Report Summary
After 53 YOM moved into home, roof tiles began breaking, & sliding off roof. Inspection found majority of tiles were cracked, crumbling and/or at high risk of failure. Delivery driger recently met consumer with failed & fallen tile which fell on porch as he approached door.
Product Details
- Product Description: Synthetic slate roofing tiles
Lamarite Shake Composite Shingles, produced by TAMKO Building Products, Inc., [REDACTED]
- Manufacturer/Importer/Private Labeler Name: TAMKO
- Brand Name: Lamarite Shake Composite Shingles
- Model Name or Number: Unknown
- Serial Number: Unknown
- UPC Code:
- SKU#:
- Date Manufactured: 1/1/2003
- Retailer: Builders Supply
- Retailer State:
- Purchase Date: 6/1/2004
- Product Category: Home Maintenance and Structures
- Product Type: Building Materials & Home Structures
- Product Code: House Repair or Construction Materials,nec (1876)
Incident Details
- Incident Description: I purchased my home in April of 2011. Shortly after moving into my home, slate roofing tiles began breaking off and sliding off the roof. The roofing tiles are a simulated slate roofing tile product called "Lamarite", produced by Tamko Building Products, located in [REDACTED]. The Lamarite tiles are a 18" x 12" synthetic slate material. Each tile weighs approximately 10 pounds.
I contacted a roofing contractor to inspect my roof. The roofing contractor performed an inspection and reported that the majority of the roofing tiles on my roof were cracked, crumbling and/or in high risk of failure. The roofing contractor contacted a local Omaha roofing supply company to find our more about the roofing tiles. He discovered that the Lamarite product had been released in 2003 and 2004, stating a 50 year service life. The Lamarite product began to fail within a few short years after installation.
My roofing contrator discovered that Tamko had been replacing the defective tiles on a case by case basis, after filing a claim with Tamko's residential warranty services [REDACTED]. In July of 2012, I proceeded to call the warranty number, file a claim and submit sample roof tiles. Since July, the Lamerite tiles have been failing a rapid rate. Cracked and broken portions of the individual tiles are falling off of my roof on a weekly basis. A UPS delivery driver recently met me at the door with a failed and fallen broken tile, which he suggests fell on my front porch as he approached my door.
5 months after submitting my claim to Tamko, along with my required submittal of ownership documents, physical samples and photographs, Tamko denied my claim outright. Tamko's sole reason for the denial was that I was not the original homeowner. Tamko refused to even respond to the roof samples and pictures that I supplied, even though they clearly demonstrate the impending failure of my entire risk. For them, this is about saving money, by denying warranty coverage. For my household and guests, this is about the danger of heavy roof tiles crashing down unexpectedly. There is no question a person could be struck and killed when the roofing tiles fail and come crashing down.
As such, I am left with a roof that is cracking, crumbling and crashing down to the ground. The roofing tiles fail unexpectedly and end up crashing down on my sidewalks, driveway, porch and patios. Tamko is fully aware of the high risk posed by their defective product. I can supply the name of a representative from Builders Supply, here in [REDACTED], who was Tamko's exclusive dealer in the Omaha area.
While Tamko believes it can hide behind its limited warranties, I feel like I am at great risk from a dangerously defective product. Tamko refuses to do the right thing, which is the purpose of this report.
- Incident Date: 6/1/2011
- Incident Location: Home/Apartment/Condominium
Victims Involved
-
- Injury Information: Incident, No Injury
- My Relationship to the Victim: Self
- Gender: Male
- Victim's Age When Incident Occurred: 53 years
Comments from the Manufacturer/Private Labeler
- TAMKO is an industry leader in safety, workmanship, and quality. The product at issue has been installed on thousands of homes and is not a safety risk. We disagree with the report’s legal conclusion that the product is “dangerously defective.” In fact, each tile weighs less than the typical laminated shingle, nowhere near the 10 pounds as alleged in the report. The cause of complainant’s concerns are not known, but like most manufacturers, our warranty does not cover damages caused by things such as improper installation of the product, acts of God, other factors beyond our control, etc.
Furthermore, this report was filed only after the complainant’s warranty claim was denied because he was not the original purchaser of the product and the transferability of the warranty had expired over five years earlier. Although we were unaware of the report until after it was filed, we were not opposed to ongoing discussions to address the complainant’s concerns. And, as a matter of fact, the complainant’s concerns were addressed and successfully resolved upon further discussion.
Additional Details
- Submitter has product?: Yes
- Product was damaged before incident?: No
- Product was modified before incident?: No
- If yes to any, explanation: Lamarite tiles installed on home roof. See attached letter from manufacturer.
- Have you contacted the manufacturer?: Yes
- If Not, Do you plan to?:
- Report Number: 20130108-6C00B-2147460105
- Report Date: 1/8/2013
- Sent to Manufacturer/Importer/Private Labeler: 1/25/2013
- Report First Publication Date: 2/15/2013
- Category of Submitter: Consumer
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