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11 Must Read Articles > Lifetime Warranties: The Fine Print
By JR Girskis

Your five-year-old vinyl siding was just hit during a serious hailstorm. After the storm you go outside to survey the damage. It’s pretty bad, but you think, No problem. I purchased a lifetime warranty. But when you try to make a warranty claim, the company gives you the runaround, and you’re out not only the cost of the warranty but also the cost of a brand new siding job.

Scenarios such as this are far too common. Unfortunately, many lifetime warranties on home improvement jobs are written to prevent or deter homeowners from actually using those warranties. You can save a great deal of time, energy, and money by reading your lifetime warranty carefully and keeping the following tips in mind before purchasing a warranty on a home improvement project, or signing any agreement for home improvement work that comes with a lifetime warranty.

1.Is the warranty unconditional? If not, what conditions limit or void it?

If a home improvement company refuses to accept claims arising from “acts of God,” including storms, you may not want to hire the firm for the job. While many companies won’t guarantee their products in instances of tornadoes or earthquakes, it’s perfectly reasonable to assume that your siding job will be guaranteed to withstand a hailstorm. Sometimes a company may not honor its warranty if you’ve made any additions or modifications to the home improvement job they performed. The bottom line is that when you purchase a good or service that comes with a lifetime warranty, always make sure you understand what conditions limit or void it.

2.How easy is it to file a warranty claim?

A lifetime warranty won’t do you much good if the company makes it very difficult for you to file a claim and/or receive replacement materials or services. When signing a contract for home improvement work, always read the fine print to see how the filing process works and how long it takes for warranty claims to be processed. You don’t need to live with inefficient, faulty, or poorly installed building materials for any longer than you have to. If the warranty claims process in the contract seems too complex or is designed to deter you from filing a claim, don’t be afraid to try to renegotiate the contract. If the company won’t negotiate, choose someone else for the job.

3.How does the company determine the validity of a warranty claim?

Is one person in charge of approving your claim? Is a committee responsible? Will a representative come to your home to determine whether your claim will be honored? Does the company offer an appeals process if your claim is refused? If a company enforces overly restrictive guidelines for warranty claim validity, you should search for a company with less restrictive warranty policies.

4.Is the solution to a claim up to the manufacturer’s discretion?

If your supposedly scratch-resistant laminate floors scuff up two weeks after they were installed, a company may choose to buff them out rather than replace them. Familiarize yourself with the solutions section of any lifetime warranty. Often, a repair job on faulty materials will only lead to more problems down the road. If you believe that may be the case with the goods and services you will be receiving, try to negotiate a clause that offers you the choice of having your product(s) replaced—instead of being repaired—if they end up being faulty or inefficient.

5.Are parts and labor included in the lifetime warranty?

You may sign a contract with a lifetime warranty assuming that parts and labor are included. After all, it’s a lifetime warranty, so shouldn’t these costs be included? Yes, they should. Always make sure the contract and warranty you sign does not include any hidden fees. A lifetime warranty should have as few conditions as possible.

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Iowa Illinois Home Improvement Contractors Disclaimer: The replacement vinyl window, roofing contractor and vinyl and steel siding installation information presented within this website is for informational purposes only. Please contact us or see our huge showroom to discuss your particular vinyl window, sunroom or siding needs. Specialists of quality replacement windows, siding, sunrooms, roofing, gutter cap, heater cap, entry doors, storm doors and estimates are always free. Who is Suburban Construction? Brian Girskis launched Suburban Construction in 1985 and the family-owned and operated company is growing strong some 25 years and two generations later. His son, J.R. Girskis, is the company president and the third generation was born a few months ago. The Davenport-based company supplies and installs windows, siding and doors for the residential market. In 25 years, Suburban has completed more than 24,000 jobs. “We are always focused on the customer,” said general manager Darin Wilson. “Without the customer, we don’t have a business.” The company was honored as a 2007 Dealer of the Year by Associated Materials Inc., or AMI. “Suburban Construction is a company that definitely goes over and above servicing their customers,” Wayne Fredrick, executive vice president of AMI Sales, said. Working with a large customer base allows Suburban to purchase and buy goods for substantially less then its competitors, Wilson said. “We’re one of the only companies in the nation that offers a lifetime warranty on the product after we install it,” he said. The company doesn’t make money if things go wrong after the installation so crews make sure the job is done properly, he said. With energy conservation such a huge concern, products offered have the Energy Star rating so homeowners see savings on their energy bills. “With today’s home market being so inconsistent, it’s easier to have someone come in and give you a new home on top of your current home rather than having to pack up all your stuff,” he said. For example, by installing new insulated siding, Wilson added, an older home can essentially be turned into a new residence. Founder Brian Girskis still keeps a hand in the business. He was in the manufacturing and wholesale end of the industry in the 1970s and 1980s and distributed material to companies similar to Suburban. “I saw they weren’t generating any repeat business. I learned what not to do from those other people,” Girskis said. “Most of our business is referral business and that’s what we want to keep.” The office and showroom originally were based in downtown Bettendorf. Girskis relocated the company to Davenport in 1995. His decision to specialize in windows, siding and doors was based on two factors: getting better buying power that is passed onto the consumer and building something of value, Girskis said. “We try to do a Cadillac for the price of a Chevy. I’m very satisfied but we’re always looking to do better,” he said. Products Suburban Construction specializes in: Replacement Windows from AMI – Suburban Construction and quality windows by Associated Materials Incorporated, set the standard by which other replacement windows are measured. Innovation has resulted in a collection of windows that are designed and engineered to provide beauty, performance, ease of operation, virtually no maintenance, and increased energy-efficiency. You want a fair price. Don’t be misled by others offering replacement windows for a cheap price. Often times, this is a low-end window you might use for a garage, not your home. Usually, this cheap price doesn’t include measuring charges, custom sizing, replacing rotten wood, insulating inside weight cavities and around perimeters, or covering the outside window trim with maintenance-free aluminum and sealant. At Suburban, you always get a complete installation without any hidden costs. Gutter Cap is a must for the bitter midwest winters! Ice and snow build up in gutters, causing gutter seams to break! In addition, the weight of heavy snow causes gutters to loosen while the back up of ice behind gutters causes moisture damage to fascia. · The Gutter Cap combines surface tension with “capillary action!” This patented design allows rainwater to adhere to the dome of the cap while leaves and debris blow OFF the roof. · Your existing gutter is a free flowing drainage system with Gutter Cap. · Gutter Cap saves you the time, hassle & DANGER of cleaning Gutters…plus saves you upwards of thousands of dollars in damage each year! Some vinyl siding has a reputation for being flimsy, which not only make is awkard to handle and install, but caused problems with sagging and uneven walls long after installation. The Freedom Vinyl Siding from Suburban Construction is designed to help eliminate wavy lines and uneven walls. This leads to the production of a superior finished quality that really lasts. The Freedom Viny Collection is Designed with optimal performance and outstanding beauty. Loaded with premium features, Freedom Premium Vinyl Siding boasts a premium thickness. Freedom Premium Vinyl Siding from Suburban is the best investment you can make in your home and is perfect for every siding project. Wood doors aren't very energy efficient. They also crack, swell, warp and rot, leading to frequent maintenace. Steel doors are more durable, but they easily dent, ding and rust. And if a door's parts aren't designed as a system, they won't work well together or stand the test of time. A fiberglass door simply outperforms wood and steel doors. It won't crack, swell, rot, dent, ding or rust - so it's virtually maintenance free. And only Therma-Tru fiberglass entryways offer full door systems designed, built and tested to the industry's highest standards. You may consider the addition of storm doors to be an unnecessary expense, and may even believe that adding storm doors will decrease the beauty of your home or bring down its market value. Many realtors agree, however, that the addition of storm doors can actually improve your home’s market value, as storm doors will help, in general, to improve your home’s energy efficiency. Energy zoning with triple pane freedom maxx 10 windows can help save you great money. Sun Clean Glass® is a new self cleaning glass technology created by PPG industries. It uses a durable transparent coating that is fused to the surface of the glass with high temperatures during the production of the glass. This glass is available in almost all Suburban Construction replacement windows with one goal in mind, that you spend less time cleaning your windows and more time doing the things you love.

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