No, it’s not Santa Claus walking around up there!
Ever wondered exactly what the roofer loudly clomping about in your rafters is doing up there? Or maybe you’ve never hired the services of a roofer before, and you’re curious to know more about what to expect when the time comes. If that’s the case, we’ve got you covered: we’ll give you all the details so you can become familiar with the unique daily routines of the dedicated men (and women) working as roofers.
It’s a tough job, but someone’s gotta do it!
It’s not just anyone who can step into the roofing profession easily. These days, roofing is a complex job requiring skill, endurance, and a strong stomach for heights. A good sense of balance and an acute awareness of your surroundings is also important – it is also vital that those working in the industry have a good sense of safety, both for themselves and for their co-workers. The last thing you want is to have a shaky, uncertain individual teetering above you during a roofing job. Strength and stamina are crucial, too – the work is very physical and calls for lots of lifting, kneeling, climbing and balancing. Since roofing is inherently an outside job, roofers must be prepared to tolerate all kinds of difficult meteorological conditions – from scorching heat, to wind, to rain. Not everyone can tolerate working hard in the scorching July heat. Good roofers do all of this with a sense of duty to the homeowner, ensuring that the project is completed on time, within the budget, and completed with the quality of workmanship expected of them.
Daily Duties
As you may know, a roofing professional spends the workday laying or repairing roofs. Their day might be spent on new construction, remodelling projects, or repairing damage to the roof and underlying structures.
The day’s work will usually begin with a safety check and the setting up of necessary safety precautions. Roofing usually requires early risers, as it’s best to get in as much work as possible during daylight hours. Prior to any installation, they will inspect the roof to see where the problems lie, then determine the best material and course of action based on the type of roof. Between tear-down and clean-up, they spend most of the day covering the top of a building with layers of roofing materials such as felt, wood, asphalt, tar, shingles, and so on, depending on the project and building specifications. Nowadays, most residential roofs are covered with shingles. Replacing old or damaged shingles makes up a big chunk of a roofer’s residential projects. To apply them, roofers lay and tack strips of roofing followed by overlapping rows of shingles. Prior to that, roofers measure and cut everything precisely to fit, with special care around openings like vent pipes and chimneys. Wherever two roof surfaces intersect or where shingles reach an opening, roofers install flashing strips of metal or shingle over the joints to make them watertight. Finally, the workers cover exposed nail heads with roofing cement or caulking to keep water from seeping in.
Other responsibilities might include applying layers of insulation, sealing off openings, and finishing off the roof by applying a glaze. Routine duties include tool maintenance, ordering materials, cleaning up debris from their work, and ensuring the roof is waterproof.
Expert Experience
As you can tell from the duties and responsibilities, roofing is a complex job, and it calls for committed, hard-working individuals who are prepared to deliver the professional standard which is required for a successful roofing installation. Even top-quality roofing materials can fail if incorrectly installed. Water will find its way into any flaw and eventually create leaks if the installation is not done to professional standards. At the end of the day, though, it can be a very rewarding line of work, if you ask us–we love what we do. Roofing is our life! If you need to hire a roofer, make sure that you’re hiring someone who is dedicated and experienced – it can make a huge difference to your building project!
This brief description doesn’t do justice to the scope of the knowledge a roofing crew must have, but we hope that after reading this, you appreciate the level of skill involved. Next time you look up at a roof, take a moment to silently thank the talented crew of workers that installed it.
A company’s roofing crew is its most important asset. In an industry that usually has high turnover, No Payne Roofing takes pride in the longevity and experience of our crew members! That’s really something to be proud of when you consider the tough job they tackle every day. If a new roof or repair job is in your future, be sure to contact the experienced and skilled professionals at No Payne Roofing. Let’s work together to make your next roofing project happen.
