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ASPHALT SHINGLES
Contrary to popular opinion
There is a significant difference in quality
between "comparable" asphalt shingles
Now you can learn the pros - and the cons - of
all your product options
You can determine THE BEST VALUE before
you purchase
Unfortunately, asphalt warranties are just
"marketing tools"
Warranties DO NOT indicate either the quality or
durability of asphalt shingles
Unbiased information is needed to COMPARE THE
QUALITY between different asphalt shingles
We provide that Unbiased Information
If you intend to
purchase asphalt roofing shingles (1) Take a few
minutes to read the "History of Asphalt" (below)
to understand what you are buying and how the modern
fiberglass shingles differ from the traditional
shingles
and (2) Be sure to contact Seattle Roof Brokers before
you purchase any product because we can protect
you
from wasting money on an inferior shingle - remember warranties DO NOT indicate
durability. See
Warranty Page
When buying asphalt
shingles, there are a couple of products on the
market that are clearly a better value.
These products have a different design - with a unique
component - from any other asphalt shingle.
They have
demonstrated superior performance over all the
competition. As Independent and Unbiased
Roofing Experts,
we will show you how to get the best shingle for your
money... and we will save you 10% to 20%
GUARANTEED.
THE HISTORY OF ASPHALT SHINGLES
1.
Making
Cheaper Shingles
2. Premature Failure of Fiberglass Shingles
3. Failures become Common Knowledge
4. Contractor Disclaimer Form
5. "Limited" Warranties
6. Warranties Become "Marketing Tools"
7. Lifespan of Conventional Shingles
Definitions:
By roofing "failure" we mean the inability of
asphalt shingles to pass a Re-Sale Inspection with a 5 year certification.
By "premature failure" we mean failure before the end of the
warranty period, by "defective" we mean products that
have failed prematurely, by "history" of failure we do
not mean 100%
failure rate or that a "majority" fail prematurely.
Unless indicated otherwise, all information below refers to
"conventional" asphalt shingles and not "pumpkin - tooth"
or "slate" style shingles.
1. MAKING CHEAPER SHINGLES
A common perception, promoted by
asphalt manufacturers (and asphalt roofers) is
that modern "fiberglass"
roofing shingles on the market today are vastly superior to the
traditional "organic" asphalt shingle design.
These new shingles must be better - because they come with
50 year warranties. In fact, the opposite
is true.
From the late 1880's until the
1970's, roofing shingles were manufactured by
saturating a thick organic mat
(cotton, waste paper and wood fiber) with asphalt and then covering
the shingle with a protective stone coating.
These "organic" shingles normally came with 15 year or 20 year
warranties, but would often last over 30
years.
In past years, warranties weren't much of a
concern because the organic felt shingles
usually
lasted longer than the 15 or 20 years for which
they were guaranteed.
Some organic
shingles on roofs today have seen 30 years and
are still hanging on.
Many roofs
with fiberglass shingles, however, aren't faring
as well... [1]
Our company applied a 15-year warranted organic
asphalt shingle on one local residence...
Upon a recent
inspection, that 27-year old roof still looked
great. Why are today's shingles
inferior?
In an attempt
to keep prices lower than the other guys,
shingle manufacturers sacrificed quality.
The quality
of asphalt has declined... Roofers and
consumers are being deceived.
[2]
The asphalt industry made a
dramatic transformation during the 1970's with
the conversion from organic
to "fiberglass" mats in the manufacture of shingles.
Initially it appeared technological advancements
would
facilitate product improvements. However, with the 1974 oil
embargo and economic recessions in the 1980's,
asphalt manufacturers focused primarily on lowering
production costs... they designed "cheaper"
shingles.
The result of lowering material
costs was production of shingles of much lower
quality - as was demonstrated by
the immediate onset of premature failures. The
decision by asphalt manufacturers to lower
material costs
marked the end of traditional organic shingles, and the beginning
of a new era of premature shingle failures.
The pressures placed on large public companies
to maintain profitability
brought
forward good old American ingenuity, reduce
fiberglass mats (fibers were expensive)
and increase
filler content (asphalt was also expensive)...
Filler was not used to stabilize asphalt
so much as it
appeared it was used to attempt to control
profitability and/or market share.
[3]
It's a huge market, and it's also incentive for
a manufacturer to turn out the lowest priced
product
possible... and this market will not go away.
Welcome to the real world.
[4]
The information provided below
does, generally speaking, apply to all asphalt
shingles manufactured after 1980,
both fiberglass and the newer organic. However, since only
fiberglass shingles are being sold today, we
will focus
primarily on how sales of fiberglass shingles impacts uninformed
consumers... because, unfortunately, when
asphalt
manufacturers started making cheaper (and less durable) shingles
they also increased shingle
warranty periods.
Because cheaper and less durable
shingles are now being sold with "inflated"
warranty periods of 30, 40, 50 years
and "lifetimes", there is no question that Roofers and Consumers
are being deceived.
Roof Brokers (roofing consultants)
have been used extensively in the commercial
roofing industry for decades
because, as independent and unbiased roofing experts, brokers are
able to secure the best products, the best
workmanship and the best pricing.
Contact Us for a free estimate and Save 10%
to 20% GUARANTEED.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
[1] Ted
Cushman, 'Choosing an Asphalt Shingle: Organic
vs Fiberglass'
Journal of
Light Construction Magazine, (May 1993).
[2] Ray Bolt, 'Shingle Problems: 20 Year
Asphalt Shingles Are Posing Problems in the
West'
Western
Roofing Magazine, (Jan/Feb 1991).
[3] Dwain Bouton, 'Return to Basics:
Suggestions for Asphalt Shingles'
Western
Roofing Magazine, (Sept/Oct 1992).
[4] Marc Dodson, 'Classifying Asphalt
Shingles May be the Solution the Industry is
Looking For'
Western
Roofing Magazine, (July/Aug 1992).
__________________________________________________________________________________________
2. THE PREMATURE FAILURE OF
FIBERGLASS SHINGLES
As manufacturers sought to produce
shingles with less asphalt, traditional organic
shingles were replaced with
the modern "fiberglass" shingle - made of a paper thin
LAYER (not saturation) of asphalt and a stone
coating.
The new design contained much less asphalt - and, therefore, was of
lower quality than the traditional organic.
Asphalt content was further reduced in the new fiberglass design by
adding FILLER materials. These
"fillers"
were usually sand and/or fine minerals (often Limestone) and were
used primarily to lower the cost of production.
However, the addition of filler also resulted in production of
lower quality, and less durable, roofing
shingles.
The composition shingle industry has had
difficulty with the performance of conventional
fiberglass
shingles
almost since their introduction in the late
1970's... Lack of Asphalt Content:
Failed shingles
that we
tested contain approximately 30% asphalt by
weight. New shingles contain less than 25%
This asphalt
is mixed with sand and fine mineral matter and
then has granules embedded in it.
[1]
There is no separate asphalt mat "coating",
there is only asphalt as binder for the
filler...
No wonder
shingles "weep" water after only a few years!
[2]
Historically, the premature failure
of fiberglass shingles has involved granular
loss and brittleness,
cracking and splitting, blistering, curling, buckling and "weeping"
(water seeping through the shingle).
When a thorough inspection reveals any of these conditions
the roof is beyond the "Re-Sale Window"
and normally requires either replacement or negotiation of a
"roofing allowance" in order to sell the home.
While the common perception,
promoted by asphalt manufacturers (and asphalt
roofers) is that "fiberglass"
shingles are vastly superior to the traditional "organic" design,
the fact is - there has been a documented history
of premature failure for the asphalt shingles manufactured
since 1980, both fiberglass and newer organic shingles.
Only fiberglass shingles are sold today, so it's important to
understand
the history of defective fiberglass shingles.
Fiberglass mats are much thinner, and are not
saturated with asphalt...
Several
roofing contractor associations have heard
complaints from their members
that
fiberglass shingles are failing within ten years...
[3]
Recently, our company had a roof fail in less
than eight years.
When removing
shingles in leaky areas, it became apparent that
the water
was going
right through the shingles, and had been for
some time. [4]
In Central California we have seen shingles
split on roofs in less than five years.
From what we
have seen to date, the problem seems to occur to
shingles with a thin
or
nonexistent back coating... These shingles also
seem to have a very high filler content
about 70% and
limited tensile strength. [5]
Filler was not used to stabilize asphalt so much
as it appeared it was used
to attempt to
control profitability and/or market share...
Buckling, cupping, splitting
and poor
granular retention problems began to
manifest in relatively short time frames.
[6]
The premature failure of fiberglass
shingles is simply historical fact.
By the mid-1990's defective fiberglass
shingles were reported by consumers and contractors across the
country and documented in industry publications.
Fiberglass shingles were failing in less than 10 years - but
asphalt manufacturers did not initiate any product
recalls.
Asphalt manufacturers did not recall defective shingles or even
warn consumers about the known defects, instead
manufacturers started to increase shingle warranty periods in order
to sell more (defective) shingles.
Asphalt manufacturers have
continued to increased the warranty
periods for fiberglass shingles so that now,
most
conventional shingles come with 30, 40, 50 year and "lifetime"
warranties. However, with much less
asphalt content,
these new fiberglass shingles have a documented history of
premature failures - often within 10 to 15
years.
Most inexperienced roof buyers assume warranties provide some
indication of shingle quality or durability...
they do NOT. Roof Warranties are
designed to sell more shingles - and longer
warranties sell more product.
That is why
traditional 15 year and 20 year warranties were
"inflated" to more marketable 30 year,
40 year,
50 year and... (wait for it) "Lifetime Warranty" periods.
Bottom Line: Warranties are simply "marketing tools" and
DO
NOT indicate
either product quality or durability.
There is an adversarial
relationship between (roof) buyers and (roof)
sellers. Unfortunately, until recently
most
buyers had to rely almost entirely on information from sellers
during the product selection process. Now
buyers
have access to Unbiased Information from Independent Experts. Contact Seattle Roof
Brokers to learn
what roofers don't want you to know. Get a free estimate and
enjoy
savings of 10% to 20% - Guaranteed.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
[1] Richard Tippett,
'Fiberglass Shingles: More Than You Ever Wanted
to Know About Fiberglass Shingles Failures'
Western Roofing Magazine,
(May/June 1991).
[2] ibid.
[3] Ted Cushman, 'Choosing an Asphalt Shingle'.
[4] Ray Bolt, 'Shingle Problems'.
[5] Richard Tippett, 'Fiberglass Shingles'.
[6] Dwain Bouton, 'Return to Basics'.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
3. FIBERGLASS FAILURES BECOME
COMMON KNOWLEDGE
Roofing contractor associations
across the country became aware of the inferior
quality of fiberglass shingles
when member contractors complained the shingles didn't contain
enough asphalt and were failing within 10 years.
Contractor associations presented these concerns to the asphalt
manufacturers and, in a short period of time,
the inferior quality of fiberglass shingles became common knowledge
within the entire roofing industry.
The concerns regarding asphalt shingles began as
a result of complaints received from
(Western
States Roofing Contractors Association)
WSRCA member contractors. Following
complaints,
in 1991, the
WSRCA circulated an Asphalt Shingle Problem
questionnaire to its members to determine
if there was
a problem with asphalt shingles.
[1]
The results of the questionnaire showed that
many of the 20-year guaranteed asphalt
fiberglass shingles
were failing
as early as six months and continuing to fail up
to 12 years. The average failures were
occurring
at about
five years of age. The WSRCA
determined that there was a problem.
[2]
The failures and problems reported included:
blow-offs, buckling, curling, loss of
granules,
splitting
and cracking and seal-down problems. [3]
While many asphalt manufacturers
(and roofers) like to pretend that problems with
premature failures were limited
to the cheaper (post 1980's) organic shingles, the fact is
premature shingle failure has ALWAYS been
associated
with the fiberglass design. A fact quickly confirmed in
cursory examination of trade magazines in the
early-1990's
which contained numerous articles on the defective fiberglass
shingles - and strategies for contractors to
eliminate
potential liability for selling fiberglass shingles which they
expected to fail prematurely.
While the Western States Roofing
Contractors Association (WSRCA) is credited with
the initial identification of the
premature failure of fiberglass shingles, other
contractor associations from across the country
were also reporting
premature failure of fiberglass shingles and expressing similar concerns
about the potential liability for selling
defective shingles with a documented history of premature failures.
The Midwest Roofing Contractors Association
(MRCA), another trade organization, has also
received
reports from
their members of early failure of fiberglass
shingles from Connecticut to California...
According to Don Berg, of the National
Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA)
technical department,
the cracking is not
limited to one or two brands, or one or two
types of qualities of shingle. It has
occurred in the commodity grade
and the architect grade shingles. Berg has
received reports
from generally
around the country... [4]
As a result of complaints from
contractor associations - in the early 1990's asphalt manufacturers
were finally forced
to admit they had been (and were) selling defective fiberglass shingles and that
the premature failures of fiberglass
shingles were
not limited to
any particular manufacturer, or any particular type of shingle.
Unfortunately, while asphalt
manufacturers were finally forced to acknowledge
the sale of defective shingles,
they did not initiate any product recalls and they did not alert
consumers to the known problem of premature
failure.
They simply acknowledged they were aware of the defective shingles
and they promised to "study" the problems.
The Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association
(ARMA) is also aware of the problem, and
responding in part to WSRCA test results, has recently formed a task
force to study it and find solutions...
the cracking problem
occurs in a number of different types of
shingles, from a number of different
manufacturers, in many parts of the country.
[5]
The premature failure of fiberglass
shingles is simply historical fact.
Reports of defective fiberglass shingles
were documented by contractor associations and acknowledged by
manufacturer associations. By the
late-1990's
premature failure of "modern" asphalt shingles, both fiberglass and
the newer organic, was common knowledge
within the roofing industry - and had started to become more widely known by the general public, finally
resulting in
several recent Class Action
Lawsuits.
Unfortunately, many asphalt manufacturers were
very reluctant to even admit shingles were
failing prematurely,
they never issued product recalls or warned consumers about
defective shingles after acknowledging problems
and they continue to deny liability - while providing (hundreds of)
millions of dollars for class action
settlements...
but they did increase warranties to 30, 40 and 50 years.
And still, some consumers are
SHOCKED by information that asphalt
manufacturers (and asphalt roofers)
are currently selling fiberglass shingles with a documented
history of premature failures.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
[1] Charles Frost and Arlene
Lawson, 'Seminar to Explore Asphalt Shingle
Concerns at NRCA Convention'
Western
Roofing Magazine, (Jan/Feb 1993).
[2] ibid.
[3] ibid.
[4] Ted Cushman, 'Choosing an Asphalt Shingle'.
[5] ibid.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
4. THE CONTRACTOR DISCLAIMER FORM
In the past, most asphalt roofers
guaranteed installations for the period
indicated on the manufacturer warranty.
Since most asphalt shingles had manufacturer warranties for 15
years or 20 years, asphalt contractors would
guarantee the installation would remain "serviceable" for that
indicated warranty period - they could only do
this
because it was expected, based on a long and proven history, that
shingle life would exceed the warranty period.
Today, homeowners only receive a
"workmanship" (labor only) guarantee from their
roofing contractor/installer,
they receive a separate product warranty from manufacturers... this
started with the 'standard disclaimer form'.
When manufacturers lowered
shingle quality (and durability) most asphalt
roofers were concerned about financial
liability involved with installing fiberglass shingles which were
known
to be defective. As
the contractor associations
understood the liability of selling defective shingles, they
advised members to provide a "Standard
Disclaimer Form"
to homeowners - to avoid financial liability for installing
shingles that were expected to
fail prematurely.
Also be careful how you guarantee your work.
WSRCA has distributed a standard disclaimer to
their members
to be given to customers
along with a copy of the manufacturer's
warranty.
The disclaimer states that
the contractor guarantees his
workmanship, not the shingles:
The shingles
are covered only by the manufacturer's warranty.
[1]
It's important to understand that
roofing contractors were faced with two
separate issues increasing liability...
fiberglass shingles were failing - many within ten years - while,
at the same time, warranties were being
increased.
In other words, asphalt manufacturers were producing cheaper
shingles (to increase their profits) and they
were
providing longer warranties (to increase market share). So,
the typical asphalt roofing contractor was faced
with
the liability of selling and installing inferior shingles
with inflated warranties. Clearly
the roofing contractors
could no longer afford to guarantee their installations as they had
done for decades.
Theoretically, by providing
homeowners with the 'Standard Disclaimer Form',
roofing contractors were not liable
for selling fiberglass shingles they knew (or suspected) were
defective. The disclaimer
facilitated the sales
of shingles with 30 year warranties - even when the roofers
expected the shingle to fail within
10 years.
If you say something vague to the customer like
"this is a 20 year roof"
or "these
shingles will last 25 years", you may be held to
that promise
even though
the shingle warranty doesn't really say that.
[2]
Most homeowners fail to appreciate
the extent to which there is an adversarial
relationship between residential
(roof) buyers and (roof) sellers. Many homeowners do not
understand that roofing manufacturers and
installers
generally "specialize" in only one type of roofing material
- and, therefore, MUST "sell" that material to
everyone...
even when a different material would be a more appropriate
solution to the consumer.
Manufacturers (like CertainTeed)
"specialize" in only one type of roofing
material - fiberglass asphalt shingles.
Therefore, asphalt shingles must be the solution for
all roofing... Obviously this can NOT be true.
However,
consumers must expect asphalt manufacturers to do whatever they can
(like inflating warranties) in order to
try to convince uninformed roofing buyers that asphalt shingles are
appropriate for any - and all - projects.
Likewise, most roofers only install
asphalt shingles. Therefore, they are not
likely to try to "sell" consumers
a different material (slate, tile, rubber, metal or cedar) even if
it's more appropriate to their specific needs.
Asphalt roofers and asphalt manufacturers will ALWAYS try to sell
asphalt shingles - to everyone. Just like
Metal roofers and metal manufacturers ALWAYS try to sell metal
roofing and cedar roofers ALWAYS try to
sell cedar roofing.
That is the reason consumers
benefit greatly by talking to an Independent
and Unbiased roofing expert before
selecting any roofing product. Even if asphalt shingles are
the best material option for a consumer,
independent
and unbiased roofing experts can still help in the buying process
by identifying THE BEST asphalt shingles and
they can help the consumer secure the best pricing.
Contact Seattle
Roof Brokers to enjoy all these benefits.
END OF THE STANDARD DISCLAIMER FORM
Very few, if any, asphalt roofers
still provide homeowners with the "Standard
Disclaimer Form" for material failure.
Roofers found a disclaimer form hurt asphalt sales because
it focused too much attention on the expected
(lack of)
shingle performance and durability.
Instead, the asphalt
roofers began using a much more subtle, and
deceptive, practice of providing buyers with
a contractor "workmanship"
guarantee (for labor only) buried in the small
print of the roofing contract - this way
they could use inflated warranty
periods to "sell" shingles without having to
focus attention on the fact that
they did not expect the shingles
to last that long - and they did not actually
guarantee the shingles
would remain "serviceable" for any length of time.
The transition from the original
'Standard Disclaimer Form' to the current
"workmanship" guarantee allowed the
asphalt roofers to take advantage of inflated warranties - without
incurring liability for selling and installing
shingles
that were expected to fail prematurely.
When you re-roof
today, normally you receive a 30 year, 40 year,
50 year or "lifetime" warranty
from the asphalt manufacturer and a
"workmanship" (labor only) guarantee from the
roofer.
Bottom Line: Contractors are (theoretically)
not liable for selling shingles with a
history of premature failures.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
[1] Ted Cushman,
'Choosing an Asphalt Shingle'
[2] ibid.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
5. "LIMITED" WARRANTIES
While roofing contractor associations were
reporting premature failures of fiberglass
shingles across the country,
and advising member contractors to use "disclaimers" to eliminate
financial liability for expected premature
failures,
what were asphalt manufacturers doing?
Did asphalt manufacturers initiate Product Recalls
for all the
defective fiberglass shingles? ... No.
Did asphalt manufacturers
warn consumers about the widespread premature failure of
fiberglass shingles? ... No.
While contractors were complaining
about fiberglass shingles failing prematurely,
asphalt manufacturers actually
increased product warranties from the traditional 15 years and 20
years, to the much more marketable 30 year,
40 year and 50 year periods. Surely, a reasonable person
would wonder how manufacturers could possibly
start
providing warranties that are DECADES LONGER than the known, and
documented, lifespan of the shingles?...
Manufacturers can market shingles with unrealistic warranties
because:
a) What accountability is there?
Most homeowners will not risk $100,000 in legal
costs - to enforce warranty coverage on a $15,000
roof.
b) Class Action Lawsuits on asphalt
shingles did not begin until the late 1990's.
And, to date, asphalt shingle
class action lawsuits have proven to be very
inefficient in bringing reform - paying pennies
on the dollar.
c) Generally speaking, all the premature
failures related to the natural "aging" of
fiberglass asphalt shingles
are NOT GUARANTEED as part of the specific
"Limited" warranty coverage.
While most consumers naturally
assume shingle warranties indicate expected
product durability (as in the past)
the current strategy of "limiting" warranty coverage to only "production
defects" and/or "manufacturing defects"
has allowed asphalt manufacturers (and asphalt roofers) to use
inflated warranty periods of 30 years, 40 years
and 50 years as an effective sales and marketing tool... some claim
a very deceptive sales and marketing
tool.
In fact, less than 1% of all CertainTeed
shingles are found to have manufacturing
defects.
But they all age...
The natural aging process begins as soon as the
shingles are installed... [1]
Asphalt warranties are "limited" in
the sense they only guarantee "production
defects" or "manufacturing defects"
and NOT the normal process of aging (the "service life") of the
shingle. Asphalt manufacturers admit less
than 1%
of fiberglass shingles have "manufacturing defects"... but 100% of
shingles fail due to the normal process of
aging.
Notice the historical coverage of warranties from 1972, 1982
and 1992 when "service life" was
still guaranteed.
The Certain-teed asphalt shingles identified
below are warranted to be free from
manufacturing defects
and will
remain serviceable for the length of time
specified for the shingle applied.
[2]
CertainTeed Corporation ("CertainTeed"), subject
to the conditions and limitations listed herein,
warrants to
the original homeowner/consumer that the asphalt
shingles identified below are free
from actual
manufacturing defects and will remain
serviceable for the length of time
specified... [3]
CertainTeed Corporation ("CertainTeed"), subject
to the conditions and limitations listed herein,
warrants to
the original homeowner/consumer that the asphalt
shingles identified herein are free
from
manufacturing defects and will remain
serviceable for the length of time
specified... [4]
The traditional (historical)
warranty coverage of asphalt shingles included
coverage for shingle "service life"...
because the traditional - pre 1970's - shingles had a long history
of lasting longer than the 15 year or 20 year
warranty provided by manufacturers.
However, there was a dramatic
change in the asphalt roofing industry between
1991 and 1993.
Due to modifications in asphalt shingle design (discussed above)
suddenly there was widespread failure of
shingles
reported across the country. After production of dependable
asphalt shingles for almost 100 years, suddenly
in the
early 1990's, there was widespread premature failures being
reported by asphalt contractors across the
country,
which eventually resulted in contractor associations (like WSRCA,
MRCA and NRCA) confronting individual asphalt
manufacturers and the Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association (ARMA).
Consider the difference
between traditional (historical) asphalt
warranties above, which guaranteed "service life"
of shingles - provided before the reports of premature
failures - and the "limited"
warranties provided after
the premature failure of
fiberglass shingles became common knowledge.
PROVIDED SHINGLES HAVE BEEN INSTALLED IN STRICT
ACCORDANCE WITH CERTAINTEED
WRITTEN
INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS, CERTAINTEED WARRANTS
TO THE ORIGINAL
PROPERTY
OWNER/CONSUMER THAT ITS ASPHALT ROOFING SHINGLES
WILL BE FREE FROM
MANUFACTURING
DEFECTS FOR THE LENGTH OF TIME SPECIFIED IN THE
CHART ABOVE
AND THAT
CERTAINTEED WILL REPAIR OR REPLACE ANY SHINGLES
PROVEN TO BE DEFECTIVE
UNDER THE
TERMS OF THIS WARRANTY. Emphasis
in Original [5]
After premature failures of
fiberglass shingles became common knowledge
(1991 to 1993) asphalt manufacturers
suddenly stopped providing warranty guarantee for the "service
life" of shingles. This happened at the
same time
asphalt roofers began to use the 'Standard Disclaimer Form' to
limit financial liability for installing
defective shingles.
Roofing experts consider the sudden elimination of "service life"
coverage as the manufacturer's attempt to limit
financial liability for expected premature failures. All asphalt manufacturers
have eliminated "service
life" coverage.
PABCO is not liable under this limited warranty
due to any cause other than manufacturing
defects
in the
shingles. While this warranty describes
certain benefits available, it is not an
assurance that
the shingles
will remain serviceable for the length of the
entire warranty period. [6]
Any limited warranty does not assure that
the covered products will last the entire length
of the stated
warranty period. [7]
Unfortunately, many inexperienced
roofing buyers tend to assume that
"limited' asphalt warranties indicate
either the quality or the durability of the shingles... they do
not. After premature failure of
fiberglass shingles
was reported by contractor associations across the country -
suddenly asphalt manufacturers eliminated the
traditional guarantee of shingle "service life". Since that
time (early 1990's) asphalt warranties do not
indicate
either the durability or quality of shingles.
In fact, at least one major asphalt manufacturer
(CertainTeed) has already admitted that
it does
not even verify the performance or
durability of the shingles it produces and
sells.
And, without
any record of shingle performance or durability
in the real world, it does not have
any evidence
on the percentage of shingles (if any) that
actually last even 15 to 20 years.
[8]
Since asphalt warranties no longer
indicate either the quality or durability of
shingles, it's extremely important that
consumers talk with an Independent and Unbiased expert before
making final decisions about product selection.
This is especially true because asphalt manufacturers now provide
"inflated" warranties to allow asphalt roofers
to sell shingles to consumers that (really) need a more durable
material. In other words, since asphalt
warranties
are now simply "marketing tools", consumers MUST find a better
resource for information on product quality.
Seattle Roof Brokers is the best
resource available for information on product
selection. Consumers can receive
unbiased information on all material options (asphalt, cedar,
rubber, metal, tile and slate) and, in addition,
they can
receive and unbiased analysis - comparing available products within
any type of material - because some asphalt
shingles are better than others, some metal products are
better than others, etc.
Contact Seattle Roof
Brokers.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
[1] CertainTeed
Brochure: The Life Cycle of Your Roof
[2] CertainTeed Warranty - 1972
[3] CertainTeed Warranty - 1982
[4] CertainTeed Warranty - 1992
[5] CertainTeed Warranty - 1994
[6] Pabco Warranty
[7] Elk Warranty
[8] CertainTeed Response to Interrogatories
__________________________________________________________________________________________
6. WARRANTIES BECOME MARKETING
TOOLS
While many inexperienced roofing
buyers tend to assume warranties indicate either
shingle durability or quality
most industry experts understand that "limited" warranties are
just marketing tools designed to sell more
product.
Asphalt manufacturers and asphalt contractors generally understand
that consumers use warranties as a tool in
selecting shingles and the longest warranties sell the most
product... "inflated" warranties are very
profitable.
After manufacturers stopped
covering the "service life" of shingles, very
quickly warranty periods were increased.
Soon the traditional 15 year and 20 year warranties were replaced
with 30 year, 40 year, 50 year and (wait for
it)...
"lifetime" warranties. This practice became the norm in the
asphalt roofing industry as competition caused
all
asphalt manufacturers to "inflate" warranty periods in order to
gain, or protect, market share.
Technical people throughout the industry,
however, generally agree that warranties
are little more than a
marketing device, and can't be considered an
accurate predictor
of shingle life.
[1]
Buyer Beware: While asphalt
shingles come with warranties ranging from 20 to
as long as 45 years,
roofers and
builders remain skeptical of those warranties.
Since warranties are a marketing device,
they are
not a reliable predictor of lifespan.
In the past decade, there have been many
complaints
of asphalt
shingle failure long before warranties expired.
[2]
Since the durability of shingles
cannot be identified by the "limited"
warranties, there is no way for consumers
to determine the quality or longevity of a fiberglass shingle...
unless they have access to an
independent and
unbiased roofing expert willing to explain the difference
between products and the realistic lifespan
expectancy.
The issue is really one of finding the best resource of information
for product selection - and it is NOT
warranties.
The problem for consumers is
they tend to rely almost entirely on the
Seller (manufacturer and/or installer)
for critical information in selecting a roofing product - but those
"advisors" do not profit from protecting the
Buyer's
interests, or recommending the most appropriate roofing material.
Manufacturers and installers of asphalt shingles
only profit when consumers buy asphalt shingles... therefore,
asphalt shingles are recommended to everyone.
Manufacturers who use long-term warranties as
marketing tools have found themselves compelled
to meet or exceed
warranties of competitive manufacturers.
In some cases, the length of the warranty
may have been established
without appropriate technical research or
documentation
of in-field
performance. [3]
To illustrate the extent to which
there's an adversarial relationship
between roof Sellers
(manufacturers/roofers)
and roof Buyers (Homeowners) we need only to compare the length of
warranty periods provided BEFORE the
premature failure of fiberglass shingles became common knowledge
and AFTER these defects were made public.
The graph below compares warranty periods offered by CertainTeed in
1993 (when "service life" was guaranteed)
to warranty periods in years after "service life" was excluded from
coverage. Witness the inflation of
warranties.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Product Lines with
Product Lines with
Product Lines with
Product Lines with
Year
30 year warranties
40 year warranties
50 year warranties
Lifetime warranties
[4] 1993
2
-
-
-
[5] 1997
4
2
-
-
[6] 2002
5
3
4
4
[7] 2006
6
3
1
9
___________________________________________________________________________________________
After decades of covering
shingle "service life" with traditional
asphalt warranties of 15 years or 20 years -
When
premature failures of fiberglass shingles becomes common knowledge
and "service life" is not longer guaranteed
(so only "manufacturing defects" are covered) suddenly warranties
are "inflated" so the majority of products are
marketed with warranties of 30 years or more. In fact, in
2009, CertainTeed marketed only two (2)
product lines
with warranties less than 30 years - and about half its
product lines now come with "lifetime"
warranties! [8]
Either the laws of physics have
ceased to apply to asphalt shingles - so that a
paper thin layer of asphalt now lasts
longer than slate and tile and metal - or asphalt manufacturers
(and asphalt roofers) have abandoned all
pretense
of "truth in advertising" or "full disclosure" and are now using
grossly inflated warranties strictly as
marketing tools.
If this shameful display of attempted misrepresentation does not
demonstrate the extent to which roof Buyers
are
in an adversarial relationship with the Sellers of
asphalt shingles... then we can only advise:
Buyer Beware.
In discussions with manufacturers, they are
quick to point out that they don't have any more
roof failures
with these
lighter products than they used to. They
also claim they couldn't say a roof will last 20
years
if it won't.
What they fail to mention, is that most roof
warranty failures go unclaimed. The
average
homeowner
moves every seven years. Most warranties
are not transferable. [9]
Also, most shingle warranties aren't
transferable when the home is sold. Since
the average American
homeowner
sells after about six years, shingle companies
are not liable even if their product
doesn't
perform as advertised. [10]
Moreover, while some inexperienced
consumers assume the introduction of a line of
50 year shingles demonstrates
the asphalt manufacturers' development of "new and improved"
technology... the fact is: manufacturers
have been
introducing cheaper (lower quality) shingles with 30 or 40 year
warranties and "bumping-up" the previous
shingles
to a higher warranty. In other words, shingles that had
previously been marketed with a 30 year warranty
are often
"bumped-up" to a 40 year warranty - so the manufacturer can
introduce a cheaper product line as the "new"
30 year shingle. [11]
While asphalt manufacturers use inflated warranties
to gain a competitive sales edge, at the same
time, they have
demonstrated their disregard for
warranties (and disrespect for consumers) with public admissions that
their (own)
warranties
are "meaningless" marketing
tools. In fact, manufacturers have been
so bold as to openly joke of giving
150 year warranties - if it will
help asphalt roofers sell more shingles.
But hey, what about the warranty?
Warranties (trust me here) are marketing tools...
So if someone wanted (not
saying they do, not saying they don't) to put out
a
truly meaningless warranty,
it would have just as
much effect on the product quality as today's
warranties.
(I've got it, we'll sell
a million, the first 150 year warranty!)
[12]
Since there are significant differences between
"comparable" shingles and "limited" asphalt
warranties DO NOT
indicate either the quality or durability of
products, roofing buyers in Seattle need the
expertise of independent and
unbiased experts in order to understand how
products differ and why one shingle is better
(or worse) than another.
Contact Seattle Roof
Brokers to obtain better Products and better
Workmanship - while also saving 10% to 20%.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
[1] Ted Cushman, 'Have
Asphalt Shingles Improved?'
Journal of
Light Construction, (July 2001).
[2] Bob Vila, 'Asphalt Shingles'
BobVila.com
[3] National Roofing
Contractors Association, 'Roofing Warranties'
NRCA.net
[4] CertainTeed
Warranty - 1993
[5] CertainTeed Warranty - 1997
[6] CertainTeed Warranty - 2002
[7] CertainTeed Warranty - 2006
[8] CertainTeed Warranty - 2009
[9] Ray Bolt, 'Shingle Problems'
[10] Ted Cushman, 'Choosing an Asphalt Shingle'
[11] Elk Warranty Brochure
[12] Greg Malarkey,
'Cheap Shingles: As With Everything Else in
Life, You Get What You Pay For'
Western
Roofing Magazine, (Nov/Dec 1991).
__________________________________________________________________________________________
7. LIFESPAN OF CONVENTIONAL
SHINGLES
It's important to understand that
all roofs wear unevenly and the determination of
"failed" (or "failing") roofing
is ALWAYS based on the worst, or weakest, portions of the roofing -
never the strongest. It simply does not
matter
if the north-side of the roof is in relatively good condition when
shingles on the south-side has already failed.
Prospective buyers will expect the
(worst areas of) roofing to be able to pass a "Five
Year Certification" inspection
When roofs "fail" this Re-Sale Inspection, normally the replacement
of roofing or payment of a "roofing allowance"
will be required in order to sell the home. Therefore,
determination of the "re-sale window" for
roofing products
is related to the condition of the worst area of roofing - even
when the worst sections are only a small
percentage
of the entire roofing area.
Paying $10,000 to re-roof with asphalt shingles
today may just be your initial down payment
When it requires replacement costs of $20,000
(with inflation) to Re-Sell the home in only 15
years.
It may be very little consolation to receive a
warranty claim of $1,200 (12%) from your asphalt
manufacturer.
This is the problem of
intentionally marketing roofing products with
"inflated" warranty periods. When
manufacturers
provide warranties of 30 years, 40 years and 50 years to "sell"
asphalt shingles with a history of premature
failures...
many innocent families will suffer financial loss.
Asphalt manufacturers can simply
add the cost of projected claim payments
to the initial product pricing to offset
all the claims associated with expected premature failures.
This strategy allows use of "inflated" warranty
periods
(to increase market share) while still maintaining their desired
profit margins.
Consumers should Not be Shocked
by the idea that asphalt manufacturers (and
asphalt roofers) are currently
selling roofing shingles with a history of premature failures -
Selling shingles they already know will be
defective.
The truth is, asphalt manufacturers and asphalt roofers have been
selling defective shingles for a very long time.
The sales of defective asphalt shingles has been widespread and
pervasive - over a period of almost 30 years...
a fact illustrated by the recent and current class action lawsuits.
And consumers Should Never
Expect asphalt manufacturers, or asphalt
roofers, to disclose information on the
history of premature failure (or the claims history) for shingles
they are currently selling... you cannot
sell defective
shingles for 30 years by disclosing the actual history of premature
failures or documented history of claim
payments.
Asphalt Durability of 5 to 10
years
Asphalt
shingle manufacturers are notorious for not
honoring their warranties,
they always
have an excuse, and people do not file suit due
to high legal costs... Our area,
near
Chicago... We are tearing off more and more of
the so-called "40 year" asphalt shingles that
are from 8
to 11 years old. If the homeowner is
concerned with how the roof looks (and not just
being weather
tight) they are usually unhappy at the 6 to
10 year point. [1]
Asphalt Durability of 10 to 15
years
Most
homeowners are lulled into thinking that, if a
30-year roof shingle is installed on their home
(as stated by
the roof manufacturer), then that roof will last
the suggested life expectancy.
Not so!
Most roofs fail in 10 to 15 years. Very
few roofs last past 15 years!
[2]
We have found that most of our asphalt shingle
re-roofing in the Seattle area
is replacement of
fiberglass shingles that are only 10 years to
15 years old and that
Very few fiberglass
shingles have lasted past 15 years.
Shingles reaching that age
tend to look pretty nasty
and (aesthetically) appear to be long past due for
replacement. [3]
Today's asphalt shingles are not the asphalt
shingles of 30 years ago.
Today,
asphalt shingles are only 10 to 30 percent
asphalt by weight - and less asphalt
means poorer
performance... Today's asphalt shingles are so
susceptible to damage from heat,
cold,
thermo-shock, algae and mold that asphalt
roofs today most often last only 10 - 15 years.
By that time
a good deal of the shingle has washed into the
rain gutters. [4]
Most of us have been programmed into thinking
that asphalt roofing is the only real option
since its
inexpensive and get the job done, at least in
the short term. You get what you pay
for...
The problem
is Asphalt doesn't hold up to the requirements
that most homeowner have...
Asphalt
usually protects your home for about 10 - 15
years... [5]
In Florida, an asphalt roof will last
approximately 10 to 15 years,
so use that
as a guideline. If you plan on another
asphalt shingle roof,
you should
expect to replace it again in 10 to 15 years.
[6]
Asphalt Durability of 15 to 20
years
Asphalt roof coverings have a typical
statistical life expectancy from fifteen to
twenty years.
Beware of
those saying that life expectancy of asphalt
roofs are longer than 25 years.
You would be
hard pressed to locate a roof still in useful
condition that is
more than
twenty years old. [7]
According to the asphalt roofing industry,
the average shingle roof lasts 17 - 19 years.
The actual
lifetime is dramatically lower than this in hot
climates and extreme weather situations.
Unfortunately, the warranties on these products
do not cover natural wear and tear from weather.
Damage
resulting from high winds, hail, rain and
extreme temperatures are also not covered.
[8]
You can expect a metal roof to last at least 2
to 3 times longer than a regular roof. In
general terms,
count on a
metal roof lasting 40 to 60 years and beyond.
To put it in context, the average life span
of an
asphalt roof is 12 to 20 years. That
lifespan can be shorter depending on the pitch
of your roof
and the
climate in your area... asphalt begins to
deteriorate as soon as you expose it to normal
weather. [9]
When buyers are considering a home, they're
always concerned about the condition of the
roof...
With metal,
they know they won't need to do anything to it
for at least 50 years. With an asphalt
roof
they'll
need to replace it within 15 to 20 years.
[10]
Asphalt can require re-roofing every 12 to 20
years, with the average age of roofing in
the U.S.
being only
17 years. That's because asphalt
roofing, being made of oil impregnated paper or
fiberglass
begins to
deteriorate as soon as you put it on your roof.
[11]
Asphalt Durability beyond 20
years
Unfortunately, we are not able to
find any evidence of typical durability beyond
20 years for ANY asphalt shingle.
In fact, a 2007 study for the National Association of Home
Builders (NAHB) determined the life
expectancy for
conventional asphalt shingles is only 20 years [12].
Even the Asphalt Roofing
Manufacturers Association (ARMA),
recommends replacement of asphalt shingles
every 20 years. [13]
Homeowners can be excused for
considering an idea as ridiculous as 40 or 50 year
asphalt shingles... they are
unsuspecting consumers, not roofing experts.
But what about the roofing contractors? What
about manufacturers?
How can they be excused for presenting such an
absurd idea, and for using such a deceptive marketing strategy?
It's very easy to "sell" inexperienced and
unsuspecting buyers the idea of a long-term
lifespan for asphalt shingles,
when the only examples shown are less than 10
years old. It's something altogether
different when the consumer
has the opportunity to actually see the
(aesthetic) condition of a 20 year fiberglass
installation! It is not pretty.
Conventional fiberglass shingles
have been on the market for over 30 years...
Even the "luxury" asphalt shingles
have been produced for over 20 years. If a
manufacturer or roofing contractor is unwilling
(or unable) to let you see
what you can expect your roof to look like in 15
or 20
years... maybe you should look for a
different roofing material.
Contact Seattle Roof
Brokers to learn what roofers (and
manufacturers) DON'T WANT you to know.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
[1] 'Roofing -
CertainTeed Shingles', en.allexperts.com
[2] 'What's in a Roof Shingle Warranty',
inspectionconcepts.com
[3] 'Fiberglass Shingle Durability',
seattleroofbroker.com
[4] 'Problems with Today's Asphalt',
chandlermetalroofing.com
[5] 'Compare Roofs', metalroofsunlimited.com
[6] 'Residential Roof Replacement',
solarshieldroofing.com
[7] 'Asphalt Roof Coverings',
looksmarthomeinspections.com
[8] 'Homeowners Guide to Roofing', classicroofing.com
[9] 'Frequently Asked Questions', metalroofing.com
[10] 'Excellent Roofing', excellentroofinghomeimprovements.com
[11] 'Benefits of a Metal Roof', metalshingle.com
[12] 'Study of Life Expectancy', National Association of Home
Builders
__________________________________________________________________________________________
UNBIASED INFORMATION & FULL DISCLOSURE
Seattle Roof Brokers protect the
interests of the buyer - not the seller.
We are committed to providing unbiased
information and full disclosure to consumers. Our expert
opinions do NOT reflect the sellers perspective
and
your entire re-roofing process becomes a cooperative experience
instead of the typical adversarial relationship.
There is always an adversarial relationship
between buyers and sellers
Roofing buyers should never expect full
disclosure or unbiased information
from asphalt manufacturers, asphalt
distributors/suppliers or asphalt roofers.
Asphalt manufacturers may consider
a certain percentage of premature failures to be
quite acceptable because the
cost of paying claims is already built into the shingle price - and
very few failures get submitted as warranty
claims.
However, most buyers (homeowners) will consider ANY premature
failure to be unacceptable - especially when the
warranty payment is just a small percentage of actual replacement
costs... and failure was expected by the
seller.
Seattle Roof Brokers will provide
the expert consultation you need to obtain the
best Product, Price and Installation.
For asphalt, cedar, metal, synthetic (rubber) and tile roofing... We are your
Best Resource for Information and
we will also save you money (10% to 20% guaranteed) on your roofing
project. Contact
Seattle Roof Brokers.
For the manufacturer's perspective
Please use the Company Links below for General
Information
on all the different Asphalt Products available
in the Seattle Washington area
All roofing manufacturers claim their product is
"The Best"
Obviously, that cannot be the Truth
There are significant differences in quality
between "comparable" asphalt shingles
Consult an Independent and Unbiased Roofing
Expert
Before selecting ANY asphalt shingle
Better Safe Than Sorry
Contact Us for a FREE
Consultation
ASPHALT ROOFING SHINGLES IN SEATTLE
Disclaimer:
The information above is presented for educational
purposes only. The commentary and all
contents reflect
the professional opinion and experience of the author
alone and are subject to error or change without
notice.
The presence of a link to a website does not indicate
approval or endorsement of that website or any
products,
services or opinions that may be offered by them.
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