Do Roofers Use Scaffolding?
Scaffolding is one of the most common features of most roofing jobs and you can see it right away when roofing is installed or repaired in a home or building. But, if you want to save some money for your roof work, you are probably wondering if the job needs scaffolding.
The benefits of not using scaffolding are usually obvious. For starters, this can cut down the costs and the time required finishing the project. But, scaffolding actually provides an additional layer of safety, especially for roofers.
What is the Purpose of Scaffolding?
Scaffolding is not only a needless eyesore on residential or commercial properties. In fact, this is far from it. This offers roofers with temporary and safe access to the roof. This structure also supports materials to allow the roofers to do their job from the top of the scaffold to save them from the need to go up and down throughout the day with every bit and piece of material required.
Even though this might not seem convenient for you because of its cost and appearance, scaffolding actually offers huge benefits for roofers since it makes roof work easier, faster, and safer.
Is Scaffolding Necessary?
Just like how you imagined, the answer as to whether scaffolding is necessary or not is a clear and big yes. There is only one time and instance when roofers don’t really need scaffolding for the job and that is when it is safe to access the roof from inside the house or building, such as with stairs leading up to the flat roof or low pitched roof.
There are even some cases when it is not really suitable to use scaffolding. On particularly hard to reach and awkward buildings or areas with several storeys, it might be a better and wiser option to use a powered access platform. Normally reaching a height of up to 90 feet, this is a faster and cheaper choice for emergency jobs and when access is tricky and difficult.
How Much Does Scaffolding Cost?
Scaffolding cost will depend on the size of the specific building where it is being used on. The price starts at about £400 on small terraced houses where scaffolding is often necessary at the back and front. But, the cost can go up to £2,000 for bigger detached houses where it is necessary to erect scaffolding around the sides.
What is important to keep in mind is that this price will be worth every penny. Scaffolding, for starters, is important to safely carry out the roof work. This also ensures that the roofers will be able to do the job properly with no need to cut corners.
The primary advantage of scaffolding is that it lets the roofers do their work efficiently and quickly. If the roofer tries replacing a roof without using scaffolding, this will take much longer with pretty shoddy results. This means a big additional cost for the additional time and even more costs to finish the job. Scaffolding may also be needed to repair or clean your guttering, depending on the height of your property.
With all of these in mind, it means that scaffolding is more often than not a necessary tool for roofers to carry out their projects efficiently and safely.
