FEATURES

• Excellent adhesive power on different application decks.
• High resistance against root perforation.
• Wear resistant.
• Excellent chemical resistant.
• Completely non-biodegradable.
• Very good draining properties.
• Does not need additional protective layer or board during backfilling.
• Excellent puncture and UV resistance.
• Improved heat resistance.
• Most suitable to protect Bitutape and membranes on complicated profiles and pipes.

Article for Condo Management Magazine
by Keith Almeida, President of Almeida Industries, Inc.

While at the post office the other day, I began a conversation with the mail clerk who happened to be on the condo board where he lived. When he caught glimpse of the company brochure I was mailing out, the topic of conversation quickly turned to roofing. "My condo association just had a new roof put on our building." he said. "Boy am I glad that mess is over with. We're good for another fifteen years". If only I had a nickel for every time I heard that statement. When I asked if his association has a maintenance plan in effect or have budgeted for upkeep and repairs, his response was "No, we have a warranty on our roof." The fact of the matter is that everyone who obtains a warranty from a roofing materials manufacturer is not really clear as to what is actually warranted on their roof. Very few people actually take the time to read through a manufacturer's warranty and note the rather large list of exclusions. This is a false security we find in almost every new roof purchaser. In this article I will attempt to explain the common misconceptions of the manufacturer's warranty, some of the general exclusions in most warranties, and what to look for in a warranty. First I would like to start off by stressing the point that we, in South Florida, live in one of the most diverse climates in the United States. South Florida has the greatest daily temperature variance in the country. Roof tops reach temperatures in excess of 200 degrees during the daytime. Once we have an afternoon shower, that roof top temperature falls immediately to 70 degrees or less. With these types of temperature differences, the expansion and contraction expounded on a roof is incredible. With that in mind, it seems rather foolish that a conventional roof can last, leak free for periods greater than ten years without some sort of maintenance. Having said that, I will begin with a common misconception about roof warranties which is leaks. Some people feel that when they obtain a roof warranty, they are protected against roof leaks. This is only true if the material itself is failing. If a roof leak is caused by any item that falls under their exclusions list, the owner is responsible. Another misconception some condo boards have is once they install a new roof they no longer need to budget funds for their roof for the duration of the warranty. The lure of extra funds that can be allocated to other areas of the budget is an easy one to take. The fact is that this is far from true. A roof that is not properly maintained can fail up to 4 to 8 years short of their warranty duration. Associations must budget for repairs and maintenance on their roofs. I will address the entire budgeting topic in another article. Now lets go over some of the roof items that are excluded in a manufacturer's warranty. Each roofing materials manufacturer has its own list of exclusions, we will list the most common ones. If you haven't guessed it by now, an exclusion found in most warranties are maintenance items. Maintenance on a roof includes, but is not limited to, such items as: Pitch pans, roof penetrations, expansion joints, roof vents, plumbing stacks, mechanical exhaust fans, flashing details, perimeter metal, A/C stands, A/C curbs, etc. All of these items are to be maintained by the owner and most manufacturers' require biannual roof inspections. Another common exclusion is ponding water. Manufacturers' usually determine this to be any water that sits on a roof for a 48 hour period or longer without draining off or drying up. A large majority of commercial type buildings have flat roofs with an extremely slight pitch to them. With time a buildings foundation settles or new equipment is placed on a roof and deck deflection occurs. Simply put, this means that water is not allowed to exit from the roof. This a relatively common occurrence on flat roofs here in South Florida and most owners aren't even aware that these areas even exist. Still another exclusion that manufacturer's hide behind is natural disasters. At first glance this exception seems reasonable. Further investigation will reveal that a common term used is "'gale force winds". The average lay person doesn't realize that this is recognized as any wind exceeding 45 mph. Here in South Florida is seems we experience winds exceeding that every other weekend. Just these first three exclusions could scare any condo board member. Most of these warranties contain ten of these fine items or more.

Here are some more just to name a few:

Defects or damage from workmanship

Changes in usage of the building

Any newly installed roof equipment without certified contractor present

Any subsequent damage to roof after a leak is initially discovered

Any damage to roof due to a building settling, cracking, deck deflection

Non-approved materials used in conjunction with manufacturer's specified materials

After reading all of this it makes you wonder just what your warranty really covers. Most material warranties only cover just that, the roofing material itself. I have been involved in several instances where a manufacturer's material just plainly failed and began delaminating after a few short years. In these cases it is crucial that your warranty be intact and all of its paper work be in place. Many times the manufacturer will void warranty claims on the grounds that there is no documented maintenance program in place. This is important because the manufacturer will supply all the material for a new roof for free. You may have noticed I did not mention anything about labor. There are two distinct classes of warranties; material warranties and labor & material warranties. In choosing between the two you must consider your particular roofing needs, what is offered by the manufacturer you have chosen, and any price differences there may be, and go from there. Another point I have yet to mention is subsequent interior damages as a result of a roof leak. Even if the leak is a direct result of material failure. Just about all manufacturers exclude subsequential interior damages. Under these circumstances most owners rely on their individual insurance to cover any contents damaged as a result of a roof leak. After absorbing all of this information and realizing just what a manufacturer's warranty offers, one can't help but realize the importance a selecting a quality contractor.

Things to look for when selecting a contractor are:

Contractor's own warranty

Contractor's maintenance program

Contractor's budget forecast for duration of warranty

In closing I would like to wish you all good luck with any new roofing endeavors you may partake in.