Gore-tex jacket no longer waterproof

About 3 years ago I bought a goretex jacket that said it was guaranteed
to keep you dry. My gortex jacket now leaks, so it was sent to Gore-tex
for testing. I was advised that the jacket is leaking due to scattered
puncture damage and that the jacket could not be repaired because the
puncture damage was too extensive. I was asked whether I had walked
through gorse bushes or other spikey vegetation. I explained that I had
not walked through, or sat on gorse bushes or other spikey vegetation.

It was explained to me that the gore-tex guarantee does not cover
puncture damage, just as a car warranty does not cover dents you
get from running into posts etc. The only problem that I have with
this explanation is that there are no visible outside tears or holes in
the jacket. If I had rolled around in spikey vegetation, you would
expect to be able to see some external damage to the jacket.

Can anyone tell me what the usual guarantee given by the manufacturer
(W.L. Gore & Associates ?) is for a gore-tex membrane?

Is it possible that a goretex membrane could get puncture damage
from normal wear and use?

How strong is a gortex membrane? If your jacket does hit the branch
of a tree, is this usually enough to puncture the membrane?

Goretex have offered to sell me a new jacket at a good discount, but
they say this is only a goodwill gesture and that the membrane has not
failed as a result of poor or faulty manufacture. Do you think this is
a satisfactory outcome where puncture damage is the cause of the
jacket leaking? Should I be supplied with a replacement jacket free
of charge? Thanks for your feedback.

Jim

"Jim Walker" wrote in message
...
About 3 years ago I bought a goretex jacket that said it was guaranteed
to keep you dry. My gortex jacket now leaks, so it was sent to Gore-tex
for testing. I was advised that the jacket is leaking due to scattered
puncture damage and that the jacket could not be repaired because the
puncture damage was too extensive. I was asked whether I had walked
through gorse bushes or other spikey vegetation. I explained that I had
not walked through, or sat on gorse bushes or other spikey vegetation.

It was explained to me that the gore-tex guarantee does not cover
puncture damage, just as a car warranty does not cover dents you
get from running into posts etc. The only problem that I have with
this explanation is that there are no visible outside tears or holes in
the jacket. If I had rolled around in spikey vegetation, you would
expect to be able to see some external damage to the jacket.

Can anyone tell me what the usual guarantee given by the manufacturer
(W.L. Gore & Associates ?) is for a gore-tex membrane?

Is it possible that a goretex membrane could get puncture damage
from normal wear and use?

How strong is a gortex membrane? If your jacket does hit the branch
of a tree, is this usually enough to puncture the membrane?

Goretex have offered to sell me a new jacket at a good discount, but
they say this is only a goodwill gesture and that the membrane has not
failed as a result of poor or faulty manufacture. Do you think this is
a satisfactory outcome where puncture damage is the cause of the
jacket leaking? Should I be supplied with a replacement jacket free
of charge? Thanks for your feedback.

Jim


If the damage is "internal" i.e. the external facing fabric looks unmarked,
then the membrane may have been "punctured" by grit. I'm thinking
specifically about any foreign material which might have made it into a
washing machine with the jacket.

Just an idea


druidh

Do you think this is
a satisfactory outcome where puncture damage is the cause of the
jacket leaking? Should I be supplied with a replacement jacket free
of charge? Thanks for your feedback.

S'pose it's a good result - the failure isn't covered by the warranty so
they could have sent you away with nothing, and you can't expect 'em to
include puncture damage in the warranty as goretex is hardly puncture
proof. Out of interest what's the discount they've offered you?

How much use has the jacket had? I found that with regular (weekly)
use, a goretex jacket would last no more than a couple of years. My
current jacket is Lowe Alpine TPC which has lasted 4 years so far but
has now started leaking. My next will be an experiment with soft
shell, which is not supposed to be waterproof anyway :-)

"Simon Caldwell" wrote in message
...
How much use has the jacket had? I found that with regular (weekly)
use, a goretex jacket would last no more than a couple of years. My
current jacket is Lowe Alpine TPC which has lasted 4 years so far but
has now started leaking. My next will be an experiment with soft
shell, which is not supposed to be waterproof anyway :-)

Thanks Simon for this posting. Can you tell me why you would not
expect a goretex jacket to last for more than 2 years? What happens
to the membrane to stop it being waterproof? Will any brand of
jacket start leaking after 2-4 years of weekly use, I thought
goretex jackets were supposed to be superior to most other
waterproof jackets, that's why I paid a lot to get one!

I have used my jacket once a fortnight over a period of 3 years,
but I am mystified as to why it should now have extensive puncture
damage.

Regards

Jim

"Mark Thompson" wrote in message
93.157...
Do you think this is
a satisfactory outcome where puncture damage is the cause of the
jacket leaking? Should I be supplied with a replacement jacket free
of charge? Thanks for your feedback.

S'pose it's a good result - the failure isn't covered by the warranty so
they could have sent you away with nothing, and you can't expect 'em to
include puncture damage in the warranty as goretex is hardly puncture
proof. Out of interest what's the discount they've offered you?

Thanks for these comments Mark, but how easily does a goretex
membrane get punctured. It seems to me to be a waste of money
paying a lot for a goretex membrane if it is easily punctured. It seems
that the membrane can be punctured even if there are no external
signs of damage to the jacket.

Thanks druidh for the suggestion about grit getting into the washing
machine, but I am sure this is not applicable in my case, but
certainly something to look out for. I am trying to establish just
how fragile these membranes really are!

Regards

Jim

Thanks for these comments Mark, but how easily does a goretex
membrane get punctured. It seems to me to be a waste of money
paying a lot for a goretex membrane if it is easily punctured. It seems
that the membrane can be punctured even if there are no external
signs of damage to the jacket.

I guess if the thing that punctured it is very small you wouldn't see the
hole very easily. No idea how easily they puncture tho - a lot probably
depends on the fabric that covers the gortex lining - so cycling jackets,
being thinner, would puncture much more easily than walking jackets.

On the other hand I'm only saying all this 'cos it's Usenet and traditional
for people to wibble on about stuff they know nothing about ;-)

I have a 1987 Goretex jacket made for Mountain Equipment Co-op. I wore it
regularly around home & on canoe trips for about 8 years, then stopped using
it much because it was getting a bit snug. I didn't baby it & it never
leaked.
This year, I noticed a buildup of some debris inside the liner. When I
opened it up, I found it was all the tape & adhesive from the taped seams.
I gave it to my son & he wore it on a rather rainy canoe trip. It still
didn't leak despite the lack of tape on the seams.

Lloyd Bowles
www.madcanoeist.4ever.cc

Jim Walker wrote:

How strong is a gortex membrane? If your jacket does hit the branch
of a tree, is this usually enough to puncture the membrane?


In my experience, Gore-Tex (and similar products) tend to start leaking
after 2-3 years. I don't think it has anythin to do with punctures (or
other acts of violence), but just normal wear & tear.
Some jackets I've purpously never washed.

Now I'm going through what must at least my sixth jacket.
At this point my attitude is that such jackets are "rented", not bought!

A hint: I now use different jackets for everyday urban use and for
mountains/serious stuff.

Chris

"Jim Walker" wrote in message
...
How strong is a gortex membrane? If your jacket does hit the branch
of a tree, is this usually enough to puncture the membrane?

I have a motorcycle jacket that is about seven years old. It has a Gore-Tex
lining and still 100% waterproof. I use it every day for about 2 hours, in
all weathers. The outer is no longer even mildly water repellent, but the
Gore-Tex never lets in water. Nor do I get the build up of perspiration
inside the jacket that other people seem to complain of with them.
Motorcycling, especially in London, is physically tiring, not like driving a
car.

A walking jacket I bought about eight years ago seems to have burst a seam
about three years back. In really heavy weather I get wet on one shoulder.
I put that down to rucksack straps causing undue wear. At some point, I
will replace it, but it's only one shoulder, oh, and the rip in one pocket
caused by close proximity to barbed wire with rather too much alcohol inside
me.

My Brasher Superlites are still 100% waterproof after about three years use.
Motorcycle gloves last years.

So, I'd have to say that Gore-Tex is pretty damn good. I've never
experienced anything like you describe.

Have fun,
Paul