Mr Roofer

I received a call yesterday from a very nice chap named Jeff. You know how you can instantly take to some one who is pleasant, decent and honest. Anyway, Jeff had had polyurethane foam roof insulation installed in his terraced property and had the work done by one of the direct sales companies based in the south. They operate with a national sales force of “surveyors” (read salesman) and do a sales presentation more akin to how the unprofessional archetypal double glazing salesman does his - high pressure gloss with a hard sales close based upon a huge price drop if you sign up there and then because they can save mega money themselves on the install “if they twin your job at the same as the job around the corner” etc., yawn, or “we want you as a show home” etc., yawn.

If you believe you can judge a book by its cover then you will sign up with this company. A veneer of superficial respectability, nice gloss, and they talk a good talk. But according to Jeff that is as far as it went. The job they did was absolutely appalling. Jeff has kindly consented to act as a reference against this company so if you are interested email me and I will forward you Jeff’s contact details and all he need do is talk the truth.

The catalogue of errors this company performed reads like this:

This company agreed to replace broken, cracked, chipped slates. They left slipped and cracked slates. Read “cowboys”

This company agreed to renew the lead soakers and lead flashings to his chimney. They did not; they just coated his visible lead in a clear silicon coating. Read “cowboy” job.

This company agreed to provide a 25 year guarantee. They have refused to attend to his leaking roof and refused to put right the completely sub standard polyurethane foam install. They have not. Read deceit.

This company left Jeff with a leaking roof. Read “should be banned from the industry association they belong to and put on Watch Dog”. Rooftherm does not belong to that association and never will with members like that are associated and not policed even by the rules of that association.

This company did little to no preparation before spraying polyurethane foam; all loose touching (mortar back pointing) was left with not the slightest attempt to remove it according to Jeff. Read “cowboys”.

Now for the worst bit. They had charged Jeff for this completely cowboy job more than double what Rooftherm would have quoted. It is a real shame because Jeff only discovered us after his local trading standards officer suggested he contact us for advice. And because Jeff refused to pay the balance for the job, and rightly so, until they had rectified the job they immediately fired off letters threatening to take court leagl action and sue him. Well, what respectable company ever gets itself into a situation where it takes legal action against its own customers?! Understandably Jeff has lost all confidence in this company and refuses to let them cross his threshold ever again.

The upshot is that Jeff wants to contract us to put right the shoddy work done by this company. What should you do if you contract a company but get a completely shoddy job? Contact the following, Trading Standards, Citizens Advice, Trade Associations, your solicitor, a competitor, all of which Jeff did to get a resolution best for him.