The dangers of hiring low cost, inexperienced, underinsured and ill equipped roofing companies. 

It seems that most of my work is the repair and restoration of slate and copper roofing that was previously done poorly by previous roofers.

This is a typical example of roof problems I see almost every day. 

Many roofing  companies that are capable of installing common roofing materials on simple roof areas are often not accomplished or experienced enough to handle more complex roofing tasks. Especially those of a historic nature involving old or traditional roofing techniques.

This roof on the shore of Lake Erie near Cleveland, Ohio was the recent recipient of a new flat roof and copper gutter installation.

While the lower flat roofing material was removed and the decking repaired, the wall flashing and gutter material was left in place and covered over. The flat area flashing was covered with new rubber material, and the gutter was lined with a new copper lining.

There are serious problems with both.

 This photo shows a typical area below one of the gutter sections that is leaking.

Water is leaking through the gutter joint down the wall, and dripping between the slates that are covering the wall.

The gutter was lined with new copper but was installed improperly. Although the installer attempted to solder the joints, they did not secure the joints according to common industry standards,with either rivets or bending and locking the seams together, and the joints have all broken loose. On this house that means approximately 20 gutter joints are leaking into the building.

These kind of mistakes are not easily repaired. The improper installation and use of cheap materials usually means that it is easier to tear out the existing work and start over.

Because low cost, inexperienced roofers were hired to install this roofing, roof work that should have lasted another 80 years will need to be replaced soon after it was installed, and cost much more than if a professional had been hired at the beginning.