Whatever the type of roof on your house, it has a key role: protecting the house and its occupants from bad weather (especially rainwater), while contributing to the aesthetics of the house. Construction, renovation, maintenance or repair, any work on a roof requires certain specific skills: working at height therefore presenting risks, often on sloping roofs, in climatic conditions that are not always favorable… To guarantee optimal safety and quality work, it is therefore advisable to call on the right roofing professional to benefit from expertise adapted to your project.
The essentials
Whether your roof is made of tiles, slates, wood, etc., it is highly recommended to call on a roofing professional for any construction, renovation, treatment application (water repellent for example) or maintenance (removing moss for example).
Word of mouth, consulting online reviews or even obtaining information from specialist stores, there are many solutions for finding a roofing professional.
Before making your choice, it is essential to compare several professionals. If the proposed price is important, you must also check different points from the quote, look at the opinions of previous customers and possibly ask for examples of achievements.
Skills and expertise of a roofing professional
In addition to the skills that a professional working on a roof must master, there are specific techniques to master for the installation of regulatory elements (screens, fixings, insulation), as for the roofing elements which must comply with strict standards, the DTU (Unified Technical Documents).
The application of the DTU recommendations ensures a compliant result, but above all a guarantee in the event of a disaster or waterproofing problem (water leak in particular).
Who should you call depending on your roofing project?
As you will have understood, it is better to use the services of a professional roofer even if it is a simple repair, cleaning/maintenance or roof treatment .
The roofer has indeed followed specific training, often combined with an apprenticeship alongside experienced professionals for several years to manage multiple problems related to roofs. For your own safety and for the success of the intervention, calling on a roofer is more than recommended.
He will also be able, more generally, to help you and guide you in the realization of your roofing project (renovation, construction, etc.), all without risk. In the case of cleaning, maintenance work or the application of a treatment, he will also know how to choose the most suitable products ( water repellent in particular).
Good to know
Water repellent is a product that can be applied to protect roof covering materials (tiles, slates, etc.) from any water infiltration.
The roofing craftsman will have to master several tasks, in sometimes difficult conditions (kneeling position, outside), all without taking risks:
The roofer, whether independent, self-employed, or employed in a company, must have a certificate of professional skills (CAP, BP or BTS) as a roofer, building waterproofer or zinc worker. Failing this, he must have several years of experience in the trade, with various roof renovation or construction projects.
In addition, the roofer is required to take out ten-year insurance, the number of which must be included on the invoices and quotes that he sends you. Ten-year insurance, which is mandatory for activities related to roofing work, covers the roofer and his clients:
for a period of 10 years from the receipt of the works by the project owner;
on damage that could compromise the solidity and inseparable equipment elements affecting the structure of the work;
on damages that could render the construction unfit for its purpose.
It is strongly recommended that he also have professional insurance , which covers him for services or deliveries of defective products (hidden defect or poor workmanship of a product, etc.), as well as material and immaterial damage caused to third parties during the exercise of his professional activity (fire spreading outside the premises, for example).