07/09/2026
What up all you hard working, talented, and creative people..! (Local to Kitchener Waterloo Cambridge, established in Ontario, and Operating across Canada)
I had my first day back up on a roof in three years... I still got the Jam but definately out of shape and felt like gravity has increased aboot 30% right along with price for everything...
It felt good to remember the next 3 days of stiffness and pain... getting paid fairly was a great feeling as well...
I have hit a major crossroad in my life where sticking to my renovation business with the market like it is... isn't looking good for another 5 years or so...
No good as in... flat broke, starvation, nearing if not suffering homelessness, hardship after hard knocks, reduced contract sales and their profitability due to market desperation, desperation and oversaturation.
And I think it's best to switch my main focus on life but continue to have that as a side hustle on the back burner for when things return to a balance that's sustainable...
I ve chosen to stay my course with college in preparation for producing my own drum and bass tunes, releasing them, and touring around playing festivals while opening and operating a local professional live entertainment DJ service in pursuit of one day finding that sustainability again in doing all of the things I love to do...
No body can roof forever unfortunately... in a physical perspective; (
.. not when the "ware and tare" becomes an everyday factor, especially when there is no need for new roofs in the foreseeable future to keep us well tuned in body and in mind.
Results of this thought create this realization for me, that is no way to afford life worth living when nobody is hiring contractors with intention for paying a fair price.
Then just the same, no one is hiring skilled workers as employees with intention of proper salary or hourly wages...
It really is a hard pill to swallow when one realises that the value in "transferable skills" really aren't what employers care to hear about on resumes, or in interviews, and such a thing is not actually what they are looking for...
Anyone else noticing this..?
Money is getting harder to find, costs keep climbing for no reason, and seasonal work now more than ever... really doesn't balance out for an entire year for having the basic year round comfort and normal capability to be paying bills on time...
What's the sales market been like for those of you who are contractors, or for those working for contractors who are feeling these changes?
This is what happens to industry's that were once structured on inferior and bunk products, as their so called "standard". With the slope roofing industry, it was the 3-tab shingles that were once all the hype in residential roofing, and they also were used for alot of the big commercial sized roofs too...
Then came along the "dummy" step-shingle design, that looks sorta like fake cedar shake, and introduced a revolutionary design that adds a extra layer of asphalt and aboot 15-20 years between property owner's investment schedule... instead of the reoccuring need for new roof installs every 15 - 20 that was all thanks to the old popular design that cut out a key-line slice between tabs, that actually only reduced a layer of asphault instead.
Three tab shingles would only last 12-20 years that were said to be a 20-25 year prorated shingle...
These new dual layer shingles took over with a far superior design that is actually looking to last 30-35 years with 30yr shingles...
This is why we are currently sitting year 6 or 7, of the dreadful 10-15 year recession thanks to this switch up in our sales market...
