Service and Warranty Page

Updated 2 / 4 / 2011

Our Custom Fabrication Warranty:
I provide a 20 year warranty on manufacturing defects, leaks, and general durability (exceptions listed below) for all the products I custom design and build, unless clearly specified otherwise, because of client's design issues that go against my recommendations. I would clearly specify if an item is not fully covered under my standard warranty, so there would be no confusion.

This is rarely the case, since I normally would refuse to build that project.

Client Satisfaction:

Before I have started physically building your project all but $100 reservation fee is refundable w/o the need for explanation. The deposit paid may not be refunded after I have begun cutting and bending metal, but I'm known to be quite reasonable.

I cannot guarantee your project will be flawless or perfect. I will guarantee it will fit the specification you provided and will be built as well as I know how, given the limitations of your budget. In the case of an issue arising from the client being unsatisfied with a project after reviewing the progress photos before it ships, I will normally bend over backwards to make things right.

Fortunately this has only been a problem with one client (2/08) where we were not able to resolve our differences, so it could happen. I cannot possibly cover all possible issues here, but if a clients aesthetic concerns conflicts with design quality I will not compromise my standards. Even if that client is fine that it would void the warranty.

Installation Warranty?
I do go out of my way to share my experience providing personalized detailed advice for installation of our products, and also provide you with the stainless steel fasteners and advanced sealants for a good installation, but I am not licensed to work in other States than here in Oregon. Most of our clients are not local enough to have me even get the measurements for design and fabrication, let alone complete the installation work, so this in a non-issue in most cases. We also do not carry the proper roofing work liability insurance here in Oregon (which is 500% higher than the other types of construction), so I am not able to do the installation for any roofing products here locally as well, so I am not able to provide an installation warranty on our custom copper work.

A More Realistic Warranty Claim
I would feel confident to offer a much longer warranty, but I pride myself on giving only honest realistic claims. There are few small businesses that can survive more than a few years, let alone more than 2 decades beyond your purchase date. I have already specialized in rain management with residential gutter replacement and other sheet metal work for almost 2 decades (since 1992) under the same contractors license number and plan to continue in this trade until I retire, but we all have our limitations. I am 48 now (1/63), but I cannot guarantee the family will carry on the business.

I have seen other web sites which claime to offer a 100 year warranty on their copper work.  This is suspect in of it's self.  How many decades will that fabricators grand kids be 6 feet under a century from now? I will not insult your intelligence by making such unrealistic claims.

Click here to read more on our thoughts on our personal ethical responsibility, not only to our clients, but to all those I deal with.  I'll do my best to maintain customer satisfaction in all situation.

Other Specific Details of our Warranty:

Damage from natural causes:
We try to design and build the strongest products you'll find anywhere, but we can only cover wind damage under 55 mile per hour or 'Whole Gale' force winds, since anything above that can cause such damage to your house that decorative copper work would be the least of your troubles. Here is a link to a web site that describes the damage that can be expected at the different wind speeds:
www.foreandaftmarine.com

The type of metal it's constructed with?
There is no specific manufacturer's warranty on the copper sheet metal and high quality non-magnetic stainless steel we use, but they have shown to be the best metal at a reasonable cost for use in any sort of exterior application. Although, the simple erosion of running water can break down most any surface, given enough time. A thinner 16oz copper is rated at 50 to 60 year life span by the experts at Copper.org, so the 20oz copper we use for most of our products should be good for around 70 to 80 years.

These rust-free metals are better for the resale value of most any house well beyond the extra cost difference of using a cheaper metal, so it is a much better value. Copper will not deteriorate from rust and is a stronger than aluminum, resisting dents. Maintenance for copper is also a money saver, since it should need no cleaning or other servicing, and will not even mildew. We have personally seen evidence of copper used for exterior service in heavy rain fall areas for well over 100 years. Although, the soft lead solder joints may pull apart before the copper deteriorates, which is why we rarely use solder to seal and hold our joints together. But the copper it's self has held up.

Damaged or becoming detached after delivery?
We cannot do many of these installations for clients outside our area, so for those clients we cannot possibly warranty the installation. We provide the stainless steel fasteners with our products, so it should be as good a hold as possible, and the installer can tell if the fasteners had some good solid wood to grip to. See: Installation Warranty below.

Note: We highly recommend using a cordless impact screw driver for installation to minimize the damage to the screw heads.

Leaks?
Our installation warranty does covers leaking seams in most cases. As long as it was not damaged after delivery or some sort of high winds or impact.

Shipping Warranty?
So far Roadrunner/Dawes trucking has not damaged any of the hundreds of items we have shipped through them. I know how the time delays to take advantage of this warranty in case of damage, shipping it back to us for repairs, and re-shipping it out to you would be a huge problem. That is why I build the best shipping crates you are likely to see, but they are not the cheapest either. In most cases I pre-drill the screw holes so the boards will not crack and even glue much of it together as well. If the product gets damaged I have done everything I can to solve it as swiftly as possible and most likely without charge. Fortunately shipping damage has only happened 1 time through DHL (no longer used), and once through FedEx Ground (only used for small projects). You can read about it on our Chimney Cap web page.

Transferable Warranty?
Our warranty is transferable to the next home owner to help the sale of the house for the owner who purchased our product. Which in most cases is far more profitable than you could save having a fabricator use a cheaper metal.

Issues Not Covered by Our Warranty:

The fine print: (although we try to make it legible here). Customer satisfaction is very important to us, but we would be insane to accommodate every possible situation, so here is some of the common sense limitation that we cannot be responsible for (sorry if this seems condescending).

(a) We cannot be responsible for installation, since we cannot install anything other than gutters and downspouts locally. The product coming loose from rotten wood or bad mortar it was attached to cannot be a warranty issue through us.

(b) We cannot be responsible for wind damage over 55 mph (as stated above), scratches or dents after delivery from things like tree branches falling, excessive snow and ice loads, or other foreign objects.
Note: You would do well to buy a $25 ladder stabilizer to loan workers who do not have them on their ladders, so they will rest the ladder on the shingles above the gutters with those rubber padded stablizers.

(c) Personal danger or injury from accessing your roof for installation, cleaning, or such.

(d) Injury and damage from falling off the roof; grabbing this product as a lifeline, in an effort to keep from falling to the ground.

(e) The manufacturer is solely responsible for the deterioration of the sheet metals used.  They claim to provide a 40 year warranty on the metals we use.

Note: we are happy to provide you with contact information of the wholesale supplier: Custom-bilt Metals' phone #(503) 256-3328, and Alaskan Copper & Brass Sales.