Roof warranties are essential to protect yourself and your building from faulty products and costly repairs. While a roof warranty is a great way to protect yourself, it’s important to make sure that you keep your roof warranty valid, or else you may be stuck with the bill.
At West Roofing Systems, our team of experts helps customers with new and existing warranties every day. But what should you do after your original roof warranty expires?
In this article, we will cover types of commercial roof warranties and what can cause your roof warranty to become void.
Types of Commercial Roof Warranties
When you install a new roofing system, you will have a few warranty options.
- Contractor’s Workmanship Guarantee – A contractor workmanship guarantee is issued by the contractor or company that installed the roof on your facility. Workmanship warranties typically cover the cost of labor and materials for the necessary repairs and last one to ten years depending on the contractor.
- Manufacturer’s Material Warranty – A manufacturer product warranty is issued by the company that manufactures the materials used by your contractor. These warranties cover any failures or defects in the materials used and are only issued after the contractor installs the materials
- Manufacturer’s Full System Warranty – A full system warranty that is provided by the material manufacturer and covers not only the material used, but it will also cover the flashings and other accessories used for the roof system. The costs for the labor to replace the materials is also included.
What Can Void Your Commercial Roof Warranty
A voided roof warranty means that you are responsible for any payments to repair the damage to your roof. Compare your roof to a cell phone: If your cell phone stops working, you can get a free replacement, but if it stops working because you took it apart or dropped it in water, you don’t get the free replacement.
Work on Mechanical Roof Equipment
Many commercial buildings have mechanical equipment or penetrations located on the roof surface. These can include:
- HVAC
- Skylights
- Vents
- Drains
- Pipes
- Gas Lines
When installation, removal or repairs need to be done on these types of roof penetrations, you should call your roof contractor to make sure that there is no damage done to the roofing system. Your contractor may come out to re-seal the penetration or advise on how to protect your roof during the project.
If you have mechanical work done on your roof, without consulting your roofing contractor, and the project causes damage to your roof system, then your warranty will be voided, and you will have to pay out of pocket for repairs.
Misuse or Excessive Traffic on Roof
Many roofs double as outdoor space with pathways, patios or even restaurants and bars. These roofs are specially designed to support the use of the roof without causing damage. If you use your commercial in a way it was not designed for, you can cause some significant damage.
This means using walkways when accessing the roof and to avoid using the roof in ways that it was not designed for. Damage is not covered by your warranty when you are misusing your roof, and you will have to pay out of pocket for repairs.
Products or Work Not Approved by Warranty Provider
If your roof does have damage or a leak, it’s important to stay within your warranty to resolve the problem. If your contractor uses the wrong materials or methods, your bill may not be covered by the warranty.
Something else to keep in mind is who you hire to perform work on your roof. If a contractor that is not listed on the warranty makes repairs or changes to your roof system, any leaks or damage due to their work will not be covered by your warranty, and you will have to pay out of pocket for repairs.
Trapped Moisture from Walls
If there is damage somewhere else in your building that affects the roof, it could void your warranty. Some examples of this include:
- HVAC leaking into the roof insulation
- Condensation collecting within the walls and mold traveling into the roof layers
- Damage to a chimney or vent that allows water or animals to cause damage under the roof surface.
This type of damage cannot be predicted by your roofing contractor, so any damage to the roof or insulation because of other areas of the building can void your warranty.
A commercial roof warranty is only as good as the roof installation. At West Roofing Systems, we take pride in the new roofs we install and the maintenance we provide for our customers and their commercial, industrial and manufacturing buildings.
Choosing West Roofing Systems as a turnkey roofing company will provide you with highly trained teams and award-winning service. Our services are flexible and diverse; we can recoat, repair or replace your facility’s roof so that it lasts decades. Call us today at 1-800-356-5748 to talk to our experts about your next roofing project.
