Whether you need a full replacement or a quick repair, finding a roofer can be an intimidating task. You will be looking out for the most reputable company with perhaps a keen eye for finding the best discount and may even be considering trying a DIY fix. Be wary, though – hiring the cheapest roofer or doing it yourself with no experience comes with significant risks that will cost you in the long run. Here, we run down the importance of hiring a quality roofer.
High-Quality Materials
In construction, you get what you pay for, and this is never more important than it is with a roof. The roof is what protects the house from the outdoors, so the materials used need to be of high quality to ensure it withstands whatever conditions it comes up against. A low-quality roofer that costs little to hire will not source the best materials for your home, which significantly reduces the number of years your roof will last. A well-experienced, reputable contractor knows what the best materials are and will invest in them so that you don’t have to fork out unnecessary repairs soon down the line. This includes tiles or shingles, underlayment, and guttering.
Avoid Lazy Practice
In fact, a poor roofer may not even put the effort into buying the correct materials at all. For example, roofing underlayment is the material that goes underneath the shingles and helps keep water out. Because it’s not visible, some unreliable roofers may decide to cut corners and not replace it when installing a new roof. This is very risky because depending on how old and worn it is, it may not be suitable to last and could result in another huge repair job further down the line. When replacing a roof, the underlayment and most other materials should be completely renewed and not left just to quicken the job.
Time Taken
So, while a poor roofer may skip the steps outlined above, a quality roofer will take their time on the job, fulfilling all of their expected duties to a high standard. A cheap contractor will rush through as fast as they can to get their money’s worth, not taking the appropriate safety checks or putting time into placing the delicate tiles. While this may benefit you in the short term, making the repair faster, this means that the job is unlikely to be sufficient and will leave you with damage sooner than you can expect from a quality roofer who has taken their time.
Expertise
Taking time is all well and good unless they are doing a poor job, but if you put in the effort to hire a quality roofer, you can be assured that they are a reliable worker who has the expertise to install your new roof. They are usually well trained with a lot of experience, so they can tailor their work to ensure your roof looks great and functions as it should with longevity. A cheap roofer is more likely to be just starting out and will not be able to bring much expertise forward that will significantly impact the quality of the roof.