When you have a new roof installed, you will likely get a manufacturer’s warranty for the materials and a workmanship warranty from your contractor. These roof warranties will help offset the costs of roof maintenance and repairs and even the roof replacement cost, should the need arise. Of course, while most roofs do have roof warranties, they vary in length, transferability, and coverage exclusions.
Knowing what voids a roof warranty can help you avoid some common missteps homeowners make when they install or modify their roof and roofing materials. Check out these 12 major reasons that roofing warranty claims face rejection.
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1. Improper Roof Ventilation
There are many types of roofing ventilation systems, but they all typically work by pulling in air from intake vents that are placed on the lower part of the roof. The outside air that is taken in disperses through higher parts of the roof, but inadequate venting traps moisture and heat in your attic and roof decking.
This damages shingles, causing them to wear and fade and, potentially, voiding the shingle warranty. It can also severely damage the structural integrity of both your roof and attic space. Keep an eye on the ventilation system and inspect it regularly to ensure it is working properly.
2. Poor Installation
Roofing material manufacturers are extremely finicky when it comes to the installation process. They have strict regulations, including the number of nails per shingle, the length of nails used, and more.
If you go with an inexperienced contractor that makes rookie roofing mistakes, you will be looking at a voided manufacturer’s warranty. Because of this, it is strongly recommended that homeowners work with a contractor familiar with the type of roof they are installing.
3. Antennas and Satellite Dishes
Satellite dishes and related antennas are great for watching 200 channels on your brand new HDTV, but they can impact your roofing warranty. Damage related to both satellite dishes and antennas, as well as skylights, technically would not void your full roof warranty, but they could void workmanship warranty in the areas the work was done. This is called “mechanical damage.”
If improperly installed, satellite dishes and antennae can cause roof leaks, as they drill directly into the exterior of your home. The fine print regarding warranties and satellite dishes varies between manufacturers and contractors, so contact your installation professional before affixing that cumbersome dish to your roof.
4. Skylights
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Any fixture that involves major roofing work, including penetration and shingle removal, can void the warranty. This includes the aforementioned satellite dishes, but also skylights. Skylights look great, but they drill right into your roof, making it susceptible to leaks and other issues. If you want to install skylights, talk with your technician when they are laying down the roof.
5. Solar Panels
If you are preparing to install solar panels, a logical question to ask is, “Do solar panels void the roof warranty?” Because solar panels are installed directly onto the roof, they have the potential to void the roof warranty, but that does not necessarily mean that they will. If they are installed according to the manufacturer’s directions and if you consult your original roofing contractor, you can probably install them and keep the roof warranty intact.
6. Hot Roofs
If you choose to use spray foam insulation on your roof sheathing—a process known as hot roofing—the ventilation will suffer and the shingles will heat up. The result? Your shingles fade and their overall lifespan shortens considerably. Your warranty could also be nullified.
Before moving forward with a hot roof, check with the roofing manufacturer to make sure that doing so will not void your roofing warranty. Also, be sure to check with your city to see if they have restrictions on hot roofing before proceeding with your project.
7. Pressure Washing
Most homeowners enjoy a clean roof that is free from clutter, debris, and, most importantly, moss. Moss can damage a roof over time because it traps moisture against the surface, leading to increased frost damage, cracking shingles, and other issues; however, the solution to moss is not pressure washing.
Pressure washing a roof damages shingles, as they cannot withstand the close-range pressure of the cleaning process. This, in turn, nullifies your roof warranty. Instead of pressure washing, go with metallic zinc strips affixed near your roof’s peak. These strips activate whenever it rains, releasing a powerful fungus inhibitor.
“If you need to clean your roof, we recommend hiring a professional who can do a ‘soft wash’ rather than pressure washing,” says Jose Figueroa, Expert Review Board Member, crew supervisor and sales representative at Artisan Quality Roofing in Apex, North Carolina. “Be sure they use a gentle solution for the roof and always direct water downward on the roof rather than upward under the shingles and flashing.”
8. Layering Over the Old Roof
Contractors sometimes prefer to lay a new roof right over the old one, as this saves on labor and waste removal costs. Installing a new roof on top of your old roof, however, will void or shorten the warranty in most cases. The second layer of shingles causes heat to expand more slowly, which shortens the lifespan of the shingles. It also causes the new shingles to stick to the old shingles, causing bulges. The additional weight wears down the structural integrity of the roof, leading to sagging over time.
9. Using Various Brands of Materials
Most roof warranties are only honored if you use one brand of material and install it correctly, or only use brands recommended by the roofing manufacturer. The roof is installed in multiple layers that include the underlayment, shingles, water barriers, and soffit and fascia material. If you use different brands of materials, whether you are trying to cut down on the metal roof cost by using a cheaper underlayment or lower the cost of gutter guards by using a bargain brand, this choice could void the roof warranty.
10. Using Different Contractors to Make Repairs
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If your roof needs repairs, it is important to contact the same local roof repair professional that installed the roof. If a different company does repair work, the original company will not guarantee the work that the repair company did, and it can void the workmanship warranty of the company that installed it.
11. Do-It-Yourself Roof Work
Roofing companies typically guarantee the work they did with a workmanship warranty, but that warranty will not cover any mistakes you make if you decide to get up on the roof and make repairs. Even if you know how to cut metal roofing or replace shingles, if your roof needs to be repaired, call the roofing company that did the initial installation to make sure you keep the warranty intact.
12. Neglecting to Register the Warranty
Once your roof is installed, you need to register the warranty so the roof material manufacturer knows it is active. Neglecting to register the warranty can void it so that it will not be available if you need it.
Related Article
The Different Types of Roof Warranties
There are two different types of roof warranties, and while one may be intact, you may void the other depending on the situation.
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Manufacturer’s Warranty: The roofing manufacturer will offer a warranty that guarantees the performance of the roofing material for a set length of time, provided that the homeowner keeps up with maintenance and makes sure not to do anything that can void it. The average length of a roof warranty is between 25 and 50 years.
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Workmanship Warranty: The roofing contractor that you hire to install the roof will offer a workmanship warranty that covers anything related to the installation process. Proper installation will keep the manufacturer’s warranty intact, as well. Make sure you ask your roofer what the roof warranty length is. Some are good for the life of the roof, while others are only good for a few years.
What Won’t Void a Roof Warranty
While there are certain actions that can void a roof warranty, others will not. These include performing regular maintenance, having roof repairs done by the original contractor, and transferring a transferable warranty to a new homeowner. Most roof warranties do not include “acts of God,” including weather events or a tree falling on the roof. If an “act of God” occurs, you should learn how to get insurance to pay for the roof replacement.
How to Avoid Voiding a Roof Warranty
To avoid voiding a roof warranty, you will need to know how to find the roof warranty on the manufacturer’s or contractor’s website or read the documents that you received that explain the roof warranty. Following the instructions on the warranty can help you avoid accidentally voiding it.
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