Single-Source Overburden Warranties for Roof Garden and Plaza Systems

Rooftops were once places that were rarely thought about, visited, or utilized. However, with the extremely high cost and scarcity of land in urban environments, code bodies, building owners, and designers have begun to recognize and utilize this once forgotten space. Over the last several decades, green roofing and rooftop amenity space designs have been on the rise due to their ability to provide environmental benefits and maximize space while staying within the building’s footprint.

With the influx of overburden designs, the question of who is responsible for the removal and replacement of the overburden materials in the event of a roof leak is often overlooked. Overburden warranties provide removal and replacement of overburden materials needed to access the roof in the event of a roof leak. However, not all overburden warranties are equal. An overburden warranty provided by any company other than the roof membrane manufacturer undermines its purpose and validity.

Many manufacturers of green roof and paver products offer their own overburden warranties, which are not tied to the roof membrane manufacturer or membrane warranty. The issue with this type of overburden warranty is that finger pointing can and will occur in the event of a roof leak, sometimes leading to litigation.

The meaningful differentiator for overburden warranties are the key words “single source”. Single-source overburden warranties are only available from roof membrane manufacturers and are the only way to know you’re truly covered if a roof leak occurs on a project where overburden materials are used.

The good news is that most roof membrane manufacturers offer roof garden and rooftop amenity space products and systems that can meet almost any design, and that are compatible and warrantable with the supplied roofing system. When the roofing and overburden materials are sourced, purchased, and warranted from the membrane manufacturer, you avoid any unexpected liability that may arise from mixing materials from multiple sources with multiple warranties.

To learn more about Carlisle’s Roof Garden and amenity space products and systems,
visit the Roof Garden Product Page.