Sure, a 25-year workmanship warranty sounds pretty good, but what exactly is my roofer responsible for?
Is a roof warranty worth the consideration or money?
It may seem like the more time that passes by it’s less likely that your roofer will honor their warranty. Afterall, couldn’t a “workmanship error” be explained away as damage from rain, wind, hail, or an act of God? It can feel like a lose-lose situation.
As a GAF Master Elite contractor, I assure you that certified roofers don’t need to subject you to any unnecessary hassle involved with deflecting responsibility from their roofing company. When you hire a GAF Master Elite contractor, GAF is so confident in their work that they will cover any workmanship errors made by your roofer, even if they were to close their business.
As a homeowner, you can feel confident that a GAF Master Elite contractor has proven their ability to provide a superior installation of your roofing system. It’s this level of excellence that qualifies them as Master Elite contractors. But if they don’t provide a high-quality install, GAF, the largest shingle manufacturer in North America, will cover any workmanship mistakes they made.
But what qualifies as a workmanship error? And what workmanship errors will the manufacturer cover?
The Most Common Workmanship Errors Your Roof Warranty Covers
When it comes to workmanship warranties, clarity is key. If your roofing system fails at an early stage after its installation, it could be because of a manufacturer defect or a workmanship error. When you hire a GAF Master Elite contractor, you can choose from premium warranties like Silver Pledge and Golden Pledge. These warranties serve as a safeguard against installation errors and ensure that your roof is installed correctly according to manufacturer specifications.
If your roof was not installed according to manufacturer specifications, there are ways to identify these issues and have them reconciled under your warranty. The most common issues include improper nailing and flashing errors.
Improper Nailing
One of the most prevalent issues in roofing is improper nailing. This can lead to leaks, shingle damage, and compromised roof integrity. It is important that nail heads lay snug and flat against shingle material.
Your workmanship warranty should cover any nails that were not installed according to manufacturer's guidelines. This includes overdriven nails, underdriven nails, angled nails, and any nails that were installed outside of the nailing zone. Your roof is a cohesive unit, all the parts work together. And manufacturers provide guidelines so roofers know how to install their materials. So when a nail is installed incorrectly, the fault lies on the roofer. Nailing is not the only process mentioned by manufacturers. Shingle manufacturers will also have guidelines on how flashing should be installed on a roofing system.
Flashing Issues
Flashing is installed in areas on your roof that might be vulnerable to water damage. For example, if you have a chimney, roofers will install flashing around the base where the chimney meets the roof. If flashing is not installed properly, it can allow water to intrude into your home.
Manufacturers specifications require that flashing is sealed properly, positioned correctly, and overlapped to maintain a watertight barrier. If it is discovered in an inspection that any of these things were done incorrectly, it is a workmanship error on part of the roofer.
And while these are the most common workmanship errors, it is vital to check the details of your warranty so that you can avoid spending thousands of unnecessary dollars fixing something that shouldn’t have happened to begin with! These mistakes will be covered by most warranties provided by a certified roofing company. This is why I typically stress the importance of hiring the right roofing contractor for your roofing project.
How Choosing the Right Roofer Makes Your Roof Warranty Worth the Cost
Sometimes it seems like a warranty is a waste of money. They always run out before you actually need them, or they sound too good to be true. And that is the case with plenty of warrantied products on the market today.
However, when it comes to a large investment, like a new roofing system, a warranty can genuinely save you money out-of-pocket. Because workmanship errors are fairly easy to spot on inspection, both a certified roofer and a shingle manufacturer would be able to definitively state what the cause of your roofing issue. This is deduced by the timeframe in which an issue presents itself and the signs of manufacturer defects and workmanship errors.
When you work with a certified roofer, like a GAF Master Elite contractor, the manufacturer and the contractor share responsibility for your warranty. Not only for material defects, but also for workmanship. So if you’re looking for a warranty you can rely on, do a little bit of extra research to ensure that you have a roofer who is certified with a manufacturer. Or feel free to reach out to us at Linta Roofing. We are always happy to provide you with transparent answers to all of your roofing questions.
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