Metal roof warranty: what it covers and when it is lost

The warranty of a metal roof is more than a sheet of paper stapled to the invoice. It says what the manufacturer answers for, for how long and on what conditions. Below: what the BELPROFILE warranty covers, what it does not, which papers to keep and the mistakes that make it void.

What a metal roof warranty means

The warranty is the manufacturer's commitment for the way the material behaves over time, provided it was transported, stored, handled and installed according to the instructions. It does not cover every problem that shows up after installation: it covers certain defects of the product, and it stays valid only while the conditions of the certificate are met.

The warranty is for the products, not for the workmanship: the installer answers for the quality of the installation.

What the warranty covers

The BELPROFILE warranty certificate gives two warranties, with different terms:

• The technical warranty: perforation of the sheet by corrosion, and hidden defects of the paint layer (cracks, fissures, peeling) that do not come from handling, installation or maintenance.
• The aesthetic warranty: fading or uneven change of colour between surfaces of the same batch, equally exposed to the sun, and the adhesion of the paint layer.

The terms depend on the finish. For 0.50 mm steel sheet, PrinTech and BigStone have a 40-year technical warranty and a 30-year aesthetic warranty, Matt has 30 and 15 years, and SunClear has a 20-year technical warranty. The term of each model is written in its technical sheet and in the certificate.

The aesthetic warranty is given for roofs more than 3 km from the seashore and at no more than 900 m above sea level.

What the warranty does not cover

Many problems of a roof are not manufacturing defects, but the result of how the sheet was stored, cut or installed. The warranty is not given for:

• installation with accessories other than the original ones recommended by the manufacturer;
• deformations from transport, storage or wrong handling;
• defects of an installation that does not follow the installation principles;
• sheet cut with an angle grinder or with other tools that heat it and throw particles of molten metal;
• a roof installed without natural ventilation, where condensation on the inner face oxidises the sheet;
• contact with corrosive substances (acids, bird droppings, soil, copper, wet concrete, mortar) or with very salty air;
• long storage in unventilated or uncovered places, or in contact with water;
• bending the sheet with hand tools below +5 °C (by machine, below −10 °C);
• visible defects claimed after the goods were received, and installation debris left on the sheet;
• colour differences in areas retouched with paint.

White rust (zinc oxide) on galvanised or aluzinc sheet is not considered a defect.

Why installation matters

A metal roof is a system, not a stack of sheets. However good the sheet is, it depends on the ventilation under it, on the right accessories, on the sealing of the details and on the tools it was cut with.

The sheet is cut with electric or hand shears, never with an angle grinder, and the filings left are removed with a soft brush. The panels are kept on pallets, covered but ventilated, and do not stay outdoors for more than 72 hours. So, besides a good sheet, choose an installer who works by the manufacturer's instructions.

Which papers to keep

The warranty runs from the date of delivery and depends on installation within 3 months. For a claim you need:

• the original warranty certificate, filled in, signed and stamped by the seller, the installer and the owner;
• the original purchase invoice;
• the date the installation was finished, written in the certificate;
• a description of the defect and the date you noticed it; clear photographs help.

The claim is made in writing. The defect is established by the installer of the roof, who sends the claim form to the manufacturer. If the conditions of the warranty are met, a representative of the manufacturer decides within 15 days what is to be done.

How a claim is settled

At the manufacturer's choice, the remedy is repainting the products, paying the cost of repainting or replacement, or replacing the products free of charge, without the labour of installation. Liability is limited to the value of the invoice, less a depreciation for every year that has passed, and a repair under warranty does not extend the original term.

Mistakes that lose the warranty

• panels kept directly on the ground or in damp;
• installation without a ventilation gap;
• sheet cut with an angle grinder;
• accessories from another manufacturer;
• filings from cutting left on the sheet;
• a certificate not filled in, or a lost invoice.

Before the work starts, ask the installer to tell you which rules have to be followed.

Read the conditions before you buy

A warranty of 20, 30 or 40 years sounds good, but its value lies in the conditions. Check which defects it covers, what it excludes, which papers must be kept and who answers for the installation. That is how two offers are compared fairly.

A metal roof that is well installed lasts far beyond its warranty term. A good sheet and a correct installation go together: when both are taken seriously, the warranty is real protection, not a promise on paper.

For questions about the warranty of a model, write to us.