What to Expect When the Roofing Crew Is On-Site

October 16, 2024

A roofing project can be stressful. There are a lot of potential impacts to your operations, sales, customers/occupants, not to mention safety hazards. While not every roofing contractor does things the D. C. Taylor Co. way, this information should eliminate a lot of the fear and unknown.

Staging & Protection

Between materials, equipment, and crew, you’ll want to give the roofing contractor space on the site. They’ll have between two and five trucks as well as a trailer, rough terrain forklift, mobile elevating work platform (MEWP), dumpster, and even a crane. Don’t forget that a semi-truck will also be delivering materials (if it hasn’t already), not all of which can be loaded onto the roof.

The roofing contractor will not only take necessary action to ensure the safety of their own crews, but also your property and people. They will have recommended the installation of interior protection if the work on the roof could result in dust and debris inside. They will instruct you to evacuate an area of the building they’re craning over. And if a roof coating is being applied, screens and fencing may be used to minimize overspray, in addition to recommending that vehicles parked nearby be relocated.

Safety Set-Up

After arriving at the jobsite, the crew will evaluate the hazards of the jobsite, review the job hazard analysis and fall protection plan, and then erect fall protection so they can begin loading material and equipment to the roof. Since it’s rare that roofs have existing passive fall protection installed (e.g., guard rail), the first person up will access the roof by ladder, stairs, or scaffold and walk toward the center of the roof (or at least 6- to 10-feet away from any perimeter edge) and establish an anchor point. This can be a manufactured certified single-point anchor or a cross arm strap attached to the building structure.

Once the anchor point is established, the crew will attach a rope and rope grab system for use with a full body harness and calculate the distance to ensure that individuals will be in fall restraint while loading the roof. Most of the time, the first load up is a ballasted guard rail system to establish the loading zone. The signal person can stand here safely to see and direct a rough terrain forklift or crane. Warning lines are established at least 6 feet from any perimeter edges and require active personal fall protection for any work outside the warning lines (i.e., next to the perimeter edges).

Daily Stretches

You may be surprised to see the crew doing what looks like calisthenics each morning. A daily routine of dynamic stretches prepares muscles and joints for work by increasing the blood flow, decreasing the odds of an injury on the job. Taking only about five minutes, these stretches have been carefully selected based on an essential job function profile, observing and interviewing employees, as well as measuring the weights, forces, heights, and frequencies of the physical work. It might seem like an odd sight, but it’s absolutely the best way for crews to start their day.

Keeping You Informed

As the work progresses, the contractor will provide the desired level of communication. Ultimately, the customer determines the frequency and breadth of these updates, with some facilities professionals wanting twice-daily (i.e., morning and end-of-day) progress reports, as well as photos to document the work. Of course, whenever work will impact building operations, the crew will communicate that. Pre-planning and open communication with the project manager and project supervisor can minimize disruption, as well as keep everyone safe. Discuss expectations for communication (e.g., who, when, how often, and how) up front to avoid frustration.

Watertight at Night

If the project involves tearing off the old roof, the crew will most likely work in sections, only removing as much old material as they plan to install that day. When the day comes to close, the roofing crew will tie in the newly laid roofing system with the existing roof that is yet to be removed. If the old and new roof systems are both the same type of single-ply membrane, this is accomplished by heat welding the new roof to the old for a watertight seam. When the old and new roof systems differ, the crew may use peel-and-stick adhesive tape, hot asphalt, a termination bar, or weights (in the case of membrane on a metal panel roof). When the crew returns to work the next day, the tie-off area is cut off and discarded so the new membrane can be mechanically fastened, or heat welded to the next new roll of single-play being installed.

If the project has you feeling overwhelmed, communicate your concerns and provide your roofing contractor with a list of questions. They can ease your worries by providing a detailed description of how the work will be performed, what planning has already been undertaken and safety will be erected, and communicating with you regularly.

To get started on your next roofing project, call D. C. Taylor Co. at 319.731.4118 or email [email protected] today.


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