Do-It-Yourself Roofing is Dangerous
I was playing cribbage with a friend who told me a sad story. He worked for years, close to thirty, I think, with a man who always dreamed of retirement. It was then that he could do the things he wanted to do. Finally, that day did come. A few weeks into his retirement, John climbed the ladder to do a little fix on the roof. John fell and was paralyzed from the waist down for the rest of his life.
The Center for Construction Work and Training (CPWR) Data Study released in 2013 found that falls from roofs accounted for one-third of fall-related construction fatalities between 1992-2009, a total of 2,163 people.https://www.myfloridacfo.com/division/wc/
“The primary cause of fall fatalities in construction was falling from roofs,” they concluded.https://myflroofingcon.wpengine.com/hire-a-roofing-professional/
Every one of those falls affected the family structure in a devastating way, that is why, Do-It-Yourself Roofing is Dangerous
According to CPWR, in 2010 alone there 18,130 nonfatal injuries. These injuries range from catastrophic injuries such as the one John suffered to sprained ankles and injured pride. Note, however, that the numbers above, 2163 fatal and 18,130 non-fatal, are construction employees and do not include laymen. Construction workers do roofing for a living. They are experienced, have the right equipment, the proper training. Yet even with these advantages that many people are killed or injured. Slippery conditions, windy, a simple mistake – it can dramatically alter a person’s life, particularly if a novice.
Dr. Timothy Emhoff, chief of trauma and surgical critical care at UMass Memorial Medical Center, laid it on the line in his frank 2015 interview. “When you look at the age range of people who are falling from ladders,” he said, “it is increasing. It is amazing how the number of people we see aged greater than sixty, some seventy, we’ve seen some eighty-year-olds, even some ninety-year-olds up on ladders who have come in severely injured, falling from ladders trying to take care of their homes.”
There’s a chance an average Joe could do an adequate job, maybe even a good one, but is it worth it? If you throw the dice and fall flat, you can still get up and walk away. If you fall flat off a ladder or slide off a pitch, your party days may be over.
Never throw the dice around a roof, save that for Vegas. Do-It-Yourself Roofing is Dangerous
Besides the danger, roofing and plumbing share commonalities. One plumbing company has as its motto: “We repair what your husband fixed.” Do-it-yourself fixes routinely ending up costing more in the long run. There are several reasons for this: the homeowner may fix what does not need to be fixed, may fix improperly or even cause structural damage, professionals get materials for the best prices.
Maybe a guy can get up, fix his roof and save himself a few bucks. It’s a man thing. But whenever you get on a ladder or a roof, you’re rolling the dice. It’s a better idea to call a professional. My friends sure wish John did.
We are insured roofers in Vero Beach, Sebastian, and Fort Pierce
