All You Need to Know About Roof Warranties

Permanent, aluminum Country Manor Shakes (CMS) look great on a roof just like cedar does, but with out the drawbacks of wood. There’s also a manufacturer’s warranty covering 100 percent of the cost of material and labor (not prorated) for forty years or more. This is in case of the need for repairs because of unlikely system failure in winds of 120 mph, Hawaii’s salty atmosphere, flaking paint or other problems that might arise. Countless examples of half-century old roofs around Hawaii are a testament to aluminum’s suitability for use in our tropical marine environment.

Temporary, conventional asphalt composition shingles haven’t changed much in the last 20 years, and they usually need to be replaced every 15 years. Ugly black streaks will appear in five years or less, but beware, the warranties are being extended. What modes of failure will trigger repair or replacement under the warranty, what costs will actually be covered by the manufacturer and for what period of time? If the specific roof failure is not covered in writing, it is not covered.

Know your expectations before you actually buy a roof. One of the ways to do this is to read the warranty. Most people think in terms of catastrophic failure such as severe windstorms, fire or baseball-sized hail. But most failures occur from things like foot traffic or algae growth. Further, inadequate ventilation can void the warranty and lead to premature granule loss, blisters and curling.

It is also important to know that time and simple exposure to sunlight, heat and moisture are the primary reasons a conventional roof degrades and fails. This is because the base material, asphalt, is highly flammable, but it’s combined with enough limestone quarry dust so that it won’t burn. The resulting material is hot, porous and will degrade quickly with exposure to ultraviolet light. It is protected by adhering a layer of mineral granules to the surface, but it can absorb water from prolonged rain and develop surface blisters (not usually a warranty defect) when sunlight suddenly heats it up.

High-tensile aluminum, the base material used for Country Manor Shakes, does not absorb water and is not affected by heat, atmospheric pollutants or ultraviolet light. Your roof and home temperatures will stay cool with the infrared reflecting hI-R Kynar 500 finish.

To learn more about the CMS roof and for a free, detailed estimate, call Fred Rehm of Aluminum Shake Roofing Inc. (ASR) at 847-8885. ASR has re-roofed thousands of homes throughout Hawaii for the last 24 years.

ALUMINUM SHAKE ROOFING INC.
contact // 847-8885
email // fredrehm@hawaiiantel.net