In 2000 I got a new roof from DeLuca. I got 25 yr. shingles (I thought) Last year they started to curl & even blew off in a wind storm. It took months for someone to come out & say its a warrenty issue. This spring they put a tarp up on my roof. Since then 2 warranty claims have been sent in to the manufacturer, no one in over a year has ever returned my numerous phone calls & messages, the shingles are actually disintingrating & last week De Luca sent out an estimater to give me a price for a new roof!!!!!!! The manufacturer says its caused by inadequate ventilation & there is nothing wrong with the shingles . This has been confirmed by an independant roofer & the DeLuca estimater himself. He said "if we were going to do it today we would put in more vents." How does that help me now? I definitely do NOT recommend DeLuca Roofing . Signed: Stuck with a tarp on her roof!
- Approximate cost of services:
- $5,000.00
- Company Response
Initially, please accept our apologies for any inconvenience that this unfortunate situation has caused.
Once the details of this misunderstanding are brought to light, we are confident you will understand that DeLuca Roofing has been as proactive as possible, acting on your behalf to acquire this warranty settlement for you.
We acknowledge that a little over 11 years ago you paid DeLuca more than four thousand dollars to remove and replace your then existing roof system. Included in the contact was the addition of two more roof vents intended to increase the exhaust capacity of the attic space. This increase in capacity exceeded the then, minimum, Ontario Building Code for the Roof Canopy portion of the Attic Space. There was however, no provision to alter the intake (soffit) venting as this is NOT considered a part of the roof. Generally, responsibility for soffit ventilation is that of the home owner, through the builder, siding contractor or insulator, not the roofing contractor.
The documented DeLuca Roofing workmanship warranty on your contract was FIVE years.
The shingles installed on your home were a Canadian manufactured product by BP (Building Products) called Rampart. This product came with a 25 year, pro rated manufacturers warranty (and has since been discontinued by the manufacturer).
The seemingly premature degradation of the roofing material was an unforeseen circumstance and we do sympathize with your situation. Please understand that when we purchased the product from our distributor, we believed it to be of very high quality and one that could be relied on. We also maintain, that as the Roofing Contractor, DeLuca Roofing is limited in it's liability, as we do not manufacture roof shingles.
In the Spring of 2010 we attended your home to assess to condition of the roof, seal the skylight (approx. 20-25 years old as it had been re-installed in 2000), replace some shingles,a second time to tarp your roof and attended a third time to gather photos, information and do the administrative legwork to initiate a warranty claim. All of this was done at No Charge to you despite the long expired installation warranty. When you were subsequently denied a warranty claim due to the unliklihood of water infiltration, we were there again for you and launched an appeal on your behalf, again , at No Charge. The appeal was also denied and this is where the claim was specifically invalidated citing inadequate soffit venting. This was a condition either pre-existing to our shingle replacement (fault of the builder) or a result of an ill informed Insulator (who smothered the soffit exhaust baffles with excessive insulation). We know that is the reason for the denial as it was the pictures that we provided of the home owners attic that brought this condition to light. These photos are required by the shingle manufacturer for assessment of the warranty claim.
From our discussions previously, you were adamant that we are responsible despite our willingness to help and ignored our offer to assist with a new roof and have now asked for another solution. It remains our position that this situation, however unfortunate, is not the fault of DeLuca Roofing Inc. and we are not culpable in any way. However, as a further gesture of good will, we could offer that DeLuca Roofing would be willing to provide some assistance , on the most recent estimate provided to you. We would however insist that you, at your cost, rectify the remaining soffit ventilation issue prior to our involvement in any re-roofing project at your home.
Thanking you in advance for your anticipated response and again, please accept our apologies for the inconvenience or financial burden that this represents.