Roofing plays a leading role in protecting the home from rain, hail, snow, and wind damage. It has been said that your roof is “the fifth wall” of your home and is the primary protection of your residence from the elements. It also enhances the beauty of your home and accentuates the architecture of the entire house. Proper selection of roofing materials can serve to enhance the visual value of your home.
Roofing Materials Can Reduce Energy Costs and Provide Power
Selecting roofing materials and colors can significantly reduce homeowner power bills. For instance, in Florida homeowners will spend much more money cooling their home than heating it during a year’s time. It will therefore pay to choose light colors that reflect the sun’s rays.
Roofing shingles are now available in new home construction as solar panels that look like ordinary shingles. One 10 by 10-foot area can power basic lighting in your home. More surface areas equal more power to your home. For the past fifty years, roofing panels heat water pipes for hot water consumption or for heating units by radiator units.
Why Should Roofing Safety Concern the Homeowner?
Roofing safety is everyone’s concern, not just OSHA. The Federal Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration is the agency responsible for worker safety. Until recently, home roofing safety was not covered due to the provision to use slide guides in lieu of personal safety harnesses or guiderails. Because contractors ignored safety, OSHA cracked down with tougher regulations.
The reality is that the new regulations are still not completely solving the injuries from falling over the edge of the roof. The homeowner should also be concerned if the contractor has Workers Compensation insurance on their employees to cover health and rehabilitation for injured workers. In addition, the contractor should have liability insurance and can prove their workers are covered by Workers Comp insurance. Otherwise, the homeowner stands to be sued for injuries should a roofing accident occur.
How Regulations Add Costs to Roofing
Yet, with the more expensive regulations installing guiderails, safety harnesses and alarm monitors for their workers, the cost of additional labor time is passed on to the consumer. A one-day job can wind up taking at least 50% longer based upon having to use safety gear which results in increased labor costs.
Roofing is Our Concern
We all must work together to ensure the roofing worker is protected within reasonable limits. The roofing industry, labor unions, government and the homeowner should cooperate with each other and find effective solutions for roofing safety. Roofing plays a leading role in demanding that safe roofing practices are everybody’s business.
