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FSI Restorations, LLC a Jamison company near Doylestown, Pa. has its share of Slate, Tile, Cedar roofing projects and most of them are refurbishment projects. When dealing with natural roofing systems, one should research the history of the given trade and the elements of the system, such as Terne Coated Steel low sloped areas, Copper Yankee Gutters, and Low sloped metal areas. Often, the hacks of the industry have visited and “repaired”
The use of roofing tar and caulking is rampant in the industry and no stranger to Doylestown, Pa. The damage to historic roofing is immeasurable. FSI Restorations, LLC expounds upon this roofing dilemma extensively on the company website. As stated on the company website, “A can of flashing cement and a trowel is all the unscrupulous contractor needs to generate almost immediate income. With little or no expertise and a ladder, these guys are making slate roof nightmares every day.” This statement extends to Tile and Cedar and Copper and Tin and just about any type of roof. The Doylestown and Bucks County consumer is to blame many times for seeking out their perceived target value in a low cost roofing solution to a roof leak situation. The contractor that endeavors to meet the perceived goal of a client by spot repairing historic roofs with tar and caulking is party to the travesty that unfolds. The utter unprofessional approach of the dash-patch repairman and the quick-buck purveyor of poison provide a “good feeling” for the dweller of the historic property but that feeling is short lived.
This problem is far from limited to an aesthetic issue for the folks of Doylestown, Bucks County, Pa. The smearing of roof cement can actually cause the steep sloped roof to leak profusely from a repaired area that was only a drip before. The reason for this is that velocity and the rapid breakdown of the muck can cause fissures that direct the water velocity like your “finger in a water hose.” Hence, a small leak becomes a nightmare for the consumer and for the astute and caring tradesman that later has the burden to repair the problem.
So, the prudent consumer will seek out and find a seemingly reputable contractor to offer a real solution. Sadly and many times the consumer still finds incompetence. The reason is that most roofers only stay in the business for a short period, under five years. As the bulk of the work within the industry pertains to “new age” materials and these new age roofs and historic roofs have little more in common than the ladder used to climb to reach them.
Most modern contractors have little knowledge of old-world roofing. The specifications submitted in an estimate may seem valid to an unsuspecting consumer. Even modern architects need to return to school on these issues. The problem is that the schools are just not teaching what is necessary to become an expert. One case in point: The use of copper flashing on cedar roofs is rampant in the industry, and a big mistake that any caring and astute student of historic roofing should realize. Another problem within the roofing profession is the underlayment craze brought about by the lessening in quality of the materials and methodologies and the lack of specifications contained within the building codes. The code books almost always reference the “manufacturer specifications,”
We can only emphasize the adage “Do it right the first time.” We encourage you not to allow an idiot to ruin your roof. FSI Restorations services the Doylestown area, Bucks County, along with the Philadelphia main line areas of Bucks & Chester Counties, North-Central NJ and New Castle DE.
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