How To Not Void Your Roof's Warranty

When a new roof is warrantied, it typically involves two types of warranties. The first is a roofing warranty from the manufacturer which covers material defects. The other is a workmanship warranty from the company that installed your new roof.

Workmanship Warranty

A workmanship warranty offers a homeowner a long-term warranty against poor workmanship and installation errors. This is normally given for multiple years after installation.

It is strongly suggested to always enlist a reputable roofing company that offers a warranty. This is often a testament to their expertise and professionalism.

Standard workmanship warranties offer protections on labor and installation. This takes away some of the homeowner’s concerns about damage and repair work, at least for the warranty duration.

However, warranties do not always cover what you expect. Sadly, many homeowners only learn what is covered and what is not when trying to make a claim. This is the wrong way to go about it. As you are shopping around for contractors and vetting them, one of the things to focus on should be their warranties and what they cover.

Pay attention to the warranty duration and find a contractor that offers a comprehensive warranty covering multiple roofing issues.

Manufacturer warranty

This is among the most common warranties availed to homeowners and it covers the roof itself. For example, with shingle roofs, the warranty is in place to offer protection in the event that the shingles are defective.

The warranty offered on shingles typically covers the roof for about 20 years, which is a shingle roof’s lifespan.

However, every manufacturer will outline what they will cover on the warranty. For example, one manufacturer might only cover the replacement of faulty tiles, while another might cover the material cost, plus the accompanying labor costs for the re-installation.

What is standard across all manufacturers’ warranties is that there are terms and conditions to stick to, failure to which your warranty can be voided.

Here are some reasons why your warranty might be voided.

1. Improper Roof Ventilation

While there are numerous types of roof ventilation systems, they all work the same.

Roof ventilation systems work by drawing in air from intake vents situated on the lower part of the roof. This outside air is then distributed through higher parts of the roof. This provides a continuous flow of air and helps remove hot air from the inside of the house. Circulating air regulates fluctuating temperatures and moisture both inside and outside the house.

On the other hand, inadequate roof ventilation traps moisture and heat in your roof decking and attic which can be disastrous to your roof. In addition, improper roof ventilation can damage the structural integrity of your roof and damage shingles.

This voids your warranty because the lifespan of your roof is dependent on its installation and maintenance. Therefore, when you do or fail to do certain things to keep your roof in reasonable shape, the manufacturer might use this as a cause to void your warranty.

2. Poor Installation

Roof manufacturers are very strict when it comes to roof installations. This will, at times, include specifics on the length of nails to be used, the number of roofing nails to use per shingle, and so on.

As the manufacturers of a product, these stipulations are outlined to ensure proper installation is done so that the roof performs as it should.

For example, a roof will come with fastening instructions. If the contractor improperly secures the roof and it’s blown off, the manufacturer is unlikely to shoulder the expense of a full roof replacement or repair.

Going about a DIY roof installation can spare you some dollars, but it can void your warranty. The same goes for when you opt to choose an unlicensed or an inexperienced contractor.

To ensure your warranty is not voided, ensure to get a professional contractor who has significant experience installing the particular roof you want to have installed. It would help if you also got a reputable contractor that will not take shortcuts or ignore installation guidelines, as such actions can also cause your warranty to be voided.

3. Satellite Dishes and Antennae Installations

The last thing you might be thinking about when getting a satellite dish or replacing your antennae is your roofing. Huge mistake.

Naturally, such installations will require drilling on your roof to find a path for cables to go inside the house. When this job is not done correctly, such drilling can cause leaks on your roof. These will typically be near where the device is installed. Every manufacturer has its own stipulations about this.

Depending on the fine print, installing either of these gadgets might void your warranty because you drilled holes on the roof. Make sure you read your warranty document and understand each clause upon purchase.

You can also have the installer look at the warranty document to determine if such an installation voids the warranty or if there are specific installation guidelines they can adhere to, to protect your warranty.

4. Skylights

Just like satellite dishes and antennas can void your warranty, so does a skylight installation. The reasons are much the same.

Any fixture on the roof that entails drilling or shingle removal can void your warranty. While a finished skylight looks great and increases the value of your home, its installation requires some drilling.

Drilling makes your roof susceptible to leaks, damaged shingles, and a host of other damage, especially when not done with utmost professionalism. If you want a skylight installed, discuss this with your technician when the roof is being installed.

5. Hot Roofs

Hot roofing is a process where foam insulation is sprayed on roof sheathing. When this is done, the ventilation will always take a beating, causing shingles to heat up. As a result, the shingles start to fade, and some years are knocked off your roof’s lifespan.

Before getting a hot roof, be sure to check with your roofing manufacturer about how this will affect your warranty, if at all. Also, check with your local jurisdiction as well as hot roofs are prohibited in certain areas.

6. Pressure Washing

Pressure washing is an excellent way to clean. A good power wash will clear your roof off all leaves, branches, debris, clutter, and moss. Moss is extremely dangerous to your roof because it keeps growing and trapping moisture on your roof.

This can encourage mold and mildew growth, cause shingles to crack, increase frost damage, and a myriad of other issues.

As helpful as pressure washing is, it can void your roof warranty. Here is why.

The close-range pressure of a pressure wash can be damaging to your shingles. Your roof manufacturer can then use this as a reason to void your warranty.

If you encounter a moss problem, metallic zing strips are a safer option. Whenever it rains, these strips will be activated, upon which they will release a powerful fungus inhibitor. This should help keep moss away.

7. Layering Processes

The best way to lay a new roof is to peel off the old one, check the condition of the roof underlayment, then lay the ice and water shield and the new roof. But, as you may have guessed, this takes longer to do, meaning higher labor costs.

Many contractors take the shortcut and lay a new roof over the old one. If you agree to this, you might be well on your way to having your roof warranty voided.

When you lay new shingles over old ones, heat expands at a much slower rate. This significantly shortens the lifespan of the new shingles. This layering can also cause new shingles to bond to the old ones beneath, causing bulges. These might cause the roof to malfunction.

Lastly, layering adds unnecessary additional weight to a roof. This can affect its structural integrity, and you might notice the roof sagging over time.

8. Using Non-System Components

Roofing manufacturers invest a lot in building durable roofing materials alongside the right installation components. These are then taken through rigorous testing to ensure they function as they should (as a package).

One mistake that contractors often make is mixing and matching various roofing materials with components that did not accompany the roof or that are not listed as allowable in a roofs manual.

While mixing and matching can work fine from time to time. It’s always a risk. Should your roof fail because of this, your manufacturer is likely to void your warranty.