How long is a lifetime warranty? How long does "new" stay "new?" New home products and building materials are fast becoming more durable than ever before, raising the bar by which newly constructed homes are built. Two of my favorite "durables" being featured in new homes almost everywhere are lifetime-lasting concrete tile roofs and the new never tarnish surfaces used in door hardware and plumbing fixtures.

The Crowning Glory in Roofing . . .

Concrete tile roofs are indeed becoming the industry standard in the western United States, with the rest of the country not too far behind in usage. The original concrete tile roofs were fashioned (and many styles are still patterned after) the clay tile type roofing found in many Monterey-style haciendas. Predecessors of today's lighter shake-style and "S" tile concrete roofs carried much more weight, requiring heavier trusses and support than today's lines. Newer technologies have transformed the tile roofs you see on todays' new homes to compete favorably in both price and durability to any other type of residential roofing used. Dominating the new home construction arena, MonierLifetile is the largest maker of tile roofing in the country, crediting its size from a merger between two huge rooftile manufacturers several years ago. Building on a 35-year history, MonierLifetile produces concrete tile light enough to replace wood shake varieties, but touting a 40-50 year warranty for durability. With proper care and installation, however, it may truly last a lifetime, according to the manufacturer. Other state-of-the-art varieties they feature include the newer Monier 2000, introduced in 1997, that guarantees color integration with every shade of stucco, brick, or stone that can be used in home construction.

One of the reasons concrete tile roof tile has grown so much in popularity in the West is due to stringent fire safety regulations that have demanded change in exterior building products. In the aftermath of the Oakland firestorm of 1991, pressure increased for the introduction of legislation requiring residential roofing materials to meet Class A or Class B fire ratings. This is essential in California, where coastal canyons are popular building sites and highly flammable wood shake roofs are indigenous to the architectural styles of the state. All concrete tile roofs carry a Class A fire rating, which is the highest possible.

No More Browning Brass . . .

Door locks, plumbing fixtures, and elegant door handles can now have a finish guaranteed not to tarnish, discolor, corrode, or flake off from UV light exposure. These new surfaces are so scratch resistant that they can even stand up to steel wool, not to mention normal wear and tear from standard household cleaners. Even if a faucet is dented, the finish will not come off. And, with its resistance to salt spray and humidity, the new no-tarnish finishes make them ideal for homeowners on either coast.

Most hardware manufacturers offer either a part or all of their lines of products in these durable surfaces. And some (Moen) have even added titanium, making this popular finish stronger than conventional polished brass and PVD-type finishes. The precision surface engineering technology behind these surfaces is based on the advanced technology used to protect the space shuttle. The result of this process binds some of the toughest molecules in nature to create one of the hardest and most durable finishes in faucets.

WeiserLock was one of the first to use no-tarnish surfaces in door handle handsets. Now many door hardware manufacturers are using these surfaces, making the use of them more commonplace than not within the building industry. As one of the first impressions one gets when ringing your doorbell, imagine a beautiful and shiny brass door handle on your front door that will stay perenially bright, no matter how harsh the elements.

It's always a pleasure to report on durability in new home construction and products. American ingenuity and know-how contribute to a highly competitive marketplace within the industry to create better and better building products for the consumer of new homes, which makes everyone, including new home builders, buyers, and product manufacturers come out winners.

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Published: July 16, 1999

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A veteran of the real estate and homebuilding industries since 1986, Dena Kouremetis first joined Realty Times as a new homes writer in 1998. Since then, she has authored four books, written consumer columns on new homes issues for websites and newspapers all across the country, contributed to builder trade magazines, appeared as a guest expert on several radio shows and even created a ten-chapter podcast for LendingTree.com’s homebuilder website, iNest.com, now available on iTunes, entitled Uncharted Waters; Navigating the Purchase of a New Production Home. Kouremetis recently joined her local Folsom, CA Coldwell Banker office as a broker associate while continuing to write for the real estate industry. For the past three years, she has been training real estate agents for both the resale and new homes industries, putting her experience, research expertise and gift of expression to work to help others entering the business.