Are Shingle Warranties Relevant?
Earlier this week we discovered a homeowner who was going through the process of selecting cedar siding for his home. One of his considerations for selecting siding was durability and the same can be said for roofing shingles many of which are sold with warranties that may sound great but in reality shouldn't be factored into your selection decision.
The Roofery has shared this great article about shingle warranties which states:
Shingle manufacturers tout product warranties that range from 25-50 years. They use impressive-sounding long-term warranties to convince buyers that their shingles are the best and will last the longest. They compete over such features as the length of coverage, algae resistance, wind tolerance, and whether the warranty can be transferred to a new owner.
But don't be taken in by a warranty that sounds too good to be true. Even companies who sell decades-long warranties or lifetime guarantees don't expect your roof to last longer than twenty years or so.
Shingle warranties only pay homeowners when the shingles are found to have a manufacturer's defect -- an occurrence that is so rare, David Vincent, product manager at David D. Deschaine Installations in Portland, Maine, says their company has never had a successful warranty claim for the CertainTeed shingles they install. Both Talley and Vincent agree that this is because they use good quality shingles -- and the shingles aren't usually to blame for roof problems.
Most roofs that fail during the warranty period do so because they were installed incorrectly.
More from the Roofery including how to identify defective shingles.
Tags: roof shingles, roofing, warranties
