Roofing Warranties Demystified

If you’re a property or home owner, you should be protected from the escalating repair costs by taking up roofing warranty cover. Depending on your unique needs, terms of the warranty can change in different cases. For instance, there are some warranties that cover the materials while others cater to the workmanship obligations. Some of these warranties overlap in some instance but that’s not always the case. Here are a couple of tips to help you know what kind of warranty is appropriate for you.


- Pre-Purchase Tips


Get to the finer details of the deal


Be sure to learn more about what warranty options are available at your disposal. There are two different types of warranties: manufacturer and roofing company warranties. Manufacturer warranties, unlike roofing company warranties, rarely cover labor charges because most roof manufacturers are located out of town. The rule of the thumb applicable in this case is to ensure that you go for warranty cover that includes labor. This is crucial to protect you against having to fork out thousands of dollars to pay for the labor to fix the roof. So, the two important questions to first get answers to before proceeding any further with the purchase are:


(1) When the say that the roof comes with a warranty, is it manufacturers or roofing company warranty?


(2) Does the cover include labor?


Quality precedes everything else


The National Roofing Contractors Association advises property owners against exclusively using the aspect of warranty while selecting roofing materials. There have been reports of unreliable manufacturers who market their poor quality roofing materials under the tag " long-term warranty ". The NRCA warns that such a deal may be of little value to you if the roof system does not last for long. It would therefore be inappropriate for you to make a purchase decision based on warranty rather than quality. How to go about it?


(1) Check the roofing company’s background. Do some research on BBB and kudzu websites to see just
how reputable the company is.


(2) Ask for references from accomplices who have traded with the company before. Inquire for jobs completed within the last one month or so.


After you are comfortable with the terms and conditions of the deal, you can then go ahead to make the purchase and sign above the dotted line of the warranty documents.


- Post-Purchase Tips


One of the most overlooked details of a typical warranty is the owner’s obligation regarding installation (when a different installer is hired), maintenance and upkeep. Failure to comply with the provisions of the deal could render warranty void. How to ensure that this doesn’t happen.


* Installation


The warranty will only cover limited aspects of the roofing system. For this reason, it’s important to ensure that the company that’s contracted to install the roof follows the manufacturer’s specs to the letter. If the installer fails to adhere to this, the warranty could be voided.


* Inspection and maintenance


In order to keep the warranty effective, the roofing manufacturer may require regular inspections by a reputable company. For this reason, it is imperative to ensure proper maintenance of your roof. Some manufacturers will extend their cover as an incentive to their customers to take good care of their roofing systems. Be sure to take note of your manufacturer's terms and conditions with respect to this particular question.


* Protect roof against natural calamities


Most warranties do not cover havoc caused by natural hazards like wind, rain, snow and hail. That being said, understanding how each of these elements work to destroy a roof can help you take prompt measures to prevent such problems. For instance, hail can cause minor indentations all over the roof. Such could however mature into huge cracks and holes if a roofing inspector is not called in to secure the membrane on time. Similarly frozen water – ice or snow – has an uncanny ability to penetrate a membranes surface and leak into your home. It is therefore important to keep an eye on snow accumulation which can put undue strain on the roof structure if left unattended to for too long.


Final words


To sum it up, there are many other tips to keep in mind while seeking out a roofing warranty. However, the diverse tips we’ve shared with you above are enough to help you make a wise choice. Most importantly, remember to work with a reputable roofing company.


Schulte Roofing is a houston roofing contractors with over 100 years of combined experience. Schulte Roofing originally began in Alvin, TX just outside of Houston, TX and has grown a reputation for delivering the best roof for your budget. If you have any questions about white roofing system for your home, business, or child’s school, contact Schulte Roofing today.