What to Consider When Choosing a Roofer or Cladder

If you are reading this, chances are you are looking for a roofer to install a new roof, or to replace or repair an existing roof. Roofing is technically demanding, so working with a roofing expert who understands your needs is important. Roofing is highly dependent on geography and weather conditions, so roofing in London vs. roofing in Edinburgh or roofing in Manchester could come with different requirements and roofing material. Also, roofing a shed vs. roofing your house will mean different roofing types and options, which a good roofing expert or roofing contractor will be able to advise you of.

Follow our simple tips below and you are on your way to finding a qualified roofer who has the right roofing and cladding skills you need, and at the right roofing prices too.

What are the types of roofs that are available?

There are several different types of roofs, and you should choose with care and after consultation with your roofing expert. The 4 major types are described below – slate roofs, thatched roofs, felt roofs and tiled roofs

SLATE ROOFING

Slate is the most popular roofing material in the UK. Slate can be split into thin sheets, making it ideal for roofing. But, as it is created under intense heat and pressure, it can withstand tough conditions and is strong, durable and chemically well constituted. Treated and maintained well, they will last very long

THATCH ROOFING

Thatching is typically made of dry vegetation – straw or hay, rushes, large leaves such as palm, whatever is locally available! It is the world’s oldest roofing material, and is still used although not much in Western Europe anymore.

Thatching used be low cost, although not now – sourcing roofing material and supplies, getting a skilled thatcher (as it requires significant expertise), and the insurance costs related to thatched roofs (which are higher due to the risk of fire) means that it is not as cost effective as some of the other roofing options. However, it does add charm to a property. Thatched roofs are banned in certain areas (for e.g., the City of London) so it is worth checking what you are allowed to use as roofing material.

FELT ROOF

Felt roofs are made for flat roofs, as thatch or tile are less advantageous on flat surfaces. Garage roofing or other flat top buildings such as garden sheds are ideal for felt roofing.

A felt insulant is applied to a roofing board – the whole idea of the insulant and any other roofing board preservatives is to keep the base board intact as long as possible. After the felt roofing is laid out on the floorboard and secured, bitumen is added to close gaps and smoothen the felt, and then finally some chipping compounds are added to reflect light and handle wear and tear.

TILE ROOF

Made of high durability material such as ceramic, clay, stone, glass, even treated wood, these come in a variety of different styles. Flat tiles are simple and flat. These are made from wood or stone and are rectangular in shape. Clay tiles will have a waterproof glaze and are the most popular of the roofing tiles. Lap tiles have a S-shaped profile, allowing a locking of adjacent tiles – very similar to Roman tiles which have a concave/convex structure allowing the locking. Some fancier designs such as barrel tiles (cylindrical tiles) also exist, which are common in rural areas but are now getting incorporated in modern design

Whether you are looking for a garden shed roofing in Leeds or a Tudor house roofing in Surrey, your professional roofer should be able to advise you on which roofing material is most suited for your needs.

What’s the difference between a roofer and a cladder?

Cladding is simply a lightweight covering that is attached to the building structure – either plaster or metal or fibre cement. A roofing job will often involve cladding, so the two terms are often used interchangeably.

You will come across both terms quite often when you are getting your roof job done.

Whether it is a felt roof in London or a garden roof in Kent, any qualified local brickworker should be able to do your roofing and cladding as the situation demands.

Choosing the right roofer for you

So, how do you go about finding and choosing your roofer in London, or cladder in Birmingham?

Finding roofers

There are many ways to find a list of local roofers – some easier than others.

• You could use search engines to get a list of local roofers or local cladders. The risk here is that you have no real knowledge of how good they are or what skills they really possess and it can be time consuming calling numerous tradesmen, having to leave messages asking them to call you.
• Another option is to use the yellow pages but again you have the same issues as using a search engine.
• A recommendation – this is arguably a better option than using a search engine or yellow pages but you are unlikely to have more than one recommendation which makes comparisons difficult
• An easy, hassle free way of identifying local skilled roofers is to use the service of a site such as www.xpertfind.com. xpertfind.com has a database of skilled roofers along with rating and feedback provided by customers like yourself for all their roofer and cladders. You simply post details of you job on the site and wait for suitably skilled, local roofers interested in your work to contact you. It is a quick and easy way for customers to find local tradesmen for a whole range of jobs and the website has national coverage. So whether you are looking for emergency roof repair in London, a new roof installation in Devon or simply some garden roof maintenance in Liverpool, you can post your roofing job online and let xpertfind.com do the hard work of finding 3 local quality roofers who can provide you with quotes. Who you go with is your decision.

Once you have got 3 suitably skilled, local roofers how to do you choose between them?

Ask for references

When hiring a roofer or cladder, don't be shy in asking for references on their work. You could even take the time to call these people and ask how the work went for them. It may even be wise to go and see the work that has been done. Seeing with your own eyes what the tradesman has accomplished is the best way to know what you are paying for.

Compare your quotes

Roofing prices can vary a lot and often depends on the material and supplies that are being used, so be sure you are getting a good range of quotes. Also, ask the roofer to break out area of roofing (or tiles used), prices for roofing and bonding material and labour costs. Ask for details of material used for bonding such as mortar, and the level of finishing they will do.

Make sure you have a detailed quote from each of the roofers you have identified and compare estimates on the cost of the project and see how they differ. The written quotation should list materials, labour and VAT (if appropriate). Ask them in person why things cost the way they do and why they charge what they charge to do the job. If the roofer is honest, he or she will be open about the costs of materials and the profit they are trying to make.

It is fairly standard for the roofer or cladder to ask for a deposit to cover the cost of the materials. However you should not be expected to pay the balance until the roofing work has been completed to your satisfaction.

Time to complete the job and where it will be completed

Be clear on how long will it take the recommended roofer to complete the job. Finding a quality tradesman who can work efficiently and quickly is beneficial - they will cost less because the hours will be less. Even if the cost per hour is more, if they have the third of the hours of another, it will most likely be less money in the end.

Prior experience

It's all to do with experience! Ask what experience they have. Also, ask if they could bring a portfolio of photos with them so you can see the type of work they do. One sure way of assessing whether a roofer is experienced is if he takes the trouble to come and look at the job to be done and advise you before giving a quotation. Make sure that the roofer has done similar jobs to the one he or she is proposing for you – if you are looking to clad your main home or get a thatched roof done, someone who has worked only on garage felt roofs may not be ideal.

Are they licensed or registered?

The National Federation of Roofing Contractors (www.nfrc.co.uk) is the UK’s largest trade association on roofing, and is formed by companies in the industry which represent about 60% of all roofing jobs done in the UK. While it is not necessary for a quality roofer or cladder to be registered with NFRC, do check to see if your roofer has such an affiliation. All NFRC members have insurance covers and also insurance warranties, which is useful given roofing is a high value job!

There is also the Confederation of Roofing Contractors (www.corc.co.uk). The CORC was formed in 1985 to promote membership and protect the general public against unscrupulous roofing contractors.

As there is no compulsory regulating or governing body for roofers, and no compulsory accreditation, you may want some written proof of the capacity of the person.