Understanding the differences between roof warranties and their workings is important. It is difficult to know what type of protection homeowners can expect from their roof warranty, and how to avoid it being void. However, this can help you save a lot of time down the road.
Manufacturer warranties cover the materials, while workmanship warranties are offered by roofing contractors who install the roof. These warranties may overlap sometimes, but this is not always true. What kind of roof warranty are you looking for?
A shingle warranty (or manufacturer’s warranty) is the most common type of roof warranty. It can cover you for between 20 and 50 years. This warranty does not cover you for defects in roofing materials, which can cause them to fail or become damaged. If the homeowner is unable to show that the roof has been maintained, a manufacturer’s warranty could be null.
Contractors who install your roof will provide a labor warranty and a workmanship guarantee. These warranties usually cover leaks for a specific period. These warranties are typically for between 2 and 15 years. If your roof is damaged by rain, this warranty will protect you. These warranties often include a clause that states that the warranty is valid only if the contractor who installed the roof is the sole one. The workmanship warranty could be null if you hire another contractor to repair the roof.
These are four common ways that your warranty could be voided.
- Satellite dishes and antennas – You could void your roof warranty if you drill holes through your roof in order to install satellite dishes or an antenna. The holes you drilled could lead to leaking.
- Skylights and solar panels – Make sure to keep your warranty in place before you start any major home improvement project.
- Pressure washing – Some homeowners might pressure wash their roofs to remove moss buildup. They can cause severe damage to their roofs by using pressure washing.
- Proper ventilation can also void your roofing warranty. Poor venting can trap heat and cause damage to your roofing shingles.
You need to make sure that you are able to do the job without voiding your roof warranty.
Contact Old Time Roofing if you need roof work. Before you hire anyone to drill holes in shingles, make sure you check with Old Time Roofing. Your roofing company can also coordinate with contractors doing new work to ensure your warranty remains valid. Contact a reputable roofing contractor if you don’t like the original roofer, or he/she is no longer in business.
This post was written by Ted Williams! Ted is the owner of A Old Time Roofing which offers the best roofers in Clearwater FL! Ted is a Master Elite Weather Stopper GAF Roofing Contractor, a double award winner of Best Steep-Slope Contractor from GAF and achiever of Master Elite Consumer Protection Excellence from GAF. He has been serving the Pinellas County area since 1978. Old Time Roofing has a tradition of quality workmanship, servicing residential and commercial properties.