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.
