A woman on Theydon Park Road stopped one of our vans last week to ask how she could tell a proper roofer from someone just after a quick job. Fair question. TrustMark, the government-backed quality scheme, opened a public consultation on 22nd September looking at exactly that problem, and it’s worth every homeowner in Epping and Theydon Bois paying attention.
The numbers behind the consultation are stark. TrustMark’s own Chief Operating Officer says consumer detriment in this market stands at over £10 billion, and the proposals aim to simplify redress, tighten oversight of scheme providers and make registered firms more accountable. For a trade that still gets tarred by a minority, that matters.
What it doesn’t fix is knowing what good work looks like once the roof’s up and the scaffolding’s down. On a pitched re-roof we’re still checking batten gauge against the tile manufacturer’s spec, running a 150mm lap on the breather membrane and dressing verges with Code 4 lead rather than a cheaper mortar bed that’ll crack inside three winters. Flat work is where corners get cut worse — we’ve lifted single-ply membrane in North Weald that was laid with no fall to the outlet at all, so water just sat there until the deck rotted underneath.
TrustMark’s consultation closes on 27th October, and the sector bodies are asking roofers and merchants to have their say. Whatever comes of it, the basics don’t change: a dry verge system fitted properly, soakers cut and dressed rather than mastic-sealed, and a contractor who’ll still answer the phone in three years’ time.
All Roofing & Guttering has been working pitched and flat roofs across Epping, Coopersale and Theydon Bois for 40 years. If you’re weighing up quotes and want a second opinion before you sign anything, give us a ring or have a look through allroof.co.uk/.