Major Developments to Take Place in Roofing Post Brexit
For a long time roofing has been considered a weak link in the construction process. This is down to people with minimum qualifications and experience calling themselves roofers before carrying out sub-standard work.
However, the National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC) has developed a 4 year plan which aims to tackle this. The plan, which has been dubbed a Workforce Development Strategy, is designed to raise the standards of the roofing trade in general and help ignite growth and interest, reaffirming it as a valuable trade.
The plan aims to attract the backing of the government and private sector corporations and aims to open the doors to new jobs, higher standards of work and help the UK hit its construction goals.
The development is a result of research carried out by Skyblue research on behalf of the NFRC, the Roofing Industry Alliance and was funded by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB). The research wanted to look into the key challenges facing the roofing industry. After it was complete it was concluded that the roofing sector could be boosted by targeting 3 key objectives:
Objective 1: Establish the roofing sector as a professional, modern, respected and aspirational sector with clear career paths; able to attract the best and the brightest apprentices, students and new workers.
Objective 2: Formalise and standardise a higher UK-wide training, accreditation and assessment infrastructure: to upskill and multi-skill its growing workforce.
Objective 3: Proactive engagement with all roofing sector companies, suppliers and trade associations, and seeking endorsement and commitment from all procurement stakeholders: enabling growth, increased training, and access to grants and higher standards.
The NFRC Chief Executive James Talman had this to say about the development:
“The Workforce Development Strategy sets out to provide insight into the specific areas of recruitment, training, accreditation and modernisation, that are perceived to be lacking in the roofing sector. By adopting the three key objectives recommended in the report and obtaining Government backing for roofing, there would added benefit to the wider construction industry, apprenticeship and employment figures, and the UK economy as a whole. We are confident that we will see a resurgence in our sector.”
DPR looks forward to seeing the development of this scheme. If you require, or want to learn more about, any of DPRs roofing services just call us on 0113 335 0043.
What Property Maintenance do We Offer?
For most people their house is the one steady thing in their life. It is their rock that they then build all their dreams on. We see houses as big, sturdy and unyielding. We imagine that they will be there forever. And they should be, but, like all good things to make sure your house lasts forever it will need a bit of TLC.
Some bits you can do yourself, but some bits we definitely recommend getting a professional in. As we mentioned, your home should be your rock, and it is not worth taking the risk. If you were to do something incorrectly, or miss a vital step out then it could spell disaster.
DPR have been repairing roofs and homes for over 28 years. We have a large team of talented engineers who have skills and qualifications in a wide variety of trades. This means we can offer a complete range of services, and carry them out the highest of standards.
Some of the basic services we offer in property maintenance are:
Gutter clearing
Roof inspections (flat and pitched)
High level inspections
Digital Imagery
However, our property maintenance services are not like a restaurant menu. You do not have to pick and choose individual services. We know that buildings come in a huge array of shapes and sizes, as do the issues that come along with them. This is why we can tailor the services we provide you, depending on your needs.
Property maintenance should be a vital part of your general home upkeep, right alongside decorating and cleaning. If you would like to learn more about the property maintenance services we offer just call us on 0113 335 0043.
The Demand For Flat Roofs Keeps Increasing
Over the last few years, there has been growth in the demand for flat roofs. With continuous development projects in the commercial and domestic sectors as well as an improvement in flat roofing materials, it is easy to see why.
Flat roofing materials are now much more advanced, with increased durability and resistance, meaning they are now more long term, requiring little maintenance and as a result, valuable investments to make for a property.
As well as the increase in the quality of materials used for flat roofs, another reason they are once again becoming increasingly popular is their ability to be used as storage, such as of air conditioning units. This makes them especially popular amongst commercial properties such as offices, warehouses, and leisure facilities.
With over 28 years in the roofing industry, DPR are highly experienced in providing a range of roofing services, including replacement, repairs, and installation of flat roofs across Huddersfield and throughout Yorkshire.
At DPR we understand that the needs of each client are different which is why we tailor each of our services to meet your requirements and expectations. We also carry out initial site surveys to identify and assess the work that needs to be done, as well as to provide as much helpful advice as we can.
If you have a commercial or domestic property and want to find out more about our flat roofing services, or any of our other professional roofing services, please do not hesitate to contact us on 0113 3470918 or email us at [email protected].
How To Clean Your Gutters
Guttering on domestic and commercial properties can get clogged up with debris during the winter months as leaves and twigs fall off trees. This is common in areas outside of the city where there are more open spaces. Now that we have reached Spring and the winter weather is behind us, it is time to get out and check/clean your gutters.
Gutters are easy to clean and you should check them at least twice a year to stop the debris building up too much. If left to collect debris, the excess weight of leaves and twigs can cause even greater issues, including cracks in the guttering. Clogs in the downpipes can also cause water to pool around the roof, contributing to water ingress.
Before cleaning, try and watch the weather for a while. Debris that is dry is much lighter and easier to clean than wet leaves and mush. If possible use a trowel to scoop out any of the wet stuff at the bottom or to remove blockages. When cleaning, always start at the end of the down pipe and work your way out from this point. If your downpipe has a filter remove this and clean is thoroughly. Try water jetting any bits that might have got caught and you cannot remove by hand.
When all the large debris has been removed from the pipe and you have made your way to the other end, use a hose or water jet to force any other muck from within your gutters down into the drains. Start away from the downpipe and work your way across once again. If after doing this the water does not drain away then this could indicate a problem in your down pipe. Using the hose again, but this time on full pressure feed it up the downpipe and try and break up any blockages.
If after doing all of the above you still notice water sitting in your gutters, you could have a wrongly sloped gutter alignment. Gutters should slope ever so slightly down towards the downpipe meaning no water collects or pools in the guttering. Professional help from one of our team should eradicate the problem, with the use of specialist equipment.
Should you have a constant issue with debris getting into your gutters, you could try a gutter screen which can be installed on top for the guttering. This ensures that only water off the roof runs into the gutters keeping them flowing.
If you have a problem with your gutters and would like professional help, please contact one of our team today on 0113 335 0043.
Spring Roofing Maintenance
Spring is the perfect time of year to inspect your roof, and if required, organise roof maintenance work to be carried out. With longer days and improved weather conditions, it is easier to inspect and notice areas of a roof which may need cleaning or repairing following damage possibly caused by the winter elements.
Winter can be particularly cruel to roofing systems, causing tiles to break and gutters to become blocked, amongst other problems. It is therefore advised that roof inspections are undertaken at least once a year, ideally before and after the winter season.
To minimise the impact on your domestic or commercial property, roofing maintenance should be carried out as soon as a problem is identified. Problems such as blocked gutters, which can occur through excessive debris and leaves, can disrupt the flow of rainwater and lead to drainage issues. Further problems, such as broken tiles should also be repaired quickly as this means your roofing system will not be functioning effectively as a protective layer.
As professional roofing contractors working throughout Huddersfield and Yorkshire on a daily basis, DPR Roofing can provide a range of property maintenance services to suit your requirements. These include periodic inspections on flat and tiled roofs, high level inspections, roof repairs, digital imagery and gutter clearing.
If you require regular property maintenance, for example for larger properties, we can also offer other services and can tailor property maintenance packages to your requirements. No matter how big or small your property, DPR will have the solution.
For more information on repair, maintenance, or re-roofing work for your domestic or commercial property, please do not hesitate to contact DPR roofing on 0113 335 0043 or email us at [email protected].
Blocked Gutter at Railway Station in Bolton
At DPR, our team are specialists in all areas of roofing. This means that as well as providing structural repairs and re-roofing, we also provide property maintenance services. This includes gutter clearance.
Clear gutters are essential for correct water drainage in any commercial or domestic property. This is particularly important during heavy rainfall as a build-up of water could pose as a risk on the health and safety of a building. If this problem occurs on business premises, which is open to the public, this could also lead to the business being temporarily closed.
DPR understand the risks blocked gutters can present to businesses which is why we aim to carry out all work efficiently with minimal disruption, ensuring your property gets back up and running as soon as possible. This is exactly what we did for one of our recent clients, a Railway station, in Bolton.
After discovering that their gutters had become blocked by the excessive growth of moss and grass, the Bolton Railway station contacted our team at DPR. Having over 28 years’ experience in providing services to commercial properties of all sizes, DPR were able to provide a professional gutter clearing service at a competitive price also doing such out of normal working hours.
As well as clearing and cleaning the gutter, we ensured that the gutter was aligned and in good condition so that it was safe and fully functioning. Our client was very pleased with the outcome and our services with zero disruption to the station and the public also.
Our team at DPR are passionate about providing the highest level of customer service to all our clients, which is why our offerings range from emergency repairs and thorough checking of alignment, to regular maintenance on a contracted basis. At DPR we want to ensure we provide the best solution to any roofing problems you have.
For more information on our guttering services, or any of our other roofing repair or maintenance services, please do not hesitate to contact us on 0113 335 0043 or email us at [email protected], we would be happy to help.
Exciting First Job For Our New Platform
One of the best things about what we do is that we never know where the next job is going to be.
DPR have been repairing both commercial and domestic roofs for over 28 years now. In this time we have worked on a huge array of property types, for an even broader range of clients. Suffice it to say we have been called to some odd jobs in the past.
However, a recent repair job may take the biscuit in regards to secrecy.
A huge number of people were affected by Storm Doris in late Feb, and the government was no exception. This is why we were called upon to repair the storm damaged roof of a secret government data facility in near the west coast of England.
We actually had to perform the job in 2 stages. Immediately after the storm we attended and removed a large number of loose dangerous material. However, our old platform was simply not big enough to access the large cladding walls properly. Therefore we had to wait a few days for the new platform to be ready (1st March on a new 17 plate) before would could complete the work.
As soon as the new platform was finished and safe we headed back to the site to finish the job. Our first job was to erect some emergency scaffolding and install a temporary roof over the entire building. This is a large and tricky job, but due to the electronic devices, and sensitive material found on these buildings, it was extremely important.
Now the temporary roof has been erected our engineers can get to work beneath it repairing the storm damage.
This was a brilliant first job for our platform, and the timing could not have been any better. Without it we simply would not have been able to carry the work out as effectively, which is exactly why we bought it.
DPR Ltd provide both commercial and domestic services to clients all over the Yorkshire area. These services range from repairing storm damage to replacing a single roof tile. To find out more about our services simply call us on 0113 335 0043.
Amount of new homes registered is second highest in almost a decade
The amount of homes that have been registered in the UK for 2016 is up 70% on the levels of registration at the time of the housing crash in 2008/09. With so much uncertainty around Britain’s future after Brexit the UK house-building sector has remained resilient and there has been strong growth in regions outside of London.
151,687 new homes were registered in 2016, with Yorkshire & Humberside gaining a huge 27% increase in the number of houses registered compared to stats from 2015. This is highly welcome news for us here at DPR Roofing. Having provided domestic and commercial roofing services to property owners in Huddersfield and its surrounding areas for over 20 years, DPR will continue to do so.
The overall UK total excluding London registrations shows a 4% increases compared to statistics from 2015, with 134,365 registrations in 2016 compared to 129,744 in 2015. The number of new homes completed in 2016 was also up on the numbers for 2015, but only by a slight 1% margin. 141,175 new homes were completed in 2016 compared to 140,407 in 2015.
An interesting fact to come out of the recent figures is that 2016 saw the highest number of detached houses registered in the UK since 2004 with 46,118 and the highest number of semi-detached houses registered since records began 35 years ago.
Talking about the recent figures, NHBC Business Development Director Mark Jones said: “Both industry and consumer confidence remains high and early signs indicate that the new year has begun positively.”
Promising words that hopefully indicate the UK housing sector becoming even stronger.
All the team here at DPR look forward to working on any new roofs in the area and are always looking to build new working relationships with clients.
If you are based in Huddersfield, Wakefield or any of West Yorkshire and have roofing needs, then give us a call.
Our engineers are fully accredited and trained to perform a variety of different jobs. We can provide you with roof repairs, surveys and much, much more.
To get into contact with a welcoming and knowledgeable member of the DPR team, please get in touch.
How Can You Tell if a Roof Tile is Broken?
With experience spanning over 25 years, DPR strive to not only provide a professional and efficient service for all clients but to also provide the best possible advice for all things roofing. It is important to us to give helpful advice so that you can ensure your roof remains in a good condition without any damages. With our services ranging from the repair, replacement, and installation of a variety of roofs, lead work and gutter clearance, for both domestic and commercial properties, the professionals at DPR are here to help no matter how big the problem.
Tiles are a popular material used for roofing and with a life span of up to 100 years, it is easy to see why. However as with everything else, tiles can become damaged with age and extreme bouts of weather. Because of this, it is advised that roofs are checked at least once a year, especially between the changing seasons, and a few simple visual inspections on the inside and outside of your house could help you to determine if repair work is required.
One key sign that there may be damage to your roof tiles are leaking and dark spots on the ceilings of the top floors or attics of the inside of your property as this indicates that the roof is no longer acting as a protective layer, allowing dampness from the outside to come in. The other obvious sign is outside light showing through the roof.
When it comes to exterior checks, it is useful to walk around your property to look for missing tiles or fragments of tiles on the floor. Roofs should also be relatively uniform, so look for anything generally out of place such as rotting and mould or any loose material and wear around chimneys, vents, and pipes. It is also important to check that gutters are securely attached.
DPR’s roofing specialists in Huddersfield provide services including a full and comprehensive site survey, tile repairs and maintenance and professional installation of a wide array of clay, concrete and natural tiles to suit your property.
If your tiled roof is displaying any of the above signs or you would like to know more about our other services, please do not hesitate to contact us on 0113 335 0043 or email us at [email protected].
New Year, New Roof
Christmas and the new years can represent the worst of the weather in the UK. It is around this time of year that your roof will take the most beating. The weather is apt to change in temperature quite dramatically which can cause warping of your roof. The wind and rain will also put extra strain on it.
This means if there is any time of year that your roof is likely to fail, or start developing faults, it is now.
This makes it is the perfect time to carry out any work on your roof, in order to shore it up for the last few months of winter. Or, ideally, you could get a new roof installed entirely.
The benefits of having a new roof installed are plentiful. Firstly you can rest assured that your new roof will be able to withstand the harshest of winter months for years to come, taking all weather in its stride.
Next is the aesthetic improvements. There is no denying that a newly installed roof, with fresh tiling looks impressive, and can improve the overall appearance of your home by a huge amount. It is not shallow or materialistic to simply enjoy the appearance of your home.
Another benefit of a new roof is the value it can add to your home, or at least pay for itself when it comes to selling it. We have heard reports of roofs adding similar to what they cost, which essentially means that they did not cost the homeowner anything to install. Added to that a home with a new roof will ultimately attract more potential buyers than one without.
DPR have been installing new roofs to home all over Yorkshire for over 27 years. In this time we have installed hundreds, if not thousands of new roofs. If you would like to learn about any of our services just call us on 0113 335 0043.