Guarantees
In the old days when the owner was provided with a 20 year bonded
roof the assumption was that the roof was guaranteed for 20 years. Well,
yes and no. The roofer provided a 2 year guarantee and was responsible
for making good any defects that appeared in the first two years. After
the first two years the manufacturer would pay the roofer to make any
defects good for a period of time. To have this type of guarantee in
place one had to make sure to follow the rules which were simple. Advise
the manufacturer in writing of any defect within x number days of a
problem, do not alter the roof in any way without permission from the
manufacturer, do not change the use of the facility, and so on. Well,
some owners were very good and followed all of the rules and when they
had problems they met with their legal counsel. Ah, but the 20 year bond
lacks the 20 year flashing endorsement on the back of the Bond. How can
you expect a roof to last 20 years without 20 year flashings? Ah, but
the bond does not cover the insulation or vapor barrier and insulation,
etc. below the roof membrane. Well, first you must prove that the
failure was from the top down and not the bottom up. If the failure was
from the bottom up it was not covered. These issues provide some idea of
what transpired during the 20 Year Bond era. It was probably easier to
pull a rabbit out of a hat.
Today the roofer provides the owner with a 2 year guarantee covering
the membrane only and only the membrane. Should the roof develop a leak
in the membrane, in the first 2 years the roofer would fix it. If the
roof shows signs of blistering, ridging, shrinkage or failure to stay in
place it is not covered. This is what you will read in the majority of
the guarantees.
Since approximately 1995, manufacturers as well as suppliers have
again started to advertise guarantees. There are generally 5 and 10 year
guarantees available all using slightly different wording. There are
system guarantees and warrantees, watertight guarantees, gold seal
guarantees and the names keep popping up with increasing regularity. The
most amusing is the manufacturer that has no plant and offers a systems
warrantee on a combination of products over which this manufacturer has
no control. What does the roofer provide? Well, 2 years. The roofer
knows where to draw the line.
Manufacturers are providing the 5 year and 10 year guarantees
basically because their competition is providing these guarantees and
specifiers of course want all they can get for their client. Why not
provide the owner with a 5 or 10 year guarantee or even a Bond. How do
the new guarantees differ from the old Bonded Roof era? There is very
little difference but it sure sounds good.
Often, the roofer is caught in a tight spot as a result of an error
or omission and the first thing that is usually offered is an extended
guarantee. Why does the roofer do this? Economically, the roofer is
prepared to take a chance that the roof will outlast the guarantee but
it's the owner that assumes the risk. The owner is the one that must
deal with the consequential damages to contents, décor and business
disruption.
The best guarantee usually results from a good design, a combination
of proven products with a good history, an experienced roofing
contractor, and good supervision.
Should an owner wish to depend on one of these new guarantees, we
suggest the owner's legal counsel review it and provide an
interpretation.
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