The Problem - Traditional Guarantees & System Warranties

Guarantees and warranties are a key part of any roofing and cladding system whether it is a built up standing seam or secret fix metal roofing system for a pitched roof, or single ply or hot melt system for a flat roof.

Guarantees and warranties are sold to maximise the sales / commercial appeal to the specifier or decision maker, and yet minimise the risk to the company offering the guarantee or warranty. In most cases the small print in the paperwork needs to be carefully read and understood, since the risk is that when the guarantee or warranty is required, at a point of a claim, you may find holes in the guarantee between the manufacturer and the “approved” contractor that could invalidate any such claim, leaving you holding the bill.

Simple questions to ask of any company offering a guarantee or system warranty:

• Are you really being sold a system warranty or is it just a component or paint finish guarantee ‘dressed up’?
• Does the warranty include workmanship, and does the term of the workmanship warranty match the term of the system warranty?
• Is the guarantee or warranty a ‘company backed’ scheme or is it independent?

Why does any of the above really matter?

• You could be sold a system warranty guaranteeing all the individual components and yet the incorrect installation of those components could invalidate the warranty.
• Will the use of an “approved contractor” guarantee the quality of installation?
• If the “approved contractor” or main contractor ceases to trade, then is the warranty still valid for the client?

Are system warranties REALLY system warranties? Or is the main headline nothing more than a performance statement or paint finish guarantee on the metal of the top sheet with the small print excluding all the areas of risk including workmanship?

A system warranty can only be as good as the weakest link in the system. On that basis ask yourself the following:

• 1. What guarantee are you being offered on:
•  Stainless steel or bi-metallic fixings?
•  Carbon fixings?

And does it match the guarantee on the top sheet?

• 2. What guarantee is being offered on:
•  Profiled fillers?
•  Mastics?
•  Roof-lights?

Do they match the guarantee on the top sheet?

The Solution - Protector System Warranty from SpeedDeck Building Systems Limited

Quality control of the workmanship exerts the most impact upon the life expectancy of a building. This and a thorough check on the exact materials used, provides the key to ensuring best value from a project’s investment.

Applying SpeedDeck’s Protector Warranty, an independent audit with regular site inspections conducted throughout the project, ensures the highest quality in both overall construction and detail – underpinning life expectancy, reducing maintenance liabilities and therefore benefiting the whole life costs.

The 25 Year Protector System Warranty is the ‘final piece of the jigsaw’ linking seamlessly material / system guarantees with a workmanship warranty, providing long term assurance in your investment.

This warranty is a single source, transferable warranty incorporating independent regular specialist inspections conducted throughout the project build.

While many manufacturers offer adequate material warranties of their own, they are naturally not able to inspect or audit the actual application of their products for a project on a regular basis. This creates the potential for a weak link in the construction supply chain because most problems that occur are usually a direct result of poor workmanship, inadequate understanding of the requirements to meet building regulations and any interaction required between different site trades.

Involving our Protector Warranty at an early stage ensures that the very highest standards of workmanship are adhered to and that all the vital interacting details are not neglected.

Records including detailed digital photography are used to support easy to check inspection forms that are provided to the subcontractor, main contractor and client to manage a project’s weekly progress and detail any improvements required until the very last snagging. All the advice and site audits are covered by a £5 million professional indemnity cover.

All the benefits to eliminate the risks:-

• Independent drawing/design review
• Weekly site inspections to audit workmanship
• Air tightness audit
• Perimeter detailing check
• Full and clear reporting system
• Compliance with building regulations
• Compliance with good working practice