During your shutter research, you’ve probably come across multiple companies offering warranties for their product. While any good shutter company will offer a warranty on their product, it is important to investigate the actual warranty itself. Is it a limited lifetime warranty? Is it a transferrable warranty? What exactly is covered by my shutter warranty? How do you guarantee your products? All of these questions are important to consider when choosing a shutter company.
Why Do I Need a Lifetime Warranty for My Shutters?
Warranties are important because custom wood shutters are a significant investment. Done correctly, shutters will add to the value of your home by increasing insulation and privacy and decreasing energy bills. It is essential to ensure your investment is covered by a warranty to protect against any manufacturing defects that may arise in the future.
A good shutter company will offer a long standing warranty on their product. By doing so this validates the quality of the manufactured product and of the company itself. Warranties prove the company stands behind their work and they want to make sure you are protected – not just with the initial product and install, but in the years to come as well.
What Should I Ask a Shutter Company to Ensure I Get a Quality Warranty?
A good shutter warranty should cover the actual shutter for any homeowner.
This is referred to as a limited lifetime transferrable warranty and it is important because it shows that the manufacturer will stand behind their product regardless of who actually purchased it. It adds value to your purchase.
No matter how many times the home changes ownership, the product is still covered by a transferable warranty. All a homeowner has to do is call the company with the serial or identification number on their shutters and report an issue. This adds to the value of your home if you decide to sell it after you purchase and install shutters.
Find out the process for placing a warranty request
The next question you should ask a shutter company is about the process for placing a warranty request. The basic information you are trying to find out with this question is how easy will it be to get your product fixed should any problems arise.
Ask if there are specific forms you will need to fill out or if it you simply give the company a call. Learn about what instances are NOT covered by the warranty. Finally, ask how many warranty calls the company receives per year.
Ask if any of the steps taken to produce a shutter are outsourced to another company
While this question doesn’t necessarily have to do with a warranty, it will tell you a lot about the quality of the shutter company. You should listen for answers that use the phrase vertical integration. This term is basically stating that an organization has control over every step in the manufacturing process. They make all parts in-house and don’t purchase from other sources. They participate in every aspect of the manufacturing process; from raw lumber, shutter components, shutter assembly, finishing and finally to installation.
Working with companies who are involved in the entire lifecycle of the shutter means they will honor their warranty. They can’t try to blame defects on other sources or make you run around in circles to prove fault. If a company takes pride in their work and use vertical integration in their processes, they will be more likely to stand behind any warranty they offer.
How Do I Know If I’m Receiving a Good Warranty?
A warranty is only as good as the company standing behind it. If a company is offering a solid, quality shutter, they will be willing to stand behind that product in their warranty. Be sure to do your research into not only shutter materials, products, and companies, but also on the warranties the companies offer. This will tell you everything you need to know about the shutter and service you will receive from a company.
Remember that the number of years a company has been manufacturing custom shutters is a testament to the strength behind their warranty.