Triangle homeowner says TAMKO won't replace defective shingles

A WRAL viewer says the shingles on his roof are defective, but the manufacturer has repeatedly denied warranty claims to replace them.

Harry Goldman moved to Durham from the Midwest a few years ago. He loves his new community, there’s just one problem.

"Bad shingles," Goldman says.

When he bought his home new in 2017, inspectors found damage and granule loss on the roof’s TAMKO shingles. Repairs were made twice after that, but the granule loss continued.

Granules are a shingles first line of defense against the elements. Lose too much of that layer and it can lead to leaks.

"We have a warranty claim on our roof because we’ve been told that our roof is defective," Goldman explained. "I want to get it fixed before something bad happens like a leak."

Goldman has a 30-year warranty on the shingles, but TAMKO denied his claim saying the granule loss appears to be from "scuffing caused by foot traffic."

5 On Your Side followed up with TAMKO about that claim. They said they’ve sent out two experienced, former roofing contractors to inspect Goldman’s roof and both say the shingles are weathering as expected, minus the scuffing.

Several of Goldman's other neighbors – including John Darrow and Ira Weiss – have also had their warranty claims rejected by TAMKO. A common reason was "scuffing caused by foot traffic."

"And the letter I got back says well you don’t have an active leak so you don’t have a claim," said Darrow, who lives on the other end of the complex.

"If I cant get them to replace my roof I’m looking at probably $15,000-$20,000 out of pocket," Goldman said. "It’s money I shouldn’t be spending and neither should the rest of the people in this complex."

There have also been several lawsuits filed against TAMKO in the last decade, accusing the company of selling defective shingles. At least one of those suits is actively seeking class-action status.

If you’re getting new shingles, TAMKO or otherwise, document any issues and keep proof of purchase and installation records. If there’s an issue you cant resolve with the company, you can always reach out to the Attorney General’s consumer protection division.