Comparison of clay roof tile warranties

The roof tile warranties most commonly compared are certainly those for clay tiles. This is a premium product, and naturally we expect above-average quality.

This is part of the article A few words about roof covering warranties. If you have not read it yet, it is worth starting there.

How to read the comparison table

Above all, please note that warranty exclusions are marked only where the manufacturer explicitly states them in its warranty document. If another manufacturer does not mention an exclusion, this does not mean that it will provide cover for it. You only need to look at three points in each warranty:
- references to the manufacturer’s recommendations or installation instructions,
- references to relevant installation standards (none of the manufacturers citing them specified which standards),
- references to the PN-EN:1304 standard.

Each of these references effectively extends the wording of the warranty. In brief, if a manufacturer guarantees that its tile complies with PN-EN:1304, the standard automatically allows for acceptable defects arising during transport, natural discolouration and visual defects that do not affect functionality. If the warranty refers to the manufacturer’s recommendations, any installation guide will show that roof slope ventilation is essential, so this need not be mentioned in the warranty.

Manufacturer	Braas	Creaton	Heritage	Koramic	Laumans	Meyer-Holsen	Röben
Warranty for frost resistance	30 years	50 years *	Lifetime *	30 years	30 years	50 years	30 years
Transport costs covered	30 years	5 years	5 years	5 years	30 years	50 years	5 years
Replacement costs covered	10 years	5 years	5 years	5 years	5 years	40 years	5 years
Costs of replacing ancillary materials covered	no data *	no data	5 years	no data	no data	40 years	no data
Warranty based on compliance with PN-EN 1304	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Additional comments	* - system warranty: when original Braas accessories are purchased, the entire roofing system (including ancillary materials) is covered by a 15-year warranty.	* - 5 years as standard; 50 years if the purchase is registered online within 2 years of the purchase date	* - for the first Purchaser, or 30 years from the purchase date
Does the warranty cover damage caused...	Braas	Creaton	Heritage	Koramic	Laumans	Meyer-Holsen	Röben
- by the customer or a third party (mechanical damage)	No		No				No
- by repairs or alterations carried out by the user	No	No	No
- by incorrect installation or use for an unintended purpose	No	No	No	No			No
- by force majeure (hail, storms, hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, fires, lightning)	No	No		No		No	No
- by mechanical factors (e.g. accumulated snow, tree branches)	No	No					No
- by chemical factors (e.g. aggressive cleaning agents)	No	No	No				No
- by a lack of roof ventilation		No		No			No
Does the warranty cover roof tiles...	Braas	Creaton	Heritage	Koramic	Laumans	Meyer-Holsen	Röben
- installed contrary to building or roofing practice	No		No
- installed contrary to the relevant standards (without specifying which)	No			No
- installed contrary to the manufacturer’s recommendations	No	No	No	No
- used with roof accessories other than original accessories		No
- with natural discolouration and colour differences		No	No
- with defects arising during transport				No
- with visual defects that do not affect functionality	No
Documents required	Braas	Creaton	Heritage	Koramic	Laumans	Meyer-Holsen	Röben
Proof of purchase or an invoice for the service as part of which the roof tiles were purchased	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Warranty document or proof of installation by a qualified contractor (roofer)	Yes	Yes		Yes
Time allowed to report a defect after discovering it	14 days	14 days	7 days	28 days	no data	no data	Without delay
Other comments		Using roof accessories other than original accessories voids the entire warranty.				Product availability guaranteed for 20 years from the date of collection from the factory.	In the event of replacement, the roof must be prepared at the customer’s expense (e.g. by removing solar panels)

For clay roof tiles, all major manufacturers base their warranty on PN-EN 1304. On the one hand, the standard is very strict; on the other, it is very permissive. It is worth knowing that, because it concerns natural products, the standard allows differences in colour and shade. It also regulates tile curvature. While testing curvature may seem straightforward, the sampling procedure for testing is not straightforward at all. Keep this in mind if you have doubts about tile quality.

The Braas system warranty is an interesting and attractive addition to the roof tile warranty. It is a single warranty from a single manufacturer for the entire roof. The warranty period for the other system components is longer than average, but a number of requirements must be met: original accessories must be purchased and a certified roofer must be used.

The guarantee of product availability for 20 years from the time of ordering is something quite different. Only one manufacturer guarantees that, if necessary, additional roof tiles can be ordered for 20 years after the original order.

Another surprising clause appears in the Creaton warranty: using accessories not supplied by the warrantor results in the loss of all warranty rights. The manufacturer explains this as unauthorised processing of Creaton products bearing the Creaton logo but not supplied by the manufacturer. It is perfectly understandable that the manufacturer will not accept liability for products it did not make, but is the loss of all rights not excessive? As an authorised distributor of Creaton products, I can say from personal experience that none of our customers has ever been refused warranty cover because of this clause. Unfortunately, we quite often see unusually low quotations naming an original product, while a non-original product ends up on the roof. The controversial warranty clause prompts customers to scrutinise quotations in which some accessories have suspiciously low prices. Would we buy gold or perfume at an unusually low price, or would that set alarm bells ringing? As you can see, knowing about this can benefit the customer too.

It is worth noting that some manufacturers’ warranties are very short and do not arouse suspicion. We feel enthusiastic, and no alarm bells ring. Should they? Warranty wording that is too simple does not clearly tell us what is and is not covered. If a problem with the roof tiles arises, we may then be at the manufacturer’s mercy rather than able to enforce our rights effectively.

To conclude, every manufacturer offers something distinctive in its warranty. As we have seen, the devil is in the detail. It is worth consulting an expert before deciding what to buy. With over 25 years of roofing experience, we can suggest tiles that are particularly worth recommending. These are the products most frequently chosen by customers, and therefore solutions we have thoroughly tested. There is a reason why they are usually a manufacturer’s leading products, for example:

- Braas: Rubin 13V, Turmalin,
- Creaton: Titania, Premion,
- Heritage: Heritage,
- Koramic: Renesansowa Alegra 9,
- Laumans: Tiefa Supra,
- Roben: Monza Plus, Piemont.

This is part of the article A few words about roof covering warranties.
Read on: Comparison of concrete roof tile warranties