Why are they important skills?

Every single building has to go through these two stages early on in construction. Every roof must have a strong framework and every roof must be covered with materials to protect against the environment. Both usually work in conjunction with each other and both are skills which are essential in most construction projects. And what’s more, SB Skills offer the perfect Roofing and Cladding NVQ course to for people interested in pursuing a career in these fields.
Let’s look at them a little closely…

Roofer – Job Description

A roofer, is a construction worker who specialises in all aspects of roof construction; from roofs repair, replacement to installation. They use a variety of materials including timber, metal, bitumen and shingles; all important components for the framework of any roofs. Roofing is typically very hard work; it entails a lot of heavy lifting and bending, and most importantly, awareness of hazards all around. A Roofer will work in all sorts of conditions; from sun to snow to ice to rain which means that he or she must be prepared to work in all types of weather conditions.

Types of Roofers

There are many various types of roofers:

• Shinglers – who mainly install shingles, “a thin, flat piece of wood or other material” (1) such as tiles or any such material than can be nailed on a roof.
• Metal roofers- those who specialise fitting primarily metal panels.
• Flat roofers- those who specialise in foam roofs.
• Hot roofers- those who work using tar-based products.

There are also varies types of roofer depending on the industry, typically in the category of:

• Commercial
• Industrial
• Factory Shed roofers
• Residential roofers

Even more so, depending on the materials that are used, roofing can be categorised as:

• Steel roofing
• PVC roofing
• Polycarbonate roofing
• Steel roofing
• Terrace roofing
  And more…

Having a skill-set in all types of roofing is usually better than specialising in one area as many jobs require multiple roofing requirements.

Cladding- Job Description

In construction, “cladding is used to provide a degree of thermal insulation and weather resistance, and to improve the appearance of buildings.” A cladder is someone who  fits cladding materials, such as soffit tiles (waterproof sheets) to the roof. This step is done after the roofing process. Like a roofer, a cladder must also be able to work in all types of weather as well as lift heavy equipment throughout the day. Roofing and cladding are job roles that go hand in hand being building processes that follow up from each other.

Types of Cladding

Cladding can be in the form of many materials, such as, metal, brick, vinyl as well as composite materials which include wood, aluminium, as well as wheat/ rice straw fibres.

Rainscreen Cladding – a type of cladding which is designed to protect against the natural elements whilst offering thermal insulation. It is more of a ‘system’ in the form of a double-wall construction that uses an outer layer to protect against the elements as well as an inner layer that prevents heat loss using the appropriate cladding material.  Cladding is also the feature that controls the element of noise from both entering and exiting a building.

Window Capping –  a type of cladding which refers to the applying of aluminium or vinyl sheeting cut to fit over the exterior of a building. The main purpose is for long-lasting interior and better protection against the elements.

You can learn more about roofing and cladding or gain an NVQ today with SB Skills.

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After the 2016 announcement, the Tesla roofing tiles were expected to be the next best thing. More durable than the standard tile, easier to clean and containing an invisible solar panel that transforms the utility of your whole roof; these are expected to revolutionise the roofs of homes all over the globe. These tiles also come in multiple styles to match the aesthetic of all sorts of homes and will be cheaper than conventional solar panels! We envision these tiles will be changing the way roofers coming through our Roofing and Cladding NVQ will be working in the future.

These tiles have now finally started to go into production at Tesla’s facility in New York according to Reuters. It is also reported that Tesla is now surveying houses that signed up to the $1000 reserve scheme, meaning the company likely expects to begin shipping and installation soon.

Prices for these tiles is expected to come in between 10% and 15% less than that of a new roof and solar panel array. These roofing tiles are designed to mimic many different styles, ensuring that your home has the perfect solar tile to match.

Cost and Maintenance

Depending on utility costs in your local area, estimations have been placed that a 30-year use of solar tiles could generate not only savings on energy costs but even generate profit! Tesla has given an example of Maryland, USA where with tax credits and a Tesla Powerwall, the home generates $8000 in its lifetime.

If you want to learn more about our Roofing and Cladding Courses you can find out more about recent developments here.

Read more below…

The environmental benefits of solar roofing are many. Not only do they help relieve the burden on fossil fuel generation, they also do so by reclaiming space that’s already utilized. New solar farms are excellent for providing increasing amounts of electricity to larger areas but developers often have to use large swaths of land to ensure their farms are economically viable. Like other solar panels used for domestic energy supply, Tesla’s solar roofing tiles take advantage of areas that are already used up by buildings, but they do it in a more cost effective way.

Author: Patrick Caughill

Link to article: https://futurism.com/teslas-solar-roofing-tiles-begun-production-buffalo-factory/

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Working at height is an important consideration for employers. Several industries such as the oil and gas sector, the construction sector, roofing and cladding, telecommunication sector and the design sector include the use of working on heights. In fact, the industries that do not directly need working at heights may also at some point require the need to use a ladder even to change the bulb or even for putting up some decorations in the office. Working at heights is not restricted by the law but there are regulations to ensure the safety of the personnel.

Roofing and cladding often require you to work at heights, so the laws and regulations including the health and safety for employees should be any company’s primary concern. The CSCS Roofing and Cladding NVQ course provided by SB Skills includes compulsory units of workplace safety rules and efficient work practices. CSCS Roofing and Cladding NVQ will improve an operative’s health and safety.

This article focuses on some of the laws and regulations that are relevant to working at heights. The “Work at Height Regulations 2005” is the main pieces of regulations that govern this particular type of work. The regulations are devised to prevent injuries and death. The legislation is not complex and has different sections that are important to different types of work.

This article will help you handle the safety of your employees working at heights, read on to learn more!

How to Work at Height Safely

There are three main steps to working safely at height. Once you’ve understood any regulations that are specific to your industry (if any), these steps will help you avoid falling injuries in the workplace. It may be the case that carrying out working at height risk assessment beforehand is beneficial, as this will help you pull together all of the relevant considerations. Depending on your circumstances, it may be mandatory.

The three steps to reducing the likelihood of workplace injuries as a result of falls are as follows:

Risk Avoidance

The first, and easiest step in working safely at height is to avoid it where possible. In some cases, it will, of course, be impossible not to climb a ladder or ascend a platform, but there are many solutions out there to help some jobs be carried out from ground level. For example, if you’re trying to clean windows, or reach products down from a high rack, there may be tools available that means climbing a ladder is unnecessary. Even using a forklift truck to reach pallets down may be safer than climbing racking to reach high stock. Always look for opportunities to make the task safer.

Risk Minimisation

If it is essential that you or one of your employees must work at height, then you should take all possible precautions to reduce the risk of falling. There are many, many ways this can be done, ranging from reducing the time spent working at height, to having guard rails and other barriers on platforms. Having specific guards in place for specific jobs is the best way of making sure that injuries do not occur. Ladders are a fairly common piece of equipment in the workplace and can be made safer by being regularly checked for condition, and ensuring that staff that use them know how to do so properly.

Author: Alex Bateman

https://www.virtual-college.co.uk/news/health-and-safety/2017/09/working-at-height-law-and-regulations

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