BSL Home Improvements Ltd

We needed the flat roof replacing on our garage and obtained a number of quotes. Ben???s was invited to give us a quote, based on other recommendation on Which Local. He know what he was talking about, the quote was detailed and competitive and we liked his attitude. We gave him the job and wasn???t disappointed by our choice. We opted for a new fibre glass roof covering with an insurance backed guarantee. Ben started work on the agreed date and he and his team were diligent, hardworking and we were happy to have them in our home. Ben kept me informed of progress, so there were no surprises at the end of the job and on completion the necessary guarantee was arranged quickly. Ben has expanded his workforce enabling him to offer other building services work including covering all types of roof work. He therefore now also trades as BSL Home Improvements (incorporating 1st Class Roofing). If we were planning on undertaking other types of works I would definitely invite him to quote again. I would have no hesitation in recommending Ben. As they say ??" it was a pleasure doing business with him.

Ben gave me a good quote for a fibre glass flat roof to replace an old asbestos/cement roof. It also needed the roof raising a little to provide better headroom at the rear of the garage. The work was done effectively and efficiently (and without blaring radios). We are very pleased with the roof and Ben and his team's workmanship. Fully recommended.

Ben came promptly when called to inspect and give advice on a leaking felt roof . He explained the alternative solutions very well and then provided a competitive quote for a patch job using felt or complete new fibre glass with the option of including additional insulation. After some consideration and taking into account the age of the felt roof covering and the guarantee provided I decided to go for the new fibre glass roof covering with the additional insulation to bring it up to modern standards. Ben and his team carried out the work very diligently and kept me informed as to what was happening throughout the process. The final invoice was exactly the same as the quotation although he did attend to a couple of other gutter problems on my main roof not covered by the quote. Ben has just started trading as BSL Home Improvements incorporating 1st Class Roofing as he has expanded his work force and is now able to offer other building services including all types of roof work. I have no hesitation in recommending Ben and in addition he was a pleasure to deal with.

During that dreadfully wet weather I noticed a damp smell in a back bedroom and feared that the roof was leaking. I had used Ben's services before and called him to come and check the roof. He told me that I did not need a new roof but that the old Victorian brickwork on the back wall was very wet and the pointing needed to be replaced. He and his brother did the work immediately, in very difficult weather conditions, and the wall was repointed before the damp had penetrated enough to spoil the interior of the room, so I did not need to have the room redecorated. At the same time he advised me that a small area of flat roof on a ground floor extension needed replacing as it was 25 years old and had become soft and spongy. Ha came back this week and I now have a new fibreglass flat roof which has a much longer life expectancy than the old one. Inevitably there were complications and he explained them and sought my approval for additional work that needed to be done. I am delighted with the result and will be using his services for all outside maintainance work in future.

Ben has aptly named his business as his work and service really were 1st Class. He was unable to come to do the work required in January as the weather was appalling but he kept in touch and turned up just as soon as possible. Everything was explained fully and the work was carried out efficiently and professionally. I would happily employ him again should the need arise. Many thanks for a great job!

I can recommend this company, Ben came out very quickly to view my flat roof which was leaking and gave a prompt quote. He sealed the area a few days later and also gave some advice on how to maintain the roof for the future. Ben was very professional and charged a reasonable price for the small job.

We had three flat roofs replaced _ two felt garage roofs and one porch roof replaced with fibreglass. The work was done over four months at the beginning of 2013. Ben gave a reasonably priced accurate estimates which he stuck to despite having to do a little remedial work with at least one roof. Ben was very conscientious and meticulous in ensuring a high standard of work. The installation of the fibreglass roof was delayed until the weather conditions were satisfactory for the curing _ but the two felt roofs were quickly installed. He, and his colleagues, ensured that the contents of the garages were protected during the installations and they were scrupulous about clearing up and leaving everything clean and tidy. The roofs are guaranteed through an insurance scheme _ added security. There was some very slight disorganisation on one of the visits but that can be put down to the pressures introduced by the unreliable and inclement weather. I would trust 1st Class Flat Roofing to do a good professional job at a reasonable price; and will happily use them again.

When our felt-covered flat roof started showing signs that it was coming to the end of its life (bubbling felt, 'spongy' patches of timber), I started looking into quotes to get the roof renewed. I was originally looking at a felt like-for-like replacement, but when I met with Ben from 1st Class Flat Roofing, he explained the nature and benefits of a fibreglass/GRP roof. Effectively the same material that yacht hulls are made of, the fibreglass roof is an ultra-tough, long-lasting and of course waterproof top coating that Ben guarantees for 30 years. On top of this, Ben provides a 10 year insurance-backed guarantee for peace of mind. I thought this was going to cost a lot more, but 1st Class Flat Roofing's quote was detailed and very competitive - much better value than equivalent GRP roof quotes we had and only fractionally more than some of the felt quotes. Having chosen 1st Class, Ben and his colleague started work promptly only to discover that our roof actually hid a mini chamber of horrors - inches and inches of thick felt and bitumen where a previous builder had cut corners and patched things up. There was considerably more effort involved that Ben had anticipated but he was careful to explain to me at all times what was happening and show me where additional materials and work was required to rectify these problems. Any additional costs were agreed up front and were still better value than many of the quotes we'd received which hadn't of course taken into account the 'hidden nasties'. In particular, I was very impressed by how conscientious the team were: on one night when there was a freak storm, Ben came out late at night for an hour (at no charge) to ensure that the temporary covering he had used overnight on the half-finished roof kept the rain out as much as possible and he didn't so much as grumble once. He is unfailingly polite and extremely conscientious, making sure that both he and I were happy with the end result and spending extra time resolving any snagging issues without quibble. Given some of awful experiences I've had with unreliable London tradesman, it was both refreshing and relief to be able to trust someone to finish a job and do what he says he will. Throughout the process, Ben kept everything clean and tidy when he finished for the day, too. The end result? The roof looks great and performs well. Stripping, re-decking and top-coating the roof wasn't an easy job at all, it being a very awkward shape and construction. 1st Class spent a lot more time and effort on the roof than they could possibly have anticipated, but they stuck to their revised quote and made sure I was a happy customer. I would have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Ben and 1st Class Flat Roofing to other people as he is that all-too-rare thing: a fairly-priced, professional, reliable and courteous tradesman who takes pride in his work.