Kneepads or Not? Roofers have their say...

“Roofing involves heavy lifting, bending, climbing, and kneeling. Roofers replace, repair, and install the roofs of buildings using a variety of materials, including shingles, bitumen, and metal.”

It’s no surprise that Roofing is an arduous job that puts strain upon many parts of the body, knee’s being one.

Flat roofing especially requires a lot of kneeling, so it’s important to use the right type of protection. When working with extremely hot materials such as bitumen, your knee pads must be able to withstand the heat and keep your knees away from harm.

As you may or may not no, flat roofs are available in a broad selection of materials, from EPDM and felt to GRP and PVC. Each flat roofing membrane has their merits and usage tends to vary in line with the property owner’s requirements, local climate and budget etc. To install these materials requires you to be on your knees for the majority of the process, especially detailing. Roofing material can be incredibly unforgiving to your knees because the materials are extremely tough and abrasive. It is vital then, that roofers wear kneepads at all times.

We recently discussed this topic in a Roofers Facebook group, about whether or not they wore kneepads. Here was some of the feedback: 

Lucas

"Never see younger roofers wear them but any dude I’ve roofed with over the age of 40 has used them. I was told up until I came to my latest company that your being lazy and deserve less if you shingle on your knees. Now that I’m almost 30, I call BS and I just bought my first pair this past summer!!!! Roof on and take care of that body. It’s what pays the bills."

Ron

"My knees are shot because when I was a younger man I thought I was too cool for them. At 36 and 17 years of flat roofing work I wear them daily. My knees are in constant pain."

Michael

"Take the word from a 49 y/o roofer (and when I say I'm a roofer, I mean I am well versed in all forms of material installs)... I used to say f**k kneepads, too. Now, after it is too late, I HAVE to wear them because my knees are so blown out from not wearing them. And he's right... if you don't start to protect them early on in your career, you will end up having to eat a hand full of opiates every morning just to be able to move them enough to climb a ladder, or stairs. Ask any roofer over 40. They will all recommend you do, if they have been roofing for at least 10 years or more. Don't let some moron shame you into not wearing protection."

Roofers, more specifically flat roofers, have been giving us some great feedback about our kneepads.

Whilst our main customers have been predominantly Tilers and Flooring Installers, we are happy to announce that roofers are now starting to use our kneepads more frequently.
What roofers really need is a set of kneepads that they can trust will protect them and withstand the work load – as roofers are, physically, some of the hardest working people on the planet.

So what have our roofing customers been saying?

David Eldridge – BVE Roofing Services

David was one of our first customers. He does Flat Roofing primarily, and works with abrasive, hot and sticky materials like bitumen. He needed knee pads that could withstand the workload, the high temperatures and most importantly stop the pain he would get in his knees after a grueling shift. David said:

“Been in the roofing industry for 30+ years. Thought I'd give recoil knee pads a go because at that time I had yet to find a pair of pads that have not hurt my knees, but the Recoils have been a pleasant surprise because there is no pain. I kept thinking when are they going to start hurting, but they just didn't. It's like a shock absorber for your knee which is amazing, and the spring stopped tipping over because they pivot. I wouldn't buy anything else now; this company has invented a product that actually works! I've just ordered another pair because they’re so good. 
Finally a pad that actually works!!!!!!”

We spoke to David over the phone, and he explained to us in more detail what it was roofers like him had been looking for in terms of kneepads and Recoil have been the best kneepads he has used. After 8 months of using his first pair, David decided to buy another set, however he said that his first pair still work great, they just look like they have been through the wars now – and we can understand why.

Thank you to all the Roofers, including Michael, Ron and Lucas who joined in the conversation on Facebook and gave us some great insight into the challenges you face in the industry. Thank you to David for sharing his experience with Recoil Kneepads and for sending us some photos.

If you are a Roofer and want to experience Recoil Kneepads for yourself, you can get a pair through the links below. Thank you for reading.

UK CUSTOMERS HERE.
USA CUSTOMERS HERE.
CANADIAN CUSTOMERS HERE.