Why Siding Warranties Matter

Having a good warranty is important for any major purchase. Funny enough though, few homeowners stop to consider how their siding warranty will impact their future. They spend a lot of time looking at materials, colors, and styles, but pay hardly any attention at all to the details of their warranty.

In this article, we’ll discuss why siding warranties matter and the importance of purchasing your siding from a manufacturer you can trust. 

Siding Warranties: What’s Included?

When discussing siding warranties, it’s important to note the difference between a product warranty and a warranty on labor. A product warranty is the guarantee provided by the siding manufacturer. These warranties protect homeowners against defective and damaged materials. Labor and installation is usually not covered in a manufacturer’s warranty. Instead, these are covered by the siding contractor, should they choose to offer a warranty on their services.

Warranties contain valuable information that homeowners should be aware of. Not only do they outline the duration of time during which their siding is protected under the warranty, but they also include details about the scope of coverage and what could cause the warranty to be voided. 

While all siding warranties are different, most include information on:

• What the manufacturer will do if the product is defective in materials or workmanship
• The conditions of the warranty that the homeowner must abide by
• The procedure the homeowner must follow if they discover a defect or damage in their siding
• Directions for siding care and maintenance
• The limits of the warranty
• Limitations for the manufacturer’s liability
• What types of damage, defects, and repairs the manufacturer will not cover

 

Does All Siding Come with a Warranty?

Most siding manufacturers provide some type of warranty on their products. However, the exact terms vary greatly. For example, while one manufacturer may provide coverage on their products for the entire lifetime of the siding, another may only cover the first 10 or 15 years. It is also possible to buy used or salvaged siding. These products typically do not come with a warranty.

 

Siding Product Warranties vs. Labor Warranties

While most manufacturers offer a warranty on their products, not all contractors offer a warranty on their labor. This is an important distinction. If you’re considering residing your home, you should definitely ask your contractor if they offer a warranty and not take it for granted that they do. 

 

The Importance of the Company Backing Your Warranty

Another thing that’s important to consider when comparing siding warranties is the reputability of the manufacturer. A warranty is only as good as the manufacturer behind it. In other words, you can have the best warranty in the world, but if the manufacturer doesn’t step up to pay those costs when you file a claim, that warranty is useless.

One good example of this type of scenario is an issue that happened with Allura siding. Some of Allura’s customers started experiencing issues with their siding and Allura had a hard time responding to all of the claims. 

 

Allura’s Siding Warranty Disaster: What Happened

Before we go into any more details about what happened with Allura’s siding warranty issues, it may be good to have a little bit of background information. First, the most important thing to understand is that the name “Allura” is actually the result of a rebranding effort. Previously, the product which is now referred to as “Allura siding” was being sold under another name by a manufacturer called CertainTeed. 

When the warranty fiasco ensued, the product instantly lost all credibility. Hence, the company decided to rebrand their product under the name “Allura” and market it as a premium brand. 

What happened was that customers who had purchased the old brand (now known as “Allura”) started experiencing issues with their siding splitting and cracking. The product had a 50 year warranty on manufacturer defects, so customers started sending in claims. 

The number of claims was so tremendous that the company was unable to keep up with them financially. It turns out, there had been a formulation issue with the product. This resulted in increased porosity and boards of siding that were prone to shrinking, delamination, breaking, and becoming otherwise totally ruined. 

The company was unable to keep up with the rising costs. Class action lawsuits were filed in Canada and the United States. Fortunately, many of these lawsuits resulted in favor of the customers, so they ended up recovering some of the cost of their investment. However, they had to fight for this to happen because the siding company didn’t stand by its warranty.

 

What’s the Point?

The first point of this story is to demonstrate the importance of buying your siding from a reputable manufacturer. Having a good warranty is important, but you can’t count on the document alone. You need to know that the manufacturer is going to follow through on that warranty.

The other point of this story is to explain why we recommend brands like James Hardie and LP SmartSide. Both of these companies have been around for quite some time and are well-established brands. We feel confident recommending them to our customers because we know that their products are high quality and that if anything goes wrong, these manufacturers will step up and stand by their warranty.

 

Why We Recommend James Hardie Siding

As previously mentioned, one of the reasons that we feel confident recommending James Hardie Siding is because their products and their company have stood the test of time. James Hardie’s roots as a company date all the way back to the year 1888. They are one of the original pioneers of fiber cement siding, which they began manufacturing in the 1980’s. 

 

James Hardie Fiber Cement Siding Benefits

James Hardie’s fiber cement siding is exceptional in terms of its quality. Not only do these products come with a fantastic warranty, but they also offer benefits like:

• Fire resistance
• Fade resistant color
• Rot, moisture, and mold resistance
• Climate-based engineering
• Potential for lower home insurance rates

 

James Hardie Fiber Cement Siding Warranty

All James Hardie fiber cement siding products come with a 30 year, non-prorated warranty. These warranties cover defects in materials and the workmanship of the product.

James Hardie ColorPlus Technology Warranty

James Hardie also offers a limited warranty on finishes created with ColorPlus technology. James Hardie warrants that for 15 years, the finish will not peel, crack, or chip. 

James Hardie HardieTrim Warranty

All James Hardie trim products come with a 15 year, non-prorated warranty. If the product is defective in materials or warranty, they will replace or refund the defective portion. 

 

Why We Recommend LP SmartSide

LP SmartSide is another great siding product. If you’re looking for siding with a more natural aesthetic, this could be the perfect option for you. LP has been in business for over 40 years. Their oriented strand board technology is used to produce a range of building solutions, which includes everything from siding and trim to subfloors and sheathing. On top of all this, their warranties are truly top notch.

 

LP SmartSide Engineered Wood Siding Benefits

We feel confident recommending LP SmartSide siding to our customers because: 

• It’s termite resistant
• Each board is treated with SmartGuard, which protects it from rot, moisture, and fungal decay
• It holds up well under extreme weather conditions including humidity, hurricane-like winds, flooding, hail, rain, extreme heat, and freeze/thaw cycles
• Its durable nature gives it the ability to withstand impact from golf balls, rocks, and hail up to 1.75 inches in size
• SmartSide is easy and fast to install, which saves our customers money on labor costs

 

LP SmartSide Siding & Trim Warranty

LP SmartSide’s siding and trim comes with a 5/50 year limited warranty. LP warrants that their siding will remain free from fungal degradation, buckling, and cracking for a period of 50 years so long as it is applied, finished, and maintained according to their instructions. 

LP SmartSide Expert Finish Trim & Siding

Should you decide to install LP SmartSide’s pre-finished option instead of the primed for paint option, you will get peace of mind knowing that your finish is protected under LP’s 15 year limited finish warranty. This warranty protects against discoloration due to chalking, peeling or cracking of the finish, and discoloration due to excessive fading or yellowing.

 

Where Can I Learn About Siding Warranties?

When comparing siding options, it’s important that you take a good look at the warranties provided by the manufacturer. You can usually get information about the warranty on a product by visiting the manufacturer’s website. Many manufacturers keep these documents on their website. If you’re having trouble locating the warranty information, reach out to your siding contractor. They’ll be able to help you get the information you’re looking for and answer any questions you have.

 

What Is a Siding Workmanship Warranty?

In addition to being aware of the manufacturer warranty, you should also know what kind of warranty you’re getting on workmanship. A siding workmanship warranty is a warranty provided by a contractor. However, not all contractors offer them. These warranties cover workmanship and installation errors.

 

Scottish Home Improvements Labor Warranty

At Scottish Home Improvements, we offer a five year limited labor warranty. In addition to this, we also offer a one year limited warranty on caulking.

 

Conclusion

Before you decide to purchase new siding for your home, you should be aware of the details of the manufacturer warranty. You should also feel confident trusting the manufacturer that they will stand by their warranty, because not all manufacturers do. This is why it’s important to choose a reputable, well-established siding brand. 

You should also be aware of the details of the workmanship/installation warranty provided by your contractor. Not all contractors offer these warranties. 

Do your homework, ask questions when you have them, and weigh your decision carefully. Putting in this small amount of effort can pay off greatly in the long run.

 

Learn More About Siding Warranties

Do you have questions about the warranty on a particular siding brand? Want to know more about our workmanship warranty? Give us a call! We will be happy to provide you with additional information or discuss your concerns in detail. Call or email our office today to get in touch with an expert who can assist you.