Very Important Question... What's Your Favorite Part About Being A Roofer?

I used to like that it kept me in shape, working to a price in England we used to strip the concrete or clay tiles and throw them down off of the second storey scaffold to the floor (about 6 meters.)

I started at 14 working weekends and school holidays on my dads roofing firm, I was the catcher!

When I first started I was the weak link, struggling to catch and stack at the rate the tiler stripped them off at and getting mocked by the other guys.(reclaimed tiles = money over here.)but over time I got better at it and returned the favour shouting up to throw me 4,5 or 6 at a time and laughing when they couldn`t keep up!

When that was finished I would pull up the tiles on a ginny wheel and then load them out on the roof battens. All hard physical work, and I wanted to be the best so I`d carry as much as I physically could.

I got so fit and strong it was unreal, I`m not a big man (about 60-65kg 170cm) but I was the strongest kid at my school (leave at 16 years old over here) and was built like a pro athlete by the time I was 15. I could push 120kg bench press at my peak, double my own body weight.

Although I progressed to be a tiler by the time I was 21 I`d often jump down to show the boys how it was done! I loved it and I was damned good at it.

Unfortunately it did catch up with me, I just had an op to remove the end of one of my clavicles. I had eroded away the cartilage where it joined my shoulder. The other side is gone too but is holding up ok after I got an injection into the joint. I`m only 32, I don`t make the guys catch any more....

OK, this isn't my favorite thing, but it's something you too, can do at home.

After a particlarly dirty day of tear off or being coated with tile cutting dust, I take a white, moistened washrag. I put it over my face. With my fingers, I trace the eybrows, then half-circles below the eyes. Then rub fingers down both sides of your nose. Then draw a "U" from your chin up above your mouth, and down to the chin on the other side. Now take your knuckles and rub along your chinline. Slowly lift the washrag away and there it is. Your own apparition of Christ.

My wife finds the washrags in the hamper and scolds me for being sacreligious, but hey, if you need a miracle every day, you can have one if you're a dirty roofer.

Learn so many diferrent systems

satisfication

The best part of being a roofer for me. Is when you can provide a quality service to your clients and that they are satisfied with you work and would look forward on working with you again.

I like the part where i finally get home, get a bath and go to bed! :unsure:

Hey "Roofskillz, ktrepairs, and A1TQC76! Why don't you guys sign in on the post asking your names and where you are from? it woudl be appreciated, at least my me. thanks

Honest days work for those who get hands dirty. Getting that sincere "Thank You!" when new friend (customer), realizes there really are some honest contractors left. Most of all, I enjoy having my father as a partner, my nephews as my proteges, and going 8yrs and counting without installing a 3 tab shingle for some cheap ass company!

watching labor prices revert to what they where in 1980

THE FREEDOM on a hot Sumer day the feeling of acomploshment when u get off the stick job that runs roofers away doing hands on work physical work a mans job

You get to set your own hours most of the time.

You get to look down on all other trades.

You don't need to do extreme sports when you're in danger daily.

Every time you shake someone's hand, they're impressed with your callouses.

You get to confirm your blood is still red on at least a weekly basis.

When it starts raining, you're the first to know.

Since your clean work clothes already have stains on them, you don't fret if something gets spilled on them.

It's really easy to exceed preconceived notions of your intelligence.

There are great answers here and they cover so much ground I doubt I could add much to them. I like it for the reasons cited, but also simply because in a life under a constant barrage of foolishness roofing will always remain inviolately elemental. To what kage said, though, about "quittin addictions" I have to say that for me roofing is an addiction.

but really...

it's nice to be in and out of a job rapidly. show up, take care of business and done and done! to have a limited tooling requirement, to have the ability to move surplus materials from job to job with little waste, bidding is very easy compared to room adds and customs, bids can be very precise, clients like that. clients are TRULY grateful when you solve a problem others failed to, the labor pool is easy to assess for competence,

and the best part...folks have NO CHOICE but to hire. when a roof gets bid most often SOMEONE will be roofing it...the question is who. with a room add or custom or a remodel, there are many bids composed by three or four (or more) contractors and NO ONE gets a gig for various reasons.