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ROOF
REPAIRS
HOW THE CONTRACTOR
ASSESS THE PROBLEM
THE FIRST TIME
MOST OF OUR CUSTOMERS PAY ANY ATTENTION TO THEIR ROOFS ARE DURING
WINTER TIME, WHEN THEY EXPERIENCE A LEAKAGE.
IT IS AT THIS
TIME THAT THE ROOF DOES INDEED BECOME A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THE
LIVES OF MANY PEOPLE. NOBODY LIKES THE THOUGHT OF LYING IN BED AND
NOT BEING SURE IF THE ROOF IS GOING TO COLLAPSE WHILE THEY ARE SLEEPING...
SO WHAT DOES
THE ROOFING CONTRACTOR ACTUALLY DO WHEN THEY ARRIVE ON SITE TO INSPECT
SUCH A PROBLEM AND HOW DO THEY FORMULATE AN ACTION PLAN?
THE FIRST AND
MOST IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER IS THAT A ROOF REPAIR CONTRACTOR
IS NOT A MAGICIAN.
MANY CLIENTS
I SEE EXPECT ME TO BE ABLE TO KNOW WHERE ALL THE LEAKS ARE JUST
BY INSPECTING THE OUTSIDE AND SOMETIMES THE INSIDE (WITHOUT THE
PRESENCE OF RAIN) OF A ROOF. SOME CLIENTS EVEN EXPECT ME TO BE ABLE
TO ISSUE THEM A REPORT TELLING THEM WHERE ANY FUTURE LEAKS WILL
BE.
THIS BRINGS
US TO THE SECOND MOST IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER...THE CONTRACTOR
IS NOT GOING TO GUARANTEE YOUR ROOF AS 'LEAK FREE' ONCE THEY ARE
FINISHED WORKING ON IT. THE ONLY WAY THIS WOULD BE POSSIBLE IS IF
THE CONTRACTOR IS REPLACING THE ENTIRE ROOF AND NOT ONLY EFFECTING
A REPAIR.
THE REASON FOR
THIS IS THAT WATER HAS THE ABILITY TO MIGRATE, SOMETIMES QUITE FAR
IN FACT, AND THIS ABILITY MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT TO NARROW DOWN
THE AREA TO BE WORKED ON. IN ALL TRUTH MOST CONTRACTORS, INCLUDING
OURSELVES, MAKE EDUCATED GUESSES AS TO THE EXACT AREA TO BE WORKED.
THIS IS WHY
WE PREFER TO WORK ON LARGER SECTIONS OF THE ROOF INSTEAD OF SMALLER
SECTIONS. WE LIKE TO MAKE SURE WE ARE COVERING THE PROBLEM AREA.
THIS IS WHY YOU MAY RECEIVE SUCH A BROAD SPECTRUM OF QUOTES PRICES.
REPUTABLE CONTRACTORS KNOW TO WORK LARGER AREAS AND GET THE PROBLEM
SOLVED FIRST TIME AROUND. PATCHING, ALTHOUGH CHEAP, MAY YIELD THE
DESIRED RESULT OF A LEAK FREE SCENARIO, BUT MOST OF OFTEN JUST CAUSES
A MESS AND DOES NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM AT HAND.
PATCHING, IN
FACT, IS A BIG REASON WHY WATERPROOFING HAS SUCH A BAD RAP.
IN SUMMARY,
VERY SELDOM DO I WALK ONTO A ROOF AND SPOT THE EXACT PLACE OF ENTRY
AND CAN BE 100% SURE THAT I CAN SOLVE THE PROBLEM. EVEN IF I DO
NOTE AN OBVIOUS AREA I NEVER ASSUME THIS TO BE THE ONLY INGRESS
POINT. IT MAY ONLY BE ONE OF MANY THAT CANNOT BE SEEN AND IT WOULD
BE IRRESPONSIBLE OF ME TO PRESENT A QUOTATION TO A CLIENT TO CLOSE
UP A PARTICULAR HOLE, CARRY OUT THE WORKS, AND THEN STATE THAT THE
PROBLEM HAS BEEN SOLVED. IT WOULD BE MORE ACCURATE TO STATE THAT
THE PROBLEM MAY HAVE BEEN SOLVED, BUT WE WILL ONLY KNOW FOR SURE
THE NEXT TIME IT RAINS REALLY HARD. BUT I CANT SAY I HAVE EVER SEEN
THAT WRITTEN IN A QUOTE! IT IS EASIER TO MAKE A SALE, TAKE THE MONEY
NOW, AND WITH ALL GOOD INTENTION, DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM LATER...MAYBE...THE
ROOF REPAIR INDUSTRY IS RIFE WITH THIS KIND OF THINKING.
ROOF REPAIRS
TO OLD BUILDINGS.
AS A CONTRACTOR
I GENERALLY DON'T TAKE ON REPAIR WORK IF MORE THAN 30% OF THE ROOF
AREA IS DAMAGED OR SUSPECT. IT IS SOMETIMES TEMPTING TO DO SO ON
A REGULAR BASIS BECAUSE THE INCOME IS QUICK AND EASY ESPECIALLY
DURING SUMMER WHEN WORKS CARRIED OUT WILL ONLY REALLY BE TESTED
THE FOLLOWING WINTER LONG AFTER PAYMENT HAS BEEN MADE.
THE RISK OF
ADDITIONAL DAMAGE TO THE ROOF AS WELL AS NOT LOCATING ALL THE PROBLEM
AREAS MAKE THE REWARD TO RISK RATIO NOT WORTH WHILE TO THE CLIENT.
IN OTHER WORDS WE WOULD HAVE TO CHARGE AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT TO COVER
OURSELVES IN THE EVENT THAT WE ARE UNABLE TO HONOUR OUR CONTRACTUAL
OBLIGATIONS. ANYTHING OVER 30% AND WE WILL RECOMMEND REPLACING OR
SUGGEST THAT THE CLIENT EMPLOY THE SERVICES OF ANOTHER CONTRACTOR
WHO WOULD BE WILLING TO PATCH
THAT BEING SAID
I WILL HOWEVER CONSIDER UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES EG PENSIONERS THAT
HAVE NO MONEY TO REPLACE BUT CAN ONLY AFFORD A PATCH... I MAY CONSIDER
IT, BUT OUR CONTRACT WILL BE CLEARLY SPELLED OUT THAT WE WILL NOT
FORMALLY GUARANTEE THE WORK AND CAN ONLY OFFER 3 CALL BACKS OR SOMETHING
SIMILAR. ANOTHER EXAMPLE WHEN I WOULD CONSIDER A PATCH IS IF A CLIENT
IS PLANNING TO BUILD A DOUBLE VOLUME AND DOES NOT NEED THE ROOF
REPLACED BUT THESE ARE ALSO FEW AND FAR BETWEEN.
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