Typically, it's the in-patient homeowner or the tiny business owner who has to contend with roofing repair headaches. Even mega corporations and major cities, however, are not immune from roofing issues. An excellent case in point is communications conglomerate Time Warner Cable and its home town.
In accordance with WCNC out of Charlotte, North Carolina, the Time Warner Arena "needs a roof repair because of an ongoing water leak problem." Simply how much is that roofing repair likely to cost the media and entertainment company? Nothing, nonetheless it will definitely cost the city of Charlotte a cool $500,000 in labor bills. Ouch!
Why this type of hefty price? Because according to officials, "most labor isn't covered by the warranty." City engineers who designed the arena and the contractors who built it underestimated just how long the roof would last. In fact, it hasn't lasted anywhere nearby the 15 years experts had predicted it would.
Specifically, the "highest, rounded part" to the roof is in dire need of a roofing repair. Its "thin sheet of plastic," that was "meant to help keep water out" has deteriorated to the level so it keeps leaking. And while the plastic manufacturer has been cooperative about ameliorating the leaks, their stopgap measures have resulted in only temporary fixes.
To make matters worse, while the roofer North Vancouver is still under contract, "the contractor... has been very good about repairing the leaks, nonetheless it hasn't been performed satisfactorily from our perspective or theirs," a Charlotte city engineer chagrined. As a result, the roofing repair will add 23.8% to the $2.1 million already spent on installing the roof.
Are Charlotte and Time Warner falling victim to a roofing scam? Maybe, maybe not. After all, irrespective of the length of time the roof was guaranteed to last, it will neither the team who plays at the arena nor those that earn money from team sales a bit of good if the roof continues to under-perform. Sometimes, it's only more cost effective over the future to swallow the added costs of a roofing repair job done right than it's to carry on losing money from downtime and unplanned closures.
According to Maintenance Solutions, few managers-in fact the full 99.9%-do not bother to fully read their roofing warranties before signing on the dotted line. One expert stated, "They don't know if it covers materials, materials and labor, or is just a no-dollar-limit warranty."
A number dollar limit warranty places no penal sum or limitations on the monetary responsibility of the roofing company. As a result, it's most favorable to the roof owner and places the maximum burden of responsibility on the roofing contractor. With a $2.1 million dollar roof, this really is the type of warranty the Time Warner Arena needs to have carried.
If Charlotte didn't institute a no dollar limit warranty when the arena's roof was installed, the city may have no recourse. That's because "Warranties aren't intended to be commercial insurance policies in the standard sense." It's the manufacturers of roofing materials who generally issue the warranties, which could explain the city's luck with the plastic manufacturer. "In some cases... the roofing contractor provides a guarantee for workmanship and a materials-only warranty from the manufacturer." Because case, so long as the plastic sheet was properly installed, the roofing repair is no longer the contractor's responsibility.