5 Ways Your Roof Warranty Can Be Voided

Warranties ensure that the materials and labor involved in repairing or replacing the roof is done properly and that any defects found will be quickly corrected without additional cost to you. While material warranties are the norm and most materials have some level of coverage, labor warranties are determined by the individual contractor and are only as good as long as that contractor is still around to honor it.

Hiring an established, reputable roofing contractor that includes a labor warranty is essential to being sure that the roof you paid for is properly warrantied, as even small mistakes by amateur roofers can void a material warranty. Warranties are voided by the manufacturers for many reasons, mostly related to shoddy workmanship performed by the contractor or lack of proper maintenance. Protect yourself and your home, hire an established, well reviewed contractor that includes a labor warranty to ensure that you don’t pay for any mistakes.

So, what can actually void your warranty? Reading your warranty will spell out exactly what is and what is not covered, but here are a few of the most common mistakes and problems that void roof material warranties:

1. Improper Roof Ventilation

A properly ventilated roof should allow a bare minimum of one square foot net free ventilating area per 150 square feet of space ventilated. Improper attic ventilation is becoming one of the most common causes of premature roof failure and if the contractor misses this, can potentially void your warranty on the entire roof!

2. Stray Nails

Yes, these can void a warranty. Shingles have very specific installation instructions, one instruction calls for all nailing to occur within an exact zone, any nails outside this zone can give the manufacturer an out on a warranty claim and cost you thousands.

3. Excessive debris accumulation

We harp on roof cleaning and maintenance not only to keep your roof in top shape but to also avoid voiding your warranty. If not properly maintained, the manufacturer will almost definitely deny any warranty claims based on neglect and they’d be correct to do so. Roof debris can cause a lot of avoidable damage, keeping your roof maintained will avoid any denial of warranties based on neglect.

4. High Pressure Power Washing

Yes, those mold stains are ugly and you want them gone, but there are much better ways to go about this than pressure washing. While this is good for hard materials like concrete, high pressure cleaners can tear right through shingles and other roofing materials. If your roof is damaged by pressure washing, you can bet that the manufacturer will void the warranty, leaving you to foot the bill for any repairs now and in the future. Have a professional Roof Cleaner take care of this without a pressure washer to avoid this.

5. Improper installation of things that pierce the roof (such as satellite dishes, antennae, decorations, etc)

Installation of these items need to be done by an experienced roofing professional or with one on hand to be sure the penetrations don’t cause leaks or other problems. Should the source of a warranty claim show it to be the satellite dish or other addition that caused the issue, the warranty could be voided entirely. Don’t take the chance, do it right the first time.

While these are the more common problems that void warranties, again, reading your specific warranty will give you a full picture of what will void your warranty. If you have any questions about your warranty Atlanta Roofing Specialists can help!

Atlanta Roofing Specialists has been handling warranties for over 21 years and adds a 10-Year Workmanship warranty along with the manufacturer’s warranty to guarantee that our roofs are built to meet or exceed manufacturer standards! For any questions about warranties or to schedule your free estimate call Atlanta Roofing Specialists at 770-419-2222 today!

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