Not to long ago I was talking to a contractor that installs a liquid applied product. We were just comparing products and the installation process. After listening to what they have to go through I asked him if he would consider learning how to do the Duradek system since it was a simpler process reducing the labor cost. He asked what our warranty was and I said 10 years for leaks and 5 years for appearance. His reply was immediate and firm; "we give a 50 year warranty!" Wow, that caught me off guard that's a long time for a waterproof system with pedestrian traffic in an outdoor environment. But, it is what is written in the warranty that counts along with the quality of the company providing it and their years in business. Anyone can offer a long warranty but if the product has only been around a short time the warranty really doesn't mean much.
So I go to work checking out the "competition" and this 50 year warranty. In a nut shell what they will warranty is that in 50 years their product will be there. There is nothing that cover water intrusion or leaks, took about 5 minutes to get a copy off the internet of the warranty. The contractor is selling the warranty and doing very well, that's scary.
Warranty -
Q- What does your warranty cover?
Q- Who do I call if there are any leaks, damages or just concerns about the product itself?
Q- Can I see your warranty?
He is another "warranty" I found. The installers say it is a ten year warranty but look at the red section.
XXX warrants that its products,
when properly installed by a state licensed waterproofing contractor according to XXX guide specifications and product data sheets over a sound, properly prepared substrate, will not allow water migration for a period of 12 months.
Ongoing maintenance requirements is another very common issue with home owners. Way to often we get called out to take care of a leaky deck only to tell the home owner that the product they had installed required them to have it recoated annually. Had this requirement been followed they probably wouldn't of had the leaking and damages. Make sure your getting what you want, waterproof, long lasting and no ongoing cost.
Ongoing maintenance requirements -
Q- Once your product is installed are there any required maintenance cost in order for the warranty to apply?
Q- If I fail to meet your annual recoating is there a "grace" period that allows me to catch up on the recoating?
Q- How do you keep track of the recoating process to know my deck has been done each year?
I wonder who determines what this means, who is responsible to make the decision?
subject to recoat procedures for normal wear and tear.
Damages are not that common with most of the products available but it happens so it is a concern for every client. The sun or UV rays will cause fading, there are dyes involved so they vary based on the batch it was made from.
Repairs -
Q- If there is a damage, how do you fix it?
Q - Is that warranted too?
Q - Will the colors match or do I have to re-do the whole thing?
Q- Can you show me some samples of any repairs you have done?
Anyone who is in the waterproofing business will tell you that no matter which product or system is being used it is All In The Details. Honestly some of this is common just take the time to look at the installation details and ask the installer how they will be doing the waterproofing at the high risk areas.
Q - How do you flash the up wall (where the deck meets the house) so there is not a leak?
Q - Around the edge where the deck stops but the house continues, how do you tie into the moisture barrier (the paper wrapped around your house under the siding)
This product was installed right up to the wall then caulked to seal the edge. Obviously water runs down the brick to the deck surface and the only thing stopping the water is caulk. This is the home owners responsibility to maintain and re-do regularly. So when the leaking began who was at fault?
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