Lawsuits Filed Against CertainTeed Corporation

September 27, 2007, 09:00:00AM. By Heidi Turner

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Pittsburgh, PA: Lawsuits have been filed against CertainTeed Corporation, alleging the company manufactured and sold defective roofing shingles. The lawsuits allege CertainTeed is guilty of breach of warranty, negligence, breach of contract and negligent misrepresentation because the shingles are deteriorating much sooner than they should be.

The shingles in question are all deteriorating in similar patterns including cracking, curling, cracking, pitting, leaking, blistering, balding and degranulation. Cracking occurs when the shingles crack down the middle, making a home vulnerable to water damage. Curling occurs when shingles curl around the edges, which can also lead to water damage. Degranulation occurs when the tiny pebbles on the shingles fall off the shingles and into the house's gutters. All problems noted in the lawsuits can result in damage to a person's home.

Although CertainTeed's shingles are covered by a 25-year warranty, in many cases homeowners may have lost their papers or homes have been sold and paperwork not transferred. Furthermore, the warranty likely only covers a portion of the cost of new shingles because most roofing warranties are prorated and do not cover the cost of labor. Customers with defective shingles could be out a lot of money if their shingles fail after ten years or more. In such cases, the warranty might only cover a few hundred dollars for a job that could easily cost thousands of dollars.

Plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit can recover not only the full price of new shingles but also any associated labor costs plus any damages caused by defective shingles.

Lawsuits filed against CertainTeed, allege that the company "maliciously concealed or suppressed the facts" about its shingles, with the intention of defrauding customers. Furthermore, the lawsuits argue that homes in similar areas that have the same brand of shingle are all experiencing the same problems. Plaintiffs allege that CertainTeed failed to properly test its shingles before selling them. They also claim that the company was aware of premature deterioration of the shingles but continued to sell them and neither recalled the shingles nor informed the public of their problems.

The defective shingles have resulted in damage to roofs, wallboard, walls and ceilings, plaster and underlying felt. The shingles have been sold under a number of brand names including Horizon, Hallmark, CertainTeed, and Independence.

CertainTeed shingles come with a 25-year warranty; however, many homeowners say their shingles are falling apart after only 12 years. The Horizon Shangle, one of the defective shingles, is an "organic" shingle made with cardboard covered by asphalt. Newer shingles now use a fiberglass core.

One company, Pacific Coast Building Products, which formerly manufactured CertainTeed shingles, agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by the Washington state attorney general by reimbursing customers who bought Horizon Shangles. Complainants in that case noted that the shingles cracked and curled but the company did not fix the problem.

Roofs can be very expensive and when people roof their homes, they do not expect to have to redo the job in the near future. Although defective shingles are likely covered by a warranty, that warranty will only cover a fraction of the cost of replacing the shingles. A lawsuit may be the only way to recover the cost of the defective shingles and the full cost of installing the new shingles.

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CertainTeed Legal Help

If you are a homeowner, commercial building owner or represent a homeowner's or town home association and have suffered damages in this defective shingle case, please contact a lawyer involved in a possible [CertainTeed Lawsuit] who will review your case at no cost or obligation.