ROOFING: RECALLS
PROTECTING CUSTOMERS FROM COSTLY ROOFING CALL BACKS
Tom Woodhouse, site services manager from Marley, looks at some of the most common reasons for roofing defects and how merchants can help customers avoid costly call-backs and simplify the warranty claims process.
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here are all kinds of reasons why roofers can be called back to sites to repair faults on new and refurb projects - from leaking roofs, to condensation, damaged or loose tiles and defective products. Call backs can be costly for contractors, not only in terms of time and lost revenue, but also reputational damage. For merchants, the hassle of dealing with product complaints and warranty claims can be an administration burden for busy branch staff.
Of course, there will be some instances of product failure, particularly with lower quality products. When the fault does come as a result of a defective, poor quality, or incompatible products, then the merchant who sold it may have to deal with multiple suppliers to ascertain liability. With as many as 20 different products on a typical pitched roof, it’s easy to see how this can be a time-consuming process. However, there are steps that merchants can take to help customers manage risk, reduce the chances of call backs and at the same time, simplify the warranty claims process for themselves:
Selling a roof system from one manufacturer
Selling a single-source pitched roof system can help your customers to reduce the risk of call backs. Sourcing the roof covering, underlay, battens, fixings and accessories from one manufacturer means that all parts of the roof system have been designed and tested to work together, providing reassurance of compatibility, compliance with British Standards and long-term performance.
In addition, Marley’s roof system comes with the benefit of a 15-year guarantee, giving you and your customers peace of mind that should
anything go wrong, or be challenged on-site, then there is only one supplier to deal with and one point of liability. While this may not be cheaper than buying the elements separately, the benefits of using one system, particularly the associated warranty, can deliver more value.
Cost v quality
When exact roofing materials are not specified and there is pressure to reduce cost, customers may be looking for cheaper options. The chances of call backs are greatly reduced by using quality components from trusted manufacturers. It is important to explain to customers that they aren’t always comparing like with like when it comes to quality - cheaper products may have been value engineered and this can impact on long term performance. For example, leaking roofs, or gable wall staining, can be caused by inferior dry fix systems. Only sell dry fix systems that are compliant with BS 8612 or have BBA certification. Also consider that there will still be significant differences between compliant products - from the type of material components are made from, to special designed in features.
For instance, our Universal Dry Verge and new Ashmore Dry Verge come complete with a batten end clip to meet new BS 8612 requirements. Unlike others on the market, our batten end clip can be fitted after the roof has been tiled. We also design our systems to be durable, such as the roll membranes on our Dry Ridge and Dry Hip systems, which have a larger and thicker butyl adhesive strip, for longevity and superior sticking power.
Tell customers about free specification tools
All pitched roofs should be fixed to the BS 5534:2014 standard, which means that as well as minimum fixing recommendations, additional nails and clips may be required depending on pitch and degree of exposure. Customers must obtain a free fixing specification from the manufacturer for each new project. This may sound like a hassle but it could invalidate any warranty if they don’t. Customers can quickly obtain free fixings
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specifications via the tool on the Marley website (
www.marley.co.uk/specritetool), or by calling our technical team on 01283 722588.
Don’t take risks with breathable underlays
Our team and Technical Advisory Service often receive enquiries where homeowners discover moisture within the loft space. When we investigate the cause, it is usually condensation forming due to insufficient ventilation when the roof has been installed.
To avoid this type of call back, customers should always comply with BS 5250:2011+A1:2016 ‘Code of practice for control of condensation in buildings’ and BS 9250:2007 ‘Code of practice for design of the air tightness of ceilings in pitched roofs’. Merchants can add value by offering the right ventilation products to ensure the roof performs in accordance with these standards. Vapour permeable, or breathable, underlay should not be relied on as the sole means of ventilation, roofs also require some form of supplementary low and high-level ventilation in accordance with BS 5250. This can be achieved using an array of solutions, including eaves ventilation, ventilated dry ridge systems, ridge vents or multiple tile vents.
Follow the manufacturer instructions
Products from different manufacturers might look similar but there could be differences in the installation process, so it’s important to follow manufacturer instructions. There are a number of free technical tools to tell them about that can help. For example, our free sitework guide and app gives instructions for installing all of our products (
www.marley.co.uk/siteworkapp). BMJ
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net March 2019
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