What Is In That Warranty?

Warranties and guarantees on products can leave us unsure of what is covered. We often hear them as part of a sales pitch, and when a free warranty is included, we may not closely examine the fine print. Nevertheless, the mere existence of a warranty can make us feel warm and fuzzy inside, like we are getting a bonus on something we already planned to purchase. But, reading all that fine print during the short visit with a salesperson usually persuades us not to do it. 

This can lead to regret down the road when poor service or a lack of coverage becomes apparent. As consumers, it can be challenging to be proactive about services and warranties, as we often don’t see the value until the product needs it. However, we may regret not being more cautious when the product or service fails shortly after the warranty expires, leading us to become conspiracy theorists, asking:  

A warranty in the housing industry is often a construct of two separate warranties. There is the material warranty and the installation warranty. The material may be guaranteed from 20 years to a lifetime. They can do this because they have warranty clauses that exclude compensation when the installation is incorrectly done. This could mean the material will never reach full warranty in an industry where standards are as scarce as reputable service companies. 

Have you ever had a window installer use wooden shims to install new, costly windows in your home? Ever had a gutter installer use caulk to seal a mistake? These are common installer practices that can void a material warranty. Retail-supplied materials for DIY installers often don’t have a longevity warranty because manufacturers know they will be installed by non-experts. However, when it comes to installer-required materials, the warranty on the materials should be as important to the installer as it is to the homeowner. 

Gutter installers, like many contractors in the building industry, typically do not manufacture their own products. Instead, they rely on suppliers to provide quality materials. These suppliers strive to partner with reputable installers but are not always successful in doing so. Some suppliers may be far less selective in choosing their partners. 

At The Brothers that just do Gutters, we collaborate with top-notch material suppliers to maintain our company’s reputation and profitability. If there’s an issue with our service, we immediately visit the homeowner’s property to rectify it, and keep returning until it’s fixed. Not only is this the ethical thing to do, but it also helps us establish a good reputation. Poor-performing materials can negatively impact profitability, which is why we’ve discontinued using reverse curve-type gutter guards. We continually assess our materials to ensure they hold up and perform well over time. 

At The Brothers that just do Gutters, we are highly trained, but no one is perfect. So, we want people to check our work and keep us in check. We use Angie’s List and Guild Quality as independent review services to build trust that the reviews are legitimate.  

We are sure that when Brothers Gutters hands you a warranty, it should not be our warranty that sells you on the service; it should be our service record and reputation. We work hard to ensure the warranty is more than just words on a contract – we make it a working lifestyle. Check our Angie’s List and Guild Quality reviews and then go to brothersgutters.com to see all our products and services.