I started learning about roofing before I learned how to drive a car! It took me until the age of 17 before I actually climbed on a roof. I really never was fond of the roofing industry growing up. Until my 2 year college experience at The University Of Kentucky. Then the realization hit me that, hey, I am already gifted being a tradesman in roofing. That’s when I knew I had a big advantage on the other competition!

My knowledge of roofing was quite unpleasant. Always hearing stories of the elders carrying a 5 gallon bucket of pitch (tar) that is at least 425 degrees up 3 story ladders, splashing all over them. What about this story; one day this guy got lucky, he got hit in the head with a shovel which knocked him out before he jumped to his death off a 10 story building. He fell on his back and the pitch (tar) burned so bad he would rather jump than go thru the pain of being burnt severely.

In the 1990’s they came out with better materials. Finally, the old pitch, build up roofing got out dated and better products came out. The newer products were much safer and a lot less brutal. Now we simply have a 50 by 100 ft. piece of single ply (rubber) that has taken the place of pitch (tar). Good move Firestone, Goodyear and Gen Flex!! I can remember the old timers saying that will never work. Boy, were they truly amazed! Now we even have cleaner and lighter products that are not nearly as hot to work with. Such as the T.P.O’s this system uses hot air for the seams and flashings. You can only imagine how much easier and less dangerous the T.P.O. is.

Never the less, my true passion in the industry is copper sheet metal. Copper sheet metal is more of a custom project, verses following directions by the manufacturers. Box gutters, turrets, bay windows and chimney flashings are all created with a flat sheet of copper. Typically a 3 by 10 ft. sheet.

The knowledge is almost endless, for example, knowing that a 10 ft. box gutter will expand a ¼ of an inch and shrink a ¼ inch. Making your total a ½ inch difference! So that means, you have to be able to let the metal float or the seam will separate. One thing that keeps me going is, I’m always learning new techniques. Every job is different and there will always be a better way. Hardt Roofing continues to write history. We are anxious to make you part of our history too!