It’s easy to forget the importance of having a roof over your head, but it really is important! This is especially so for commercial businesses.
Roofs play a vital role in protecting people from all sorts of weather conditions, whether it’s keeping them dry or keeping them shaded from the sun, provide insulation and keep any unwanted pests out (nobody wants a seagull swooping down at them when they’re trying to buy dinner in their local chippy!).
If your commercial building has roof damage, it is imperative that it be repaired as soon as possible. And as tempting as it may be to try fixing it yourself, there is one thing you should never skip - hiring a professional commercial roofing contractor.
Read on to learn the benefits of hiring a professional roofing contractor and what you should look out for when choosing one.
How They Provide Quality Roof Construction
Access to Quality Roofing Materials
One key advantage to using commercial roofing contractors for your building repair is that they have easier access to the quality roofing materials that your building will need. This includes roofing materials that are more typically used in commercial buildings, such as metal retrofit, thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO), ethylene propylene diene monomer (EDPM) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) roofing.
They will also be knowledgeable on which materials will be best suited for your building, taking into account the current roofing material, the shape of your roof and what would be the best choice to avoid similar/further damage in the future.
Effective Time Management
By having the appropriate equipment, materials, expertise and experience, professional roofing contractors are able to carry out roof repairs in an efficient manner.
They are aware of the imminence required in the reparation of a roof, since this is a protective element of your building that can quickly lead to progressive damage to the roofing foundations and interior of your building should it be left unattended to, especially in wet weather conditions.
Expertise and Professionalism
Professional roofing contractors are labelled as such for a reason - they are highly trained individuals with collated experience and knowledge that is highly valuable when getting the job done.
You may think that you will be able to fix your building’s roof yourself should it only be minorly broken, all you need to do is do your research and follow a step-by-step guide, right? Wrong. Unlike flatpack furniture, roofs require sufficient construction knowledge.
Roofing contractors know how everything fits together seamlessly and can carry out tasks quickly, without causing further damage to stable parts of the roof. Perhaps an even better benefit, they are also more able and equipped to overcome any unforeseen obstacles or fix any mistakes that may arise during the process.
They will finish the job with no mistakes, so you can rest assured that there is low to no potential of a small error leading to more issues later on - something which you cannot be certain of if you attempt the work yourself.
In addition to this, roofing contractors will often offer and carry out in-depth roof inspections. If they notice any other building restoration work that needs doing, for example fixing damaged drainage systems or removing any water damage, then they will likely offer to do so for you at the same time.
Higher Levels of Safety
Carrying out any form of construction work requires adequate safety measures to be put in place, even more so if you are completing work on the roof due to the risks of working at such a high height.
Qualified roofing contractors will be aware of the necessary safety precautions that are involved in building restoration and roofing work. They will have access to the appropriate equipment and will implement the correct measures and procedures to ensure the utmost levels of safety have been met.
Were you to try completing the work yourself, you would be at a higher risk of injuring yourself and/or others, since you will not have the same level of knowledge nor the professional equipment needed.
Cost-effective
In the event that you planned to carry out roof reparation work yourself, you would incur a lot of costs. You would be required to pay for all materials, equipment, safety gear and waste removal (e.g. hiring a skip).
Due to your lack of skill and training, completing the work would likely take you a lot longer than it would a trained professional - and the longer it takes, the more those costs accumulate, assuming you would rent a lot of the equipment (which you likely would). There is also no guarantee that you won’t make a mistake that will cause more issues further down the road, which means even more money leaving your pocket.
Hiring a roof contractor, therefore, is a much more cost-effective option. They provide or access all equipment they will need themselves and will get the job done in a timely manner to a high standard. Whilst this is taken into account in the price they quote to you, this still works out as a higher value yet lower cost option - not to mention the most sensible, too.
Warranties
Most roofing companies will offer you a warranty once your roof repair or replacement has been completed. This means that should the roof become damaged due to unforeseen circumstances within a specified period of time from the completion of the original roofing work, then they will come fix it for you and cover the costs of this repair work.
If you do work to the roof yourself, it is most probable that this warranty would become void and you would be liable for any costs incurred in the restoration work.
What to Look for when Hiring Commercial Roofing Contractors
Qualifications and Experience
Due to the dangerous and skilled nature of the work, it is essential that you find a roofing contractor that has the necessary skills and certifications to prove they are qualified to do the job. If they have certificates from any training courses, this shows you that they know what they are doing and are capable.
Likewise, you can assume that they are reliable and trustworthy if they are a member of a trade union, such as the National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC).
You should also not be embarrassed to ask them about their experience. The more experience a roofing contractor has, the more knowledge they have of the trade.
Address
This may seem trivial, but checking that a roofing contractor or company has a physical address can save you from a lot of hassle and disappointment later on.
If they do not, it is likely that they are not a legitimate business and instead will just take your money after doing a shoddy job.
Insurance
All roofing constructors should be covered by public liability insurance. This means that they will be covered should someone suffer an injury whilst they are carrying out work on your premises, as well as removing liability from you in the instance where this does happen (although, as a commercial business owner, you should be protected by your own public liability insurance).
A serious roof contractor should know the importance and convenience of being covered by this insurance, therefore if they do not hold it it may show an idleness that could reflect how they may be on the job itself.
Deposit and Warranty
It is a good idea to ask about the deposit you can expect to pay before employing a roofing company to do work for you.
By doing so, the roofing contractor you speak to should be able to explain what work needs to be done and give you an estimation of the overall cost, which will justify the quote they give you for a deposit.
If they deny you the opportunity to pay a deposit and instead ask for all the money outright, then it is highly probable that you will be swindled, with the contractors doing an unsatisfactory job or not even servicing you at all.
This is also when you should ask them what their warranty policy is. It is best to have assurance before work starts that you will be covered for any damages after the work is complete.
Commercial Roofing Contractors in Scotland
If you are in need of building and roof services, B & D Roofing & Building is the construction company for you.
Serving central Scotland, we provide high-quality roofing services that meet your requirements, no matter the size of the project. Whether it be installing roofing on new build commercial units or renovating and repairing roofing on old buildings, our experienced roofing contractors will carry out the tasks required of them to the most satisfactory standard.
Has your commercial property experienced some form of roof damage? Contact us today and a member of our friendly team will assist you with your roofing needs.
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