Roofer or Siding Fitter Job Description
Roofers and siding fitters are almost solely responsible for the exterior appearance of your home. Roofers must ensure that shingles are in straight rows and that "runs" are properly alternated to prevent leaks. Furthermore, they must fit aluminum sheets around chimneys and other structures. This process, along with the material used, is known as "flashing". In flat-roof applications, a sheet covering sealed with tar is used. Other materials used for roofing are shakes(wooden shingles) and steal roofing. Roofers determine the amount of material needed by utilizing a unit of measurement known as a "square". A square is 100 sq. ft, or a 10' by 10' section of roof. Consequently, the number of bundles used to cover this area is also referenced as a square. This is three bundles for standard three tab, but four bundles for architectural. Roofers must also contend with the steepness of the roof. "Pitch" as it is know is typically measured by the distance the roof rises over the course of a foot of slope. If a roof rises one foot over the course of one foot of run then the pitch is described as 12:12. Alternately, if it only rose four inches, it would be described as 4:12. Working on a roof is not very pleasant for most of the year. If it is warm on the ground, the asphalt shingles make it feel hot on the roof. If the weather is cooler, then the wind plays a factor in making it colder on the roof.
Siding fitters use a variety of materials to achieve the finished look on a home, all of which achieve a similar look in the end. The siding fitter also uses the square to determine materials, but ,because of the size of the material, he or she must also account for the spaces between windows and length of the wall. Siding installers will often avoid placing joints whenever possible. This means that between windows or sections of wall that are short enough, the siding piece will span the whole length. Of course this is not always possible since manufactured siding comes in around 10' to 12' lengths. Manufactured siding interlocks, top to bottom, and overlaps at the ends. Just like shingles, the joints must be staggered in order to avoid leaks. Windows and doors are trimmed with J-channel. J-channel, which gets its name from its profile shape, is placed with the long side of the "J" against the wall and the curve of the "J" against the window framing. Siding terminates in the inside of the curve, providing an attractive and weather resistant joint. Siding fitters enjoy decent working conditions for most one-story applications. As structures increase in size, working conditions become more hazardous due to the use of ladders and scaffolding. In the use of aluminum siding, the material itself can be dangerous.
Roofers and siding fitters are both in the business of weather-proofing your home. So many concepts are shared between them that it's no surprise that many contractors specialize in both. As a business, either vocation can be entered into on small scale jobs fairly inexpensively. With a two to three man crew, a one story home can be roofed and fitted with siding using less than $500 in tools. Such ventures are usually not undertaken without prior experience.
