We all know how important a strong, healthy roof is.
What Melbourne homeowners are less familiar with is the importance of your roof plumbing and guttering.
Your roof plumbing plays a critical role in your home’s drainage system.
Gutters, spouts and downpipes need to be cared for and maintained if your roof is to stay strong and healthy. If it wasn’t on your priority list already, it needs to be!
And that means getting in touch with a specialist roof plumber.
Just one question: how do you know that you’re getting someone who knows what they’re doing?
5 questions to ask your roof plumber
When it comes to something as important as your home, you’re going to want to make sure that it’s being looked after by people who:
- Know their stuff
- Have the experience needed to deal with the problem
- Use the materials and workmanship your home deserves
You know that you don’t want to even start to bother with DIY roof plumbing… but now comes the challenge of finding the right professional for the job.
Whether you’re a new homeowner or this is your first time to deal with your roof, it’s important to ask the right questions – this could be the key to finding the right roofing expert to look after your home.
And these ones are great starting points…
1) Are you a certified and licensed plumber?
Working with roofs takes special training and licensing – thus, the first question you need to ask is whether or not your plumber holds the required licenses!
All roofers are required to get licensed. Not only does this license help identify them, but it also confirms that said roof plumber:
- Can complete the job safely
- Uses proper techniques
- Provides work that complies with Australian standards
Most importantly for today’s topic, it’ll also tell you what sort of work they’re qualified to do, including whether they’re licensed to look after your roof plumbing.
Before deciding to work with any tradesperson, verify whether your they are certified and licensed by asking to see their license.
If they dance around the issue, take that as a sign that maybe it isn’t the best idea to work with this particular roofer!
2) Whether you need a metal roof inspection as well?
You’re not always aware of what’s going on up there in your roofing. While today’s topic may be your roof plumbing, the elements can affect all of your roof.
If it’s been a while since someone’s looked at your roof, it might be worth asking whether you need a metal roof inspection on top of repairs.
While it might not sound like something that’s absolutely essential, an inspection will help to identify issues like:
- Leaking roofs
- Storm damage
- Insulations issues
- Roof sealant issues
On top of evaluating your gutters and downspouts, our plumbers can also assess your roof for each of these issues as part of a regular roof inspection.
If we notice any of them while we’re working on your gutters, we’ll bring them up there and then, allowing you to decide whether to go ahead with work on those areas too.
3) How often do I need to clean my gutter?
Your gutters won’t work unless they’re clean and rainwater can flow freely. Unfortunately, debris like leaves, twigs and leaves have a habit of stopping this from happening.
The key to preventing this is regular cleaning… but how regular are we talking?
Most people will say twice a year – once after autumn, and once after spring.
The truth is however that it can actually be a lot more or less depending on your home!
How much tree cover do you have? Does the wind kick up a lot of dust? Do you live in a windy area? Are surrounding trees evergreen or deciduous?
All of this can influence how often you need to clean out your gutters.
Unsure how often you need to clean your gutters and other roof fixtures?
Our roof plumbers can help – we’ll tell you based on surrounding conditions exactly how often you’ll need to clean these all-important fixtures out.
4) Ask them if they do roof repairs
Nobody wants to deal with a leaking roof. While we’re focusing on gutters here, the fact of the matter is that a gutter problem can often mean that there are other issues with your roof.
Be sure to ask your roofer whether or not they offer other roof repair services in addition to gutter repairs, just in case – you never know if you might need them as well!
Think of it this way: if your gutters are starting to wear out, wouldn’t it be worth it to get the rest of your roof checked out and repaired on the off-chance that it needs repairs as well?
It doesn’t hurt to ask your plumber about what else they can do to keep your roof in pristine condition. When calling for plumbing repairs, ask them if they’ll be able to perform roof repairs as well if necessary!
5) How does your plumber bill?
Ideally, you’ll choose one who offers upfront pricing!
Whether it’s a gutter inspection, checking out a couple of rusty spots or replacing a section of gutter altogether, it’s important that you choose a plumber who offers their price right there and then.
The reason this is so important is because many less-scrupulous tradies aren’t afraid to use this as a way to try and rip you off. While they may give you a good-sounding quote, they also end up asking for a higher price once everything’s done due to “complications”.
In addition to offering upfront prices based on our assessment of your roof, we’ll also only do the work you’ve signed off on. While we’ll certainly raise the alarm if we see anything unexpected, we also won’t charge you for it until:
- We give you a cost for the additional work
- You sign off on it
From metal roof installation to gutter repairs, call our roof plumbers today
Your roof plumbing – that is, your gutters, downpipes and drains – are key parts in keeping your roof and home healthy, strong and good-looking.
Of course, they aren’t the only things that matter when it comes to caring for your roof – you can’t forget about the rest of your roof either.
Our metal roofing team doesn’t just do roof plumbing – we ensure that every single part of your roof, no matter its type, is strong, healthy and protects you from the elements:
Call Watermaster Roofing today on 1300 576 075 or fill in the form to request a quote for all your roofing requirements.
You can also visit us for roof plumbing in Melbourne: pop into our headquarters at 9/22 George St Sandringham, VIC 3191, if you prefer a more hands-on approach.