Kowhai Roof Painting and Restoration Service
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  • HOME
  • TILE ROOF
  • DECRAMASTIC
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  • REPAIR OR CLEAN
  • INFORMATION
    • Local Kowhai Guys
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    • Colour Chart
    • Blog
    • Customer Feedback
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Kowhai Support Office
    • Become a Kowhai Guy
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DIY roof painting

15/10/2019

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Here is an article about the perils of roof painting yourself.
Without the proper equipment you are literally taking your life in your hands.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/homed/latest/109087344/when-roof-painting-goes-bad

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Roof coating warranties - explained!

13/4/2017

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Everyone claims they have the best, the fastest, the shiniest.....but what really is in a roof coating warranty?
Very simply, with any roof coating, you should get two warranties - a workmanship warranty and a product warranty - let me explain each:
Workmanship warranty - by law (the Consumers Guarantee Act), tradesman should give a 5 year workmanship warranty. This is THE most important part of the service as 99% of issues will be caused by faulty workmanship, or simply something that arises that wasn't evident at the time and needs addressing afterwards. In a re-coating job, if anything goes wrong it will do so days or weeks afterwards - not years later - hence immediate follow up is important.
The biggest issue with workmanship warranties is that later down the track, the roofer has gone out of business and therefore you have no follow up. Kowhai operate an area license system so that the parent company is always there to address issues - even if your then Kowhai Guy has retired, or moved on for some reason.
We hear sooooo many stories of dodgy jobs done by "fly by nighters" - whilst it makes work for us to repair such, it is very disconcerting for the customer to have paid the money with no come back.
Lastly - the product warranty. Kowhai guarantee the products we use. If anything goes wrong due to a product fault - we step in to rectify the whole job.
Please note - many will claim they use a big brand product with "X" number of years warranty, but when it comes to the crunch - these companies only cover the original cost of the product - not the making right!
Kowhais product warranties are the best around - without argument.....and the reality is that we never have to enact them as the product just doesnt fail - period! (if they do - we are there to put right!).
So always confirm that your roof coater is giving a 5 year workmanship warranty and that the product warranty is for at least 10 years....and what does it cover?

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If we were to give you one piece of awesome advice....

27/3/2017

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Roofs are boring things....they are up above you and out of sight - and normally out of mind (as they say).
However.....its when they aren't out of mind that the troubles begin!
This is where the best piece of advice we can give you comes in.......get your roof checked every 5 years (or so) for leaks and damage.
Why?
Because this will inevitably prevent the 100's of phone calls we get, after every decent downpour, when the roof starts leaking.
You need to know your roof is going to leak BEFORE it does....and it will literally save you thousands of dollars.
Sure, sure you say....just another way to get money out of people by charging for a service we may not need.
Actually - the benefit to Kowhai is literally the opposite. We dont really want to be addressing leaks as they happen, as its a far better use of our time to be re-coating roofs and returning them to near new condition.
How can we tell a roof is about to leak?
Clogged valleys, cracked and missing mortar, missing nails etc - all mean water is likely getting into the roof cavity and causing slow water damage.
Then you get the massive downpour - which gets blamed for the leak (which has likely been there all along), and ceilings/walls finally show the end result of the damage.
A couple of hundred dollars of time to get an inspection/assessment will definitely save you thousands......and by the way, we don't have to do the assessment or the repairs, rather just call us when you need a quality restoration job done on that roof once fixed!
Remember - insurance companies normally do not cover you for gradual water damage - check your policy!

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Why do roofers never call back?

20/3/2017

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It's almost like when you become a roofer, you use the innate ability to operate a phone?!
We know! We hear this all the time!
Like many trades, once you are on the job/tools, its invariably hard to break the flow and answer that mobile phone.
Luckily enough, under the Kowhai brand, most of our Kowhai Guys are that busy, that they develop the need for an admin support person who does answer the phone, organise quote visits, sort the paperwork etc etc
Once you have a good backroom person, you then need to ensure you are earning enough to pay them.
This brings about another pull on the Kowhai Guys' time. He must ensure that the workload is enough to feed more than one mouth. They can only do so many hours a day - hence enter the second, third, fourth worker etc is required - and who is going to manage them?.....you guessed it - the Kowhai Guy!
With all the competing forces for the time of your local Kowhai Guy, its a wonder he ever gets on a roof and does what he does best.
At Kowhai we make sure that the Kowhai Guys have a really solid support structure around them - both nationally and locally, so that their time is maximised doing what they do best - including direct interaction with the home owner. 
This all starts with the 0800KOWHAI (569424) number where you are always guaranteed in getting someone!
If the crew at the support office are already on calls, you will get an answer service who will ensure we call you back at the earliest possible opportunity.
So if you simply need to ask a few questions about your roof and whats involved in restoring, re-roofing, costs involved, timelines etc - give Christine or Brett a call on 0800KOWHAI and they can ensure you are well prepared for when you do find that elusive roof guy!
 

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Why would we turn down a job?

16/3/2017

 
One of the worst things about our business is not being able to help our customers  - on the rare occasion.
We often hear from disgruntled customers who we are unable to help, because their roof is beyond re-coating.
We are very clear about what state a roof needs to be in, before it can be re-coated and when we encounter one that is beyond help, its a hard thing for the home owner to hear.
We wont re-coat a roof that we cant apply our full warranty to - and sometimes that means the roof needs a full replacement.
Unlike other companies, most of our Kowhai Guys do not re-roof, so there isn't anything in it for them to say no. Many companies who do both, will push for a re-roof, as it generally involves far bigger sums of money (3-5X the cost of a re-coat).
Often people are after a quick patch up job as they intend selling, or are just wanting another couple of years life so they can budget to pay for a re-roof. 
Whatever the reason, we would be silly to re-coat something that isn't going to last, as who do you think gets the blame when the roof does finally give up the ghost?
Yes - we can do a re-coat and contract out of all liability, should the roof fail in the short- medium term, but that doesn't alleviate the disappointment to the home owner, should the roof fail and they are faced with significant re-roofing costs, ahead of when they thought they would.
The other thing to note, is that by simply getting on the roof and re-coating it, current damage can be amplified and the roofs end date is effectively "brought forward".
So if your Kowhai Guy turns down a job as he deems the roof not worthy of a re-coat, be very careful about simply ringing around to find someone who will do it.
If you do find someone who is prepared to put their name to a re-coat in this situation, be meticulous in understanding their warranty conditions and what they will and wont do, in the event of the roof failing ahead of your expectations.
Kowhai has been around for 40 years servicing NZ, backing up our work and fixing the work of others.......we will most definitely be around another 40 years doing the same.

Avoiding Cowboys

12/3/2017

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This industry has more cowboys than a Texas rodeo!  
Using a Kowhai Guy is a simple way to ensure you receive a no nonsense, quality job. Kowhai is dedicated to maintaining the high integrity of its brand and what we stand for.

We pledge that we will:
  • Not overcharge customers under any circumstances.
  • Not carry out any unnecessary work.
  • Not talk customers into any work that is not needed.
  • Not charge for any wasted or unnecessary time when undertaking your work.
  • Make sure we present an invoice showing a comprehensive description of work.
  • Take photos of the job before and after so that you can see what was done.
  • Work in a safe and professional manner

For piece of mind though, here is checklist for if you consider using a non-Kowhai guy on your roof: 
  • Always obtain more than one quote, in writing, for everything except the smallest or most urgent problem and take your time deciding who should do the job. But don't automatically accept the cheapest quote - a poor job can be very expensive to repair.
  • Ask what health and safety precautions are being taken. If they are willing to cut corners on safety how good will the quality of their work and materials be?
  • Be aware that the biggest or best advertisements do not always indicate the best roof restoration firms. Similarly, your local handyperson may not necessarily be the best person for the job. Roofing is a specialist profession.
  • It is worthwhile to check the business registration details with the national register of business names available online at www.companies.org.nz.
  • Cash jobs may sound good value, but will not be warrantable and how long will the business/tradesman be around, should you require follow up work. Kowhai will be there!
  • Ask for names, addresses and telephone numbers of recent clients so you can obtain references to make sure they were satisfied with the work performed. 
  • Ask for written information and technical data on the paint material and sealers to be used. 
  • Ask the trader if they have insurance cover, for example public liability insurance. 
  • Remove any clause from the contract that suggests that the guarantee is not valid if the owner or any other person on their behalf walks on the roof after it has cured.
  • Never pay a large deposit. 
  • Never pay cash unless you are very certain whom you are dealing with and never let the trader drive you to the bank to get your money. 
  • Always obtain a detailed receipt. 
  • Remember your legal rights or entitlements for ‘door-to-door’ sales. Remember you are fully entitled to say “no” so if you feel not sure then take time to consider your decision. 
  • Don’t be taken in by special prices or promotional offers that require you to sign on the spot. 
  • If you do not understand a contract, ask family or friends to check it over with you, or seek legal advice before you sign.
Source: Based on information from Western Australian Building Commission


Further useful information is available: Download the Roofing Associations Roof Restoration Consumer Guide
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