Essentials of Metal Roof Warranties and Maintenance Steps for Lasting Home Protection

When it comes to maintaining your home, your metal roof is one of the most critical components. It protects your family and belongings from harsh weather, can help keep your energy bills in check, and adds to your home's overall value. Knowing the essential and routine metal roof maintenance steps can save you time, money, and stress.

Understanding the Rules

Before diving in, it’s important to understand the rules set by your warranties. Most metal roofs will come with several separate warranties: a substrate warranty, coating warranty, installation or workmanship, and some, like The Guardian, come with a leak-proof watertight warranty. To our knowledge, The Guardian is the only metal roof system that offers a residential watertight warranty.

1. Substrate Warranty

   Depending on your location in relation to salt or brackish water, you may have selected an aluminum or steel substrate. Aluminum inherently does not rust so it's a natural choice for those with properties near salt water. The substrate warranty spells out how long the metal is warranted for.

   
   

2. Coating Warranty

   The coating or paint warranty is often broken into several different components. One covers the coating for a specified length of time against cracking, flaking, chipping, or peeling. The other part of the coating warranty covers the degree to which the paint may fade and chalk over a specified time within manufacturers' tolerances. Certain colors such as blues, reds, greens may have a shorter warranty for fading and chalking than lighter, more UV stable colors. Some paint types such as PVDF will hold up better to fading and chalking than the same color in an SMP coating. Be sure to confirm whichever paint system you are purchasing is a balance between cost and expected / tolerable fade and chalk levels for your particular project.

   
   

3. Workmanship Warranty

   Workmanship warranties are provided by the roofing installer and cover negligence and code required items. Selecting your metal installer is one of the most crucial steps to protecting your investment and family. A bad decision here can lead to headaches and problems for years. We'll dive into selecting a metal craftsman in a future blog post so be sure to subscribe to our social media accounts to stay informed.

   
   

4. Watertight Warranty

   While a relatively common requirement of government

   buildings, a watertight warranty for a residential roof project is not commonplace. We are so confident in the craftsmanship and performance of The Guardian system that we offer up to a 50 year no-dollar-limit (NDL) warranty so that you can rest knowing you have made the decision to be the protector of your home and family for the duration.

   Each of these warranties will have different requirements for maintaining the warranty. You can select to do them yourself or hire a trusted professional to complete them as needed. Just like shingled roofs, you need to keep your metal roof free of debris such as leaves and over hanging branches. Gutters and valleys are particularly prone to collecting debris. This traps moisture and can reduce the life expectancy of your roof. Most coating warranties will require a twice-yearly soft water wash. Be sure to use safety equipment and safe practices. If you plan on installing roof-mounted equipment such as a satellite dish or solar panels you will need to ensure compatibility of the mounting hardware or you can void your workmanship or panel warranty.

   
   

Following these steps carefully will help you maintain a strong, durable metal roof that stands up to the elements and has warranties in place to support it.

For more detailed guidance and professional assistance, consider exploring options for roof repair that combine durability and energy efficiency. Your home deserves the best protection available.