given that some of the supplier marketing materials explicitly promised compliance with local standards.
Footage released from the testing facility exposed catastrophic failures under simulated conditions. In the trials, water poured directly through closed window frames, sliding door panels shook violently, and heavy 108-kilogram stacker door panels popped entirely out of their frames.
Ventora CEO Scott Kelly described the severe underperformance as a direct threat to building occupants.
“These results aren’t a matter of marginal underperformance, some of these failures are severe and carry real consequences,” Kelly said.
He warned that chronic leaking leads to major structural damage and dangerous mould, which could ultimately void a homeowner’s insurance policy.
Australian Glass and Window Association (AGWA) CEO Clinton Skeoch urged builders and consumers to be highly vigilant.
He advised checking the Window Energy Rating Scheme (WERS) to verify that products possess compliant AS2047 testing before purchase.
“If you purchase non-compliant products like the ones tested, you expose yourself to water damage, mould damage and possible catastrophic risks,” Skeoch said.
The alarming data comes amidst a backdrop of rising import volumes, which have jumped by more than two-thirds over a three-year period. The influx of these cheap materials has prompted Anti-Dumping Commission case 691.
AGWA has warned that without urgent government intervention to enforce strict compliance on imports, Australia faces a significant loss of its own manufacturing capacity and local jobs.
vere safety, structural, and insurance risks after independent testing has revealed a significant failure rate.
