Hiring a Reliable Roofer

Hiring a reliable, trustworthy, honest tradesman can be a difficult task especially with all the cowboy builders out there. Even buying the supplies can be difficult with roofing in particular coming to mind. Many people enjoy the traditional Spanish & Chinese roofing slates yet China and Spain are vast places and the quality of the material differs greatly company to company. Below is a list of ways to ensure that you get only the best in trade and material.

Recommendations

 

Mouth to mouth recommendations have been going on since people have possessed language and to this day is still one of the best ways to find out how good a company really is. Not only do you get a rundown from someone you trust on said roofing company but you can also see first hand work and materials to know exactly what you are getting.

 

 

Company History

 

Research any company before you commit. A well skilled and experienced company with employees who possess excellent industry knowledge is more of a safe bet than a company who is new and is still learning its trade.

 

Online Reviews

  

Online reviews are another excellent way of gauging a companies skill and repute. They are easily accessed and provide in depth analysis on specific companies. The only factor you need to be wary about is fake reviews that a lot of companies seem to be employing on bitter rivals.

 

Common Mistakes Made When Slating a Roof

Lots of people make a lot of common mistakes when they try to slate roofs and this can cause leaks and give their roofs bad long term prospects.

All slate is not the same

There are a very large amount of different slates in the world and its a bad idea to just buy some without doing some research first. Slating a roof is an expensive process and you want to be sure to get your moneys worth.

Headlap

A bad headlap can cause a lot of issues on a slate roof including leaking. Very often you see roofs with less than two inch headlap, no headlap at all or even sometimes negative headlap. If headlap is done wrong you may end up needing to re do the entire roof.
 

Bad Flashing Work

Flashing and slates are the two things that keep water from penetrating the roof. The flashing metal must be of adequate type and gauge but installing it should be done by someone with experience or training to ensure a good leak-proof roof.

Walking on the Slate

This is a very big issue that not many people realise or think about. Slate is not meant to be walked on. This will end up causing the slate to fall off so it should never be done except as a last resort or in unusual situations.

Lack of Information

If the builder has not done any research at all and just blindly rushes on with the job there are bound to be a multitude of issues. Slating a roof is not particularly complicated but it must be done properly there will be a number of issues further down the road.

Difference between Slate and Tiles

Slate

Slate is a natural stone that is cut and prepared for use.

Slate is formed from mudstone or shale.

Slate comes in a wide range of natural occurring colours including grey, blue, green or purple.

Slate is a metamorphic rock.

Slate does not require any kind of cementation in order to stay together.

Tiles

Tiles are manufactured from fried clay and concrete.

Tiles need to be overlapped in order to be used as roofing.

Tiles are used for floor, wall and roof covering.