For the more beady eyed of you out there, you may have noticed in our latest job ad that as roofers, we are unable to work some days thanks to ‘weather limitations’, more specifically, pouring rain. So with such a drizzly country in the winter, you may be pondering what roofers actually do when it rains, and for those of you who aren’t thinking this, we’re going to tell you anyway.
Weather watchers
For years Carol has been my favourite woman to wake up to in the mornings and for those of you who aren’t familiar, I am of course referring to the wonderful weather woman, Carol. Carol graces our screens every morning with an update on what’s going on with the weather, making up one of the most important parts of the day, do I go to work or do I spend an extra hour in bed?
Some jobs, such as slating, are fine to do in the rain and just result in having to wring out our clothes when we get home, however, others not so much.
Why rain matters for projects
There are numerous reasons as to why rain can impact a roofing project, not only that we get soggy feet. Unexpected rain can be a nuisance but if it stops as quickly as it starts, it’s likely that we’re able to cover the project in a tarpaulin for the duration and resume work again once things have cleared up.
The main reason behind this momentary pause can be put down to a matter of health and safety, however there are a number of other reasons why it can be ineffective to work in the
rain. When stripping off an old roof (which is necessary when carrying out reroof works) it’s important that you have dry weather as if you open a roof up to the elements and then you have a heavy down pour, there is nothing stopping the rain from going straight into your building, ruining plasterboard and even collapsing ceilings! It’s this reason that you won’t find us stripping a roof in the rain. Also, its difficult to felt a roof in the rain… there’s the obvious health and safely problems and then theres the problem of getting a wet chalk line, among other nuisances.
Didn’t your mother ever tell you that you’ll get a cold if you play in the rain? Well this is the final reason as to why we are *forced* to take a day off when its wet. On a really wet day its impossible to stay dry, even with the best waterproofs (believe me i’ve tried them all) and come the end of the day, you’re really wet through and this often doesn’t happen without repercussions…
When fibreglassing, it’s important to remember to work with the weather and not against it, meaning that fibreglassing in the rain is a big no. Heavy rain can emulsify resin, causing it to become white in colour, rendering it utterly useless if a smooth and sleek roof is what you’re aiming for.
Free Quotes and Consultations
So onto the important stuff, if we can’t work, what exactly do we get up to? Well, with busy days and a small team, it can often be difficult to fit in a time to go visit other jobs, meaning that this task is often saved for the weekend. Rainy days give us the chance to get one step ahead during the week as most mornings are spent visiting customers and assessing their roofs to give free consultations and quotes.
Coffee Time
With little time to chill out during the day, rainy days mean that I can take the office work to a coffee shop to sit back and people watch, sorry, work. This is usually followed by a stop off at my favourite breakfast place, The Buttery Tea Rooms, however, if you are a regular to this page I probably don’t even have to mention that for you to know its on the agenda.
Catch flights not colds
During the month of December, the weather is often too harsh to get on with much work, rendering what we do as inefficient as large gaps between work often mean that the exposed roof can become water damaged in-between. Making up for the overtime worked in the hot summer months, this is a perfect opportunity to pack a bag and head off on a plane somewhere for a month, last year was Korea, this year is China, where next?
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