How has roofing changed for your area of expertise over the years?

Natty, my dad used Senco P7 staple guns for years in the 70's. Had no issues.

Natty, where I grew up most all the roofs we did were one layer tear offs on walkable slopes. It wasn't until I moved to Birmingham, AL 21 years ago that I learned what a true roofer was as many roofs were steep and multiple layers. We did one with 8 layers on it one time and I've done many on the South Side of downtown that were built in the early 1900's where they had 1 x 4 spaced decking with wood shakes on the bottom, a couple layers of big diamond shape shingles over that and then a couple layers of three tabs. We redecked them all. One was 4 stories on a 10/12 slope with 6 layers. :huh:

Natty said "There is some really pitiful roofing going on now. Seems it is all about production and putting money in the middle man's pocket."

Yep! It got so bad ( and cheap ) around here that I just started specializing in repairs since there were so many roofs that needed repair and you have to actually be a roofer to do it efficiently and profitably instead of just a businessman or an "insurance restoration specialist". Not that there's necessarily anything wrong with either of the two but I'm just saying! :dry:

Yeah Tim, I forgot to mention the red tape one, rules and regulations. I feel that I learned from the best, not just my father but all of his partners and coworkers. They were all top notch roofers and I spent years working under their supervision. Possibly that fact alone but maybe something within myself also has always made me dislike ignorant rules and regulations and the folks that dish them out. If they make sense it's one thing but most of the time they don't and that's a whole different thing.

This reminds me of the time I was being considered for a very large contract on a condominium complex and they brought their own "expert" to the board meeting they had called me to. I was referred to them by the owner of a very large realty company that I had done a lot of work for over the years and he was there as well. To make a long story short, the so called "expert" was talking down to me and trying to add a LOT of unnecessary things to the contract thus making life difficult on me and my guys with no extra pay for any of it so I stood up in front of all of them and gave him a piece of my mind.

When I sat back down, the realtor who had referred me spoke up and said "He's a little rough around the edges but he's the best roofer I've ever came across". Later I regretted what I had done figuring I had blown the contract. Until the board chairman called me three days later, gave me the job and said don't worry about the expert we had at the meeting, he won't be around anymore! It was 436 squares if I remember correctly. ;)

I have used Senco staples since they first came out in '74. I have never had any problems. Seems no one ever learned how to use them. The same with coil nailers. It ain't the tool, it is the idiot behind the tool who won't learn anything. I still use staples on plank decks simply because the result is the best. I do use coil nailers on everything else. I have only hand nailed 3 jobs in over 40 years because it was requested. Hated every minute of it. I am just too big to sit on my hip all day. It is much easier for me to bend over. I have a strong back.

I don't think anyone tore a roof off in North Texas until the mid '80s. I use to do 3 and 4 layer tearoffs regularly. The most I ever tore off was 7 layers. Those shingles from the '40s and '50s were really thin. Since insurance pays for near everything now, no more than one layer on a house. And back in the '80s, most of my work was straight layover wood shingles. Easy money and I think I was the only roofer who ever did a good job with that. I nested my shingles, pulled and reflashed the vents and walls, and cut back the rakes. I would not even consider laying over wood shingles now. And I think I am the only roofer around here that knows how to redeck a house. There is some really pitiful roofing going on now. Seems it is all about production and putting money in the middle man's pocket.

I am less and less able to tolerate the mountain of red tape and dealing with the small minds in permit departments anymore! It is just maddening!

I just went round and round with one such yesterday. The "lady" chewed me out for being late paying the $75 permit fee. I told her that I tried 6 times to pay it but every time the person I needed to talk to was: out of the office, sick, not working that day, in a meeting. I called her 6 times and left voicemail for 10 days, which she ignored. My employee walked into their office with a check in his hand to pay, they told him the proper person was out of the office.

You give a small person a little authority over people who're getting things done, and so often they see it as their duty to throw roadblocks up for you.

Sick of it!