A few words about roof covering warranties

Choosing a roof covering is one of the more difficult decisions when building a house, especially when durability and warranty cover are our main criteria. Roof tile manufacturers promise warranties of 30 years, 50 years or even a lifetime. Will the roof really remain trouble-free for that long? The article below explores this question.

I have read several articles online in which the authors wrote at length about their own impartiality. Unfortunately, each ended with a biased assessment in favour of one manufacturer. Dissatisfied, I decided to write my own article and let readers draw their own conclusions. I have divided it by topic, according to the roofing material chosen.

In the article below, I have compared warranties offered by manufacturers of roof coverings sold by Ambit. Some manufacturers may therefore be missing. All roof coverings have certain characteristics in common that need to be considered. No manufacturer guarantees that its product will survive every natural disaster. This is understandable, and customers tend to be understanding if such a situation arises.

Roof covering installation by a qualified team

Every manufacturer stresses that installation must be carried out by a professional with the necessary experience in installing roof tiles. In some cases, this installation must also be documented, for example with proof of purchase, to obtain an extended warranty or any warranty at all. No manufacturer will accept liability if the roof design or structure is defective either. Both requirements are largely justified.

The manufacturer’s roof tile installation recommendations

It seems less justified, however, to require installation in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations, roofing or building practice and standards – sometimes specifying that the manufacturer’s recommendations take precedence. It is worse when it is unclear which requirements are binding. Our experience shows that manufacturers’ recommendations or installation instructions sometimes conflict with standards and roofing practice. A manufacturer may publish as many as two new versions of its installation instructions in a year, thereby affecting the warranty terms. Fortunately, a construction expert can resolve such doubts, and the manufacturer then issues another installation guide. This is therefore a relatively unimportant factor in our comparison. I suspect this clause most often applies when roof tiles are used for an unintended purpose or proper roof ventilation is neglected. The importance of roof ventilation is a subject for a separate article.

The receipt is the basis of the warranty

As I mentioned at the start of the article, everyone can draw their own conclusions. Each manufacturer clearly offers customers something that sets it apart from its competitors. But remember one thing: a receipt is always the basis of a warranty. If we buy without a receipt, the apparent saving is only short-lived.

Choose the type of roof covering

1. Comparison of clay roof tile warranties - based on tiles from Braas, Creaton, Heritage, Koramic, Meyer-Holsen and Roben.
2. Comparison of concrete roof tile warranties - based on tiles from Braas and Creaton.
3. Comparison of warranties for stone-coated roof tiles – based on tiles from Braas, Gerard Roofs and Tilcor
4. Warranty for metal roof tiles