TAMKO Roofing Problems Leads to Lawsuit Over Shingles

Class action lawsuits have been filed against TAMKO over the company’s “Heritage” fiberglass roofing shingles.

The suits allege that the shingles are “plagued by design flaws” that result in cracking, curling, deterioration, blistering, degranulation and other problems that can result in property damage. Although TAMKO established warranty periods of up to 50 years for the shingles, the suits claim that the roofing company never tested how long the shingles would last and has failed to cover the cost of labor when handling warranty claims. The lawsuits want TAMKO to compensate consumers who experienced problems with the allegedly defective shingles and to cease from engaging in “further deceptive advertising, marketing, distribution, and sales practices.”

Why Were Class Actions Filed?

The lawsuits claim that TAMKO sold a defective product and is therefore responsible for compensating consumers who have the “Heritage” shingles installed on their properties. The suits claim that design and manufacturing defects caused damage to both property owners’ roofs and underlying structures, resulting in substantial bills to repair and replace the shingles. Even though the shingles came with product warranties, the suit claims TAMKO’s response to warranty claims has been “woefully inadequate” and limited claimants’ recoveries to the cost of replacing individual shingles piece-by-piece, neglecting to include the cost of labor.

Did TAMKO Know About the Shingles Problems?

The lawsuits claim TAMKO knew and “intentionally concealed” that the shingles would experience problems far in advance of their warranty periods and had “ample notice” of problems with the product from consumer complaints and warranty claims.

Complaints posted online and cited by the lawsuits include the following:

“My TAMKO Heritage Shingles are about 8 years old. Every time we have a strong front come in and high winds I loose [sic] shingles off my roof. Lost them twice the first year. The glue on the back doesn’t stick, they start flapping and then rip off.”

“Every spring when there is any wind at all, several sheets of shingles blow off. The first year, the builder restored them within warranty. The second year, I…hired a roofer to help send samples to TAMKO. The roofer said that the shingles did not have adequate sealant. TAMKO gave a song and dance about winds of a certain velocity in the area and that went beyond the shingles’ warranty. Must not have been much of a warranty. No other shingles in my neighborhood fell off…I WILL NOT USE TAMKO SHINGLES EVER AGAIN. Class action suit, anyone?”

“Roof looked great till [sic] I did my inspection this summer. Edges not stuck down, curling shingles, separate shingles, cracking shingles. Now what? The whole west side looks horrible and I am sure water is getting in. I contacted the Tamko company. Nothing yet. But it sounds to me from all the reviews and complaints I have read here and elsewhere that I will probably get the runaround from them. Don’t think I will purchase Tamko shingles again.”

“We had the Heritage 40 yr. Shingles installed by a reputable contractor in 2000. Beginning in 2008 we had massive black streaking on front of our home, green mold growing under our dormer windows, grit flowing from the shingles into our gutters (which now are a mess also). We jumped through all of Tamko’s hoops as dictated by their obnoxious snotty residential ‘customer service’ girl. Today we receive their response: nothing to do with their product – they say our roof wasn’t installed correctly. We are looking into a class action lawsuit – unbelievable!”

If you experienced these or other problems with your TAMKO “Heritage” shingles, you may be entitled to compensation. 

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