We also remember just how much effort went in to turning that reputation around . Now thankfully , the public ’ s perception of fenestration is better than it ’ s been in decades . But there ’ s a new menace on the horizon – a different kind of tradesman threatening to undermine all that hard work with shoddy workmanship and dishonest business practices . I call them the ‘ Cladover Cowboys ’. Tiled conservatory roofs are more popular than ever . But instead of installing specifically designed , high-quality , long-lasting tiled roof products , Cladover Cowboys use basic timber installation material , tiles and plasterboard to try and shoddily create the same effect . To do this , they remove the old polycarbonate sheets and directly

fix timber battens to the existing roof – screwing into the existing aluminium frame , then plastering over it to mask any potential issues . Initially , the homeowner is delighted – they ’ ve got something vaguely resembling a solid tiled roof for around £ 1,000 , about a fifth of the price of a genuine , professionally fitted roof . But that happiness will be shortlived . So-called ‘ cladovers ’ are far too heavy for the existing roof structure and frames to support them , and provide next to no insulation . The money the homeowner saved soon gets spent on repairing the botched job , and the water damage that inevitably occurs when the leaky new roof is tested by its first rain shower . Furthermore , the building will now fall under current building

regulations - and the homeowner is often not made aware of this . The base will need to be checked for the correct footings , cavity wall and insulation within its core , as it ’ s now classed as an extension . This is the mine field that awaits the homeowner when they come to sell their house , or if a neighbour reports them to the council . It ’ s a false economy – leaving homeowners wishing they went to a reputable , experienced tiled roof installer the first time around . So what can the industry do to save homeowners the heartache of a cladover catastrophe , and hit back against the cowboys ? One of the best solutions is marketing – raising public awareness of these rogue traders , and , in the process , drawing attention to the

quality of your own products and installation work . Consumers are savvier than ever . More and more of them are doing research – taking to their tablets , their laptops and their phones to look into which home improvement products and providers they should trust . That means you need to be online – and making sure you and your business ranks higher on Google than the cowboys , getting more web traffic and more leads . But many firms wouldn ’ t even know where to begin to make that a reality . That ’ s where Astraseal comes in . We created the AstraSEAL of Approval to help support our installers – which includes helping them get their heads around marketing . We provide free advice for our customers and help

them maximise the return on their budget – and we can help you improve your brand image , generate more leads , and convert them into more sales . We also provide extensive training on all our products , a fast-track remake service , easy online ordering and a best price guarantee . Get in touch to find out more . Together , we can beat the Cladover Cowboys – outranking them online , winning high quality leads for honest , experienced tradespeople , and giving homeowners the long-lasting roofing solutions and quality service they deserve .

Yours sincerely , Zac Nedimovic Sales & Marketing Manager , Astraseal