It doesn’t take replacing a damaged or worn out roof to realize that a roof is expensive. Making matters worse, when this kind of work is called for, the price tag might sound out of sight. For better or worse, the old adage applies: you get what you pay for. This goes for the contractor you hire as well as the materials he uses.
Although becoming a roofer does not require that the person who does it be a Ph.D. candidate, there is considerably more to becoming a roofer than most people give credit to. Further, roofing requires a more complex set of skills than the average builder since building a roof requires knowledge of physics and other factors that require knowledge outside of the traditional building skills.
Even general contractors often bring in more experienced professionals when it comes to roofing skills. These include calculating for angles on the fly and adjusting for peaks and valleys that most roofers make look so easy.
Knowledge, Experience and the Cost of Quality Roofing
It can go without saying that for a person to become a roofer does not require that he or she get through medical school any more than it requires having a broad back and calloused hands, but roofing does require that a person understand his business considerably more than the average construction worker. As a result, roofers attend courses that are aimed more towards their specialty than most.
As a result, anyone who wants to have a quality roof built on their home must be willing to pay for someone who has this training. Further, beyond the training that licensed roofers are required to practice their craft, being a good roofer requires that a craftsman have experience in the number and different types of roofs that they have installed over the years.
What Roofers Do and Why Their Skills are Often Undervalued
Roofers are often considered the Rodney Dangerfield of the building trades. This is due to the fact that they usually get little or no respect, but not only is roofing a strenuous business but is also requires long hours in extreme weather. Combine this with the years of work that many roofers dedicate to their business, makes understanding the daily stresses and strains of their work understandable.
The daily exposure to physical injury is also a great reality. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, roofing related injuries, including falls and others, are among the highest of all U.S. occupations.
Just as is the case with many professions, a skilled and experienced roofer makes the work look easy. They will begin work on time when they say it will and will complete a quality job with pride and with often no thanks. But don’t let this fool you. Their main purpose is the accomplishment of a job well done.
None of this should detract from the fact that American roofers are some of the best-trained building professionals around. Roofers perform all manners of repairs and installations that account for the best-built homes and commercial structures in the world.
Source: Roofing West Bloomfield Michigan
