Roofers In Modern Society Today

By Adriana Noton


Roofing is a job that is dominated by the men in our society, although women are certainly allowed to give it a try if they want to. This is an extremely difficult job that requires more strength than average women usually have. It is a male-dominated industry because men are often more capable of the heavy lifting, the weather factor and the strain of working at heights. The nature of this industry requires withstanding hot, summer days on a black rooftop or no work during cold winter months, with hail and snow. Roofers do the job of repairing holes, installing new roofs and removing old ones for residences and businesses.

Men who are interested in doing this kind of work can decide if they want to work on residential roofs or industrial ones. They can work with both, and some companies will offer to work on either one, but usually both men and companies will specialize in just one of them. In the past, the job was much harder because there were no machines or equipment that could be used to make it easier.

Today, we have cranes that lift shingles up to the perfect height for the roofers, nail guns to eliminate the threat of broken or smashed fingers and machines that lay tar for industrial buildings.

They must work sometimes as quickly as they can to get a roof covered before a severe thunderstorm or hailstorm hits. This might require working in high humidity and rainy situations, which compound the danger of being on the roof. The danger of bad weather is one of the worst problems for a roofer.

The shoes and clothes worn by a roofer should be durable but light. He wants to avoid overheating as much as possible. If the shoes are slippery, he is in danger of sliding off the roof. They should always have a good solid tread on them. If they do not, and if they have any kind of holes in them, it is time for a new pair. A roofer should never expect that his shoes or clothes will last for very long under the kind of strain this job gives. A roofer needs to support his ankles and his knees. He must be able to work at great heights and should have a keen sense of balance.

Some roofing companies will hire people who will work on the ground as "groundhogs." These workers will clean up old or bent nails, the shingles and all the other items that are removed from the old roof and thrown down to them. Groundhogs make sure there are no hazardous rusty nails or other hazardous items not being properly disposed of.

Roofing is a trade that is always highly in need. People sometimes have a need for a roofer when they do not have the money to get the required repairs done. A roofer can make good pay in this industry but he should not forget that the job is seasonal and during some periods of the year, he simply will not be able to work at all.

It is very important for roofers to have good insurance coverage. This is vital because the job is very risky and he will want to keep his family protected. He will be working high in the air, on jobs that may take him many stories up into the air.




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